Summary: Scientists used non-invasive MRI to study shrews that seasonally shrink and regrow their brains, uncovering water loss as the key driver of this rare phenomenon. Despite losing about nine…
Category: brain research
Depression Disrupts Learning to Avoid Unpleasant Events
Summary: Depression specifically impairs the ability to learn how to actively avoid unpleasant events, though it does not affect avoidance behavior once learned. Researchers tested 465 participants across a range…
Extreme Heat Makes People More Negative
Summary: A large-scale global study shows that extreme heat affects not just our bodies, but also our emotions. Researchers analyzed over a billion social media posts and found that when…
Hormonal Contraceptives Influence Memory of Emotional Events
Summary: A new study reveals that hormonal contraceptives may shape both emotional responses and memory processing in women. Compared with naturally cycling women, users of hormonal birth control had stronger…
Inside the Minds That Never Forget: Exploring Hyperthymesia
Summary: Autobiographical memory allows us to relive experiences, form identity, and project into the future. A rare few, known as hyperthymesics, can recall events from their lives with remarkable precision,…
Big Five No More? New Study Uncovers Hidden Personality Traits
Summary: For 40 years, the Big Five personality model has dominated psychology, but new research suggests it may be incomplete. Using taxonomic graph analysis, researchers mapped personality from the ground…
Belief in Success and Meaning in Life Boost Well-Being
Summary: New research shows that meaning in life and self-efficacy—the belief in one’s ability to succeed—are critical for well-being, regardless of sex. Men reported higher levels of passion and self-efficacy,…
How Stress Types Differently Impact Brain and Behavior
Summary: Stress is a universal experience, but not all stress affects the brain in the same way. A new study in rats reveals that acute stress provokes anxiety-like behaviors, especially…
