Summary: A new study reveals that aphantasics, people unable to visualize, are more resistant to involuntary visual thoughts, such as imagining a pink elephant. While vivid visual imaginations often lead…
Category: brain research
Positive Attitude Boosts Passion and Determination
Summary: New research links a positive attitude, or “growth mindset,” to higher levels of passion and determination. A study of over 1,500 participants aged 13 to 77 found that those…
Interoception Enhances Female Sexual Satisfaction
Summary: Women who are more attuned to internal bodily signals, such as heartbeats and touch, experience orgasms more frequently and with greater satisfaction. This inward focus, known as interoception, is…
Can We Program the Brain to Learn Without Teaching?
Summary: Researchers have developed a groundbreaking technique to “write” new learning patterns directly into the brain using real-time neurofeedback from fMRI imaging. Participants in the study learned new visual object…
Leaded Gas Exposure Linked to Mental Illness
Summary: A new study estimates that childhood lead exposure, peaking between 1960 and 1990 due to leaded gasoline, caused 151 million excess cases of mental illness by 2015. Researchers linked…
Masculine Ideals Double Suicide Risk in Men
Summary: Men who strongly adhere to traditional masculine ideologies, such as suppressing emotions and valuing independence, are more than twice as likely to attempt suicide compared to those with more…
How Memories Shape Decisions and Future Well-Being
Summary: A new framework integrates psychology and economics to show how memorable experiences influence long-term decision-making. Their model separates the immediate utility of consumption from the lasting “remembered utility” derived…
Feeling Beautiful Spurs Kindness and Generosity
Summary: A new study shows that enhancing one’s appearance, even virtually, increases prosocial behavior such as kindness and charitable giving. Participants who saw enhanced images of themselves were twice as…
Alcohol Use Predicts Escalating Cannabis Vaping Among Youth
Summary: A recent study highlights alcohol as the strongest predictor of cannabis vaping initiation and experimentation among youth and young adults, regardless of demographic factors. Conducted over three years, the…
