Current reporting, research and professional developments across Family & Relationships, curated for psychologists and behavioral-health professionals.
Researchers identified two brain networks involved in word retrieval -- the cognitive process of accessing words we need to speak. A semantic network processes meaning in middle/inferior frontal gyri, while an…
Have you ever wondered how your childhood relationship with your parents shaped the person you are today? Scientists have long ...
Wild chimpanzees alter the meaning of single calls when embedding them into diverse call combinations, mirroring linguistic operations in human language. Human language, however, allows an infinite generation of meaning…
It’s May, and once again, that means it’s Masturbation Month! In previous blogs, we discussed how Masturbation Month came into existence, tracing back to the important work of Dr. Joycelyn Elders, who lost her job for…
A new study surveyed 21,000 children in China and found that the association between parental bereavement and school bullying varied by sex of the child and deceased parent, age when the death occurred, and geographical…
A study of starlings in Africa shows that they form long-term social bonds similar to human friendships.
Friendship comes with complex pros and cons -- possibly explaining why some individuals are less sociable, according to a new study of gorillas.
The sensation of controlling one's body and things in the environment is known as sense of agency (SoA). Not only is SoA pivotal for tasks and well-being in everyday life, but its mechanisms have become increasingly…
An AI tool has made a step forward in translating the language proteins use to dictate whether they form sticky clumps similar to those linked to Alzheimer's Disease and around fifty other types of human disease. In a…
When we need an emoji that’s supposed to represent something sexual, why is it that we almost always turn to some kind of food? Peaches, eggplants, and bananas are among the many food symbols frequently used in…
Large language models (LLMs) are at the forefront of artificial intelligence (AI) and have been widely used for conversational interactions. However, assessing the personality of a given LLM remains a significant…
To help achieve more precise control of gene therapy, engineers have designed a new control circuit that can keep gene expression levels within a target range. The method could be used to deliver genes that could help…
Borderline personality disorder (BPD) can cause constant changes in emotions. This means people with BPD may experience rocky ...
Humans are better than current AI models at interpreting social interactions and understanding social dynamics in moving scenes. Researchers believe this is because AI neural networks were inspired by the infrastructure…
Psychologists have developed a precision treatment approach for depression that gives patients individualized recommendations based on multiple characteristics, such as age and gender.
Adolescents who sleep for longer -- and from an earlier bedtime -- than their peers tend to have improved brain function and perform better at cognitive tests, researchers have shown. But the study of adolescents in the…
In face-to-face conversations, speakers use hand movements to signal meaning. But do listeners actually use these gestures to predict what someone might say next? In a study using virtual avatars, scientists show that…
Saying one thing while feeling another is part of being human, but bottling up emotions can have serious psychological consequences like anxiety or panic attacks. To help health care providers tell the difference, a team…
In discussions about how to increase sexual pleasure and satisfaction, it’s like that you’ve heard the term erogenous zones come up before, perhaps followed by phrases like “pleasure mapping” and/or “sensory…
Two women meeting for the first time can judge within minutes whether they have the potential to be friends -- guided as much by smell as any other sense, research on friendship formation finds.
Are there areas of the brain, which regulate prosocial, altruistic behavior? Researchers have studied a very special group of patients and established that the 'basolateral amygdala' (part of the limbic system) plays an…
Healthy sleep includes multiple components, such as number of hours of sleep per night, how long it takes to fall asleep, daytime functioning and self-reported sleep satisfaction, and addressing these different…
Using eye-tracking -- a technique for recording and analyzing eye movements -- a team has shown that individuals with multiple disabilities can improve their social and emotional skills. Although these patients are often…
Shifting cultural perceptions of beauty could drive 'lip dysmorphia', so psychologists tested the response of 32 people to altered images of lips to see how they responded. The results were surprising.
In previous blogs, we’ve talked all about the various ways that people leverage technology for sexual communication. For example, we’ve discussed a book that does a deep dive into the psychology of dick pics, and we’ve…
The fear of rejection -- familiar to many children and adults -- can significantly impact how kids behave in their peer groups, according to new research.
Fluency in a foreign language is often thought to be about speaking quickly and using advanced vocabulary. However, researchers reveal that speakers who use common, everyday expressions sound more fluent than those who…
Most of us strive for a passionate, fulfilling, and pleasurable sex life. However, getting (and maintaining) the kind of sex life that you want can be a challenge. Many struggle with talking about sex at all, lack sexual…
A new study has found that children exposed to higher levels of air pollution in early and mid childhood have weaker connections between key brain regions. The findings highlight the potential impact of early exposure to…
I believe that therapy works best when you feel heard, safe, and truly seen. I strive to create a space where you can show up ...
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