Caffeine in the Morning Gives the Biggest Boost to Mood

Summary: A large real-world study of 236 young adults found that caffeine significantly boosts positive emotions, particularly in the morning. Participants who had coffee or another caffeinated drink reported feeling…

Brain Signature Reveals How We Consciously Experience Emotional Intensity

Summary: Researchers have identified a distinct brain signature linked to the conscious experience of emotional intensity. By combining AI modeling, advanced brain imaging, and realistic experimental scenarios, they measured arousal…

Music May Help Kids Understand Emotions, Even Without Empathy

Summary: Music plays a powerful role in how we perceive and express emotion—and a new study finds that even very young children can match emotions in music to facial expressions.…

How Kids Learn What Emotions Really Mean

Key Questions Answered Q: Why do young children struggle to recognize adult emotions?A: Young children rely heavily on facial perception and haven’t yet developed the conceptual knowledge needed to fully…

Empathy Can Be Emotionally Conditioned

Key Questions Answered Q: Can empathy be learned through emotional reward?A: Yes. The study found that when someone else’s joy is consistently paired with personal reward, the brain begins to…

Women’s Scent During Ovulation Alters Male Stress and Attraction

Key Questions Answered Q: What did the study find about female body odor during ovulation?A: Researchers identified three specific scent compounds that increase during ovulation and found they made armpit…

Childhood Trauma May Rewire Brain for Lifelong Aggression

Key Questions Answered: Q: What brain region is being studied to understand aggression?A: Researchers are focusing on the thalamic nucleus reuniens, which connects memory, emotion, and decision-making areas of the…

Discovering Life’s Meaning Through Emotion and Exploration

Key Questions Answered: Q: What is the “Geographic Model of Meaning in Life”?A: It’s a conceptual framework proposing that life’s meaning is not fixed but emerges as individuals explore their…

Emotional Pain Brain Circuit Drives Cocaine Relapse

Summary: A new study reveals that a brain circuit driving negative emotions during cocaine withdrawal plays a key role in relapse. Researchers found that this “anti-reward” network becomes hyperactive during…

Why the Psychopathic Brain Struggles With Emotion and Control

Summary: New research reveals how structural brain connectivity shapes psychopathic traits and externalizing behaviors. Using advanced connectome modeling, scientists identified two key networks: one tied to impaired emotional processing, the…