PsyPost – Psychology News

A new clinical trial suggests the weight-loss drug semaglutide could help treat alcohol use disorder. While it didn't eliminate laboratory-assessed cravings, the medication significantly reduced heavy drinking days and overall alcohol-related problems in treatment-seeking adults.

A massive review of psychological research confirms that emotional intelligence is reliably linked to human flourishing. People with higher emotional intelligence tend to experience greater well-being, though the connection depends heavily on how these traits are measured.

A new study in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology reveals that jokes, memes, and punchlines are significantly funnier when they are easy to process. This cognitive fluency helps our brains quickly make sense of unexpected humour.

Singles and people unhappy in their romantic relationships are more likely to develop strong emotional and physical attractions to fictional characters, suggesting one-sided media crushes can serve as a substitute for unfulfilled real-world needs.

Standard genetic tests for Alzheimer's often fail in non-European populations. A new study shows that blending global genetic data creates a highly accurate tool that predicts both Alzheimer's risk and underlying brain damage across diverse ancestral groups.

A recent study finds that childhood emotional abuse and neglect are strongly linked to adult anxiety. This relationship is largely explained by impairments in how a person perceives themselves and connects with others.

A new study suggests that consuming psilocin directly—rather than its precursor, psilocybin—provides a similar psychedelic experience with fewer side effects. Researchers also found that taking the drug under the tongue produced emotional breakthroughs despite milder effects.

Young adults who frequently watch physically violent online pornography report lower empathy, more acceptance of violence against women, and increased difficulties with sexual function, according to a large survey conducted in Spain.

Researchers have identified a specific brain circuit that drives increased alcohol intake following social isolation. The findings provide a biological mechanism for how a negative social environment changes what the brain treats as a valuable reward.

Damage to the ventromedial prefrontal cortex hinders a person's ability to let their mind wander. A new small study suggests this brain region is necessary for generating the internal thoughts and memories that distract us from the present.

A new study indicates that over half the risk for postpartum psychosis is driven by genetics. The findings provide evidence that the condition is a biological vulnerability rather than just a psychological reaction to childbirth.

While people generally prefer it when AI use in communication is openly disclosed, a new psychology study shows we heavily overestimate how much others rely on these digital assistants compared to ourselves.

A recent study finds that people with psychotic spectrum disorders who have a history of aggression are significantly less accurate at recognizing emotions than non-aggressive patients or healthy individuals, often misidentifying negative social cues as positive ones.

Patients with treatment-resistant depression show a widespread loss of complexity in their resting brain activity. A recent brain imaging study suggests this reduced neural entropy could serve as a biological marker for the severe, chronic illness.

"Single positivity" encourages young women to embrace independence, but this cultural approval comes with an expiration date. A new study reveals that as single women age, they face renewed societal pressure to settle down and find a partner.

Your willingness to sacrifice immediate joy for long-term rewards isn't just a personality trait. New research shows that living in a society where it’s easy to make new friends boosts your optimism and willingness to delay happiness.

For adults who struggle to stay asleep, a bed that sways gently throughout the night might offer a path to better rest. New research reveals that continuous rocking reduces nighttime awakenings in people with insomnia symptoms.

A recent case report details a 27-year-old mother’s sudden onset of severe psychosis and delirious mania following a cesarean delivery. The findings suggest that electroconvulsive therapy can provide rapid relief for this life-threatening postpartum psychiatric emergency.

People who score high in neuroticism not only react more intensely to negative events, but they also transfer those bad feelings onto neutral objects more easily. New research highlights how personality traits shape our vulnerability to anxiety.

A new computational model reveals that simply increasing the number of close social connections past a certain threshold naturally forces society to splinter into deeply divided, polarized echo chambers.