Computer- and smartphone-based treatments appear to be effective in reducing symptoms of depression, and while it remains unclear whether they are as effective as face-to-face psychotherapy, they offer a promising alternative to address the growing mental health needs spawned by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to new research. «The year 2020 marked 30 years since the…

In a study with pandemic-related implications, researchers report that strangers who consume alcohol together may keep their distance initially — but draw physically closer as they become intoxicated. To test how social familiarity influences drinking behavior, the researchers asked study subjects to each bring a friend who would also participate in the study. The 212…

The research sought to uncover the relationship between temperament and eating behaviors in early childhood. The findings are critical because faster eating and greater responsiveness to food cues have been linked to obesity risk in children. The research, which sought to uncover the relationship between temperament and eating behaviors in early childhood, also found that…

Researchers know that people are motivated to be vegetarian for different reasons — the most common in western cultures being health, the environment and animal rights. University of California, Davis, researchers in the Department of Psychology surveyed 8,000 people of various ages and ethnicities, in two languages, in both the United States and Holland, to…

Neuroscientists suggest the capacity to hear the highs and lows, also known as the major and minor notes in music, may come before you take a single lesson; you may actually be born with it. The study examined the capacity of six-month-old infants to discriminate between a major and a minor musical tone sequence with…

Our brains respond to language expressing facts differently than they do to words conveying possibility, a team of neuroscientists has found. Its work offers new insights into the impact word choice has on how we make distinctions between what’s real vs. what’s merely possible. «At a time of voluminous fake news and disinformation, it is…

Trash talking has a long and colorful history of flustering game opponents, and now researchers have demonstrated that discouraging words can be perturbing even when uttered by a robot. The trash talk in the study was decidedly mild, with utterances such as «I have to say you are a terrible player,» and «Over the course…

Looking for techniques to keep young athletes safer post-concussion, researchers devised a study in which teenage athletes who suffered concussions were randomized either to standard of care — typically returning to play after clearing a set of standardized protocols that assess symptoms, cognition, and balance — or completing the same protocol and then working with…

Adolescents who are bullied about their weight or body shape may be more likely to use alcohol or marijuana than those who are not bullied, according to new research. The link between appearance-related teasing and substance use was strongest among overweight girls, raising special concerns about this group. «This type of bullying is incredibly common…

The evidence for the harmful effects of alcohol on brain health is compelling, but now experts have pinpointed three key time periods in life when the effects of alcohol are likely to be at their greatest. Writing in The BMJ today, researchers in Australia and the UK say evidence suggests three periods of dynamic brain…