Prenatal Cannabis Use Linked to Child Aggression and Cognitive Deficits

Summary: New research shows that prenatal exposure to cannabis can negatively impact children’s thinking and behavioral skills, including impulse control, attention, and aggression, which are key for academic and social…

Individual Reward-Seeking Predicts Nicotine Response

Summary: A new study finds that individualistic reward-seeking behaviors in mice can predict their responses to nicotine. Conducted in a semi-natural environment called Souris-City, the research observed how male mice…

Parent-Child Play Shapes Social Skills for Interacting with Peers

Summary: How parents and toddlers play together can predict children’s future social interactions. By observing over 120 mother-child pairs, researchers found that responsive and assertive behaviors during play were linked…

Dolphins’ “Smile” Reveals Playful Intentions

Summary: Bottlenose dolphins use an “open mouth” expression, similar to a smile, during playful interactions with other dolphins. This expression is a signal of fun and playfulness, preventing misunderstandings as…

Gender Nonconformity in Play Linked to ASD and Behavioral Problems

Summary: A new study reveals that gender nonconforming play behavior in 7-year-olds is associated with increased behavioral difficulties, including autistic traits in girls and peer relationship issues in boys. Researchers…

Hidden Dopamine Neurons Balance Brain Functions and Behavior

Summary: Researchers identified a small group of dopamine neurons in the striatum that play a crucial role in balancing essential brain functions such as reward, cognition, and movement. This discovery…

Dogs Detect Human Stress Smell, Affecting Their Mood and Choices

Summary: New research finds that dogs exposed to human stress odors make more ‘pessimistic’ choices, indicating a negative emotional state. The study shows how human stress affects dogs’ learning and…

Handedness and Vision May Reveal Hidden Social Strengths

Summary: A new study shows that human biases in handedness and visual field processing have social and cognitive implications. Researchers found that people with a reversed bias (left hand, right…

Partner Gender Influences the Pursuit of Orgasm in Women

Summary: The gender of a partner significantly affects women’s expectations and the likelihood of orgasm. By examining the “orgasm gap” between cisgender men and women, researchers uncovered that women anticipate…

Pornography’s Broad Impact Across Genders

Summary: A new study examines the phenomenon of problematic pornography use (PPU) across 42 countries, involving over 82,000 people of diverse genders and sexual orientations. The research highlights how PPU…