Social media dependency is associated with a reduced preference for freedom, according to new research published in Psychological Reports. The study suggests that people who are heavily dependent on social media may use it as a way to escape from the uncertainties and challenges of the real world.

A new study published in Mental Health and Physical Activity finds that when one partner is depressed, the other increases their sedentary behaviors and vice versa. This research reveals the potential negative impact partners can have on one another. Understanding this can help clinicians and individuals take steps to prevent the vicious cycle of depression and sedentary behaviors in partnerships.

A new study published in Philosophical Transactions B explores whether pauses in conversation are experienced or interpreted differently depending on whether the conversation is between friends or strangers.

A two-wave panel survey of young adults revealed that ghosting friends and ghosting partners are two different phenomena. Ghosting romantic partners is predicted by communication overload i.e., receiving more messages than one is able to handle and had no impact on well-being, while ghosting friends was predicted by one’s self esteem and increased depressive tendencies over time.

In people with advanced cancer, psychedelic drugs like psilocybin, LSD and MDMA may significantly reduce the severity of depression and anxiety symptoms. Roughly 10% of patients with cancer experience anxiety, while 20% report depression. However, current research suggests that available prescription antidepressants do not significantly decrease depressive symptoms in cancer patients compared with a placebo.

Teaching children independence breeds confidence and social skills. Why aren’t we encouraging this?

Study reveals how a parent's personality type can influence and shape the lives of their children, for better or worse.

Some people believe that lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals are better at identifying someone’s sexual orientation than heterosexual individuals. But new research has found that although there are some differences in how LGB and heterosexual individuals make judgments of male and female speakers, overall, they were equally (in)accurate in their so-called “gaydar” judgments.

A recent study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology found that individuals are more likely to blame themselves when casual conversations become difficult. The findings reveal that the self-serving bias you find in many other human activities seems to disappear when engaging in casual conversation. This insight may be helpful to those who experience anxiety during small talk.

A series of studies published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General provides evidence that the pressure to conform is a key psychological driver of sharing fake news. The findings indicate that failing to share misinformation that is endorsed by other group members can lead to adverse social consequences.

A study of low-income mothers showed that those with more attachment anxiety (i.e., mothers feeling unworthy of being loved) tended to show more unsupportive reactions to their children’s distress and to attribute child’s distress (e.g., crying) to the negative qualities of the child. The study was published in the Journal of Child and Family Studies. ...

People often think they know what causes chronic depression. Surveys indicate that more than 80% of the public blames a “chemical imbalance” in the brain. That idea is widespread in pop psychology and cited in research papers and medical textbooks. Listening to Prozac, a book that describes the life-changing value of treating depression with medications that aim to correct this imbalance, spent months on the New York Times bestseller list.

New research published in the Journal of Positive Psychology examines the role that physically attractiveness may play in feeling that life is meaningful. Three studies involving 1,234 participants revealed that the more attractive you believe yourself to be, the more likely you are to report feelings of existential significance.

The antecedents and consequences of revealing secrets are discussed.

Thinking that you are “good-looking” might be a risk factor for crime, according to new research published in the journal Crime & Delinquency. The study found that youth who perceived themselves as more attractive were more likely to engage in offending behaviors.

New research published in PLOS ONE reveals a potential consequence of political polarization in the United States. The study provides evidence that partisan labels influence first impressions of strangers’ faces.

A new study published in the Journal of Adolescence tested an 8-week mindfulness training program among a group of adolescent and adult females. The results revealed that both teens and adults showed improvements in reorienting their attention following mindfulness training.

EU-funded survey of people aged 16-19 finds one in four have trolled someone – while UK least ‘cyberdeviant’ of nine countries

New research published in the Journal of American College Health investigated the relationship of sad-fishing to attachment style as well as interpersonal and online support.

Published in Social Psychological and Personality Science, researchers found that people who wear masks tend to be viewed as more socially distant. The findings provide evidence of an implicit association between masked human faces and concepts related to psychological distance.