People Prefer Human Empathy, Even When AI Says the Same Thing

Summary: A new study shows that people rate empathic responses as more supportive and emotionally satisfying when they believe they come from a human—even if the same response is AI-generated.…

Negative Surroundings Skew Emotions in People with Depression

Summary: People with depressive symptoms are more likely to interpret neutral images as negative when those images are surrounded by unrelated negative visuals. This emotional “spillover” effect shows how peripheral…

Listening Builds Trust, But Stories Change Minds

Summary: A new study challenges the widely held belief that high-quality, nonjudgmental listening is essential for persuasion. While good listening improves how people feel about a conversation and reduces defensiveness,…

Twin Dynamics: How Developmental Differences Shape Dominance Roles

Summary: A new study reveals that developmental differences strongly influence dominance roles in twin relationships, with typically developing twins perceived as dominant over their nontypically developing siblings. This dominance imbalance…