Thrill Fatigue: How Dopamine Devalues Repeated Rewards

Summary: New research shows that the same dopamine receptor mechanism responsible for drug addiction also governs the natural decline in motivation when we repeat rewarding behaviors. By studying male fruit…

AI Interviews Outperform Standard Mental Health Rating Scales

Summary: A new study demonstrates that an AI assistant can conduct psychiatric assessment interviews with greater diagnostic accuracy than widely used mental health rating scales. In a sample of 303…

Unexpected Superhero Cameos Make People Kinder

Summary: A new behavioral study demonstrates that sudden, unexpected events can significantly increase altruistic behavior in everyday environments. When a person dressed as Batman appeared on a Milan subway, passengers…

Shocking Disparities: Women Face Higher Risk of ECT

Summary: A large international survey of 858 electroconvulsive therapy recipients found that women are twice as likely as men to receive ECT and experience more adverse effects. Women reported higher…

Maternal Stress Speeds Up Baby Teething

Summary: New research shows that infants whose mothers had higher cortisol levels during late pregnancy experience significantly earlier eruption of primary teeth. Babies of mothers with the highest cortisol levels…

Quitting Impossible Goals May Actually Boost Wellbeing

Summary: A sweeping analysis of 235 studies shows that holding onto impossible goals harms mental and physical wellbeing, increasing stress and lowering life satisfaction. In contrast, releasing unachievable goals —…

Genetic Roots of Depression Reveal Strong Suicide Risk Signals

Summary: New research shows that depression beginning before age 25 has a much stronger hereditary component than depression that emerges later in life. By analyzing genetic data from over 150,000…

Why Sharing Good Deeds Feels Bad

Summary: New research shows that people often feel worse when telling others about their good deeds than when keeping them private or discussing personal achievements. Across five studies, participants predicted…

The Hidden Risks You Make Every Day

Summary: Researchers surveyed more than 4,300 people to create the first large-scale inventory of modern real-life risky choices, revealing which decisions people actually struggle with in daily life. The most…

Low Omega-3 Linked to Higher ADHD Symptoms

Summary: A new study reveals that low omega-3 fatty acid intake is associated with increased ADHD symptoms among Palestinian adolescents. Researchers found that socioeconomic disparities—particularly those limiting access to omega-3–rich…