How Hunter-Gatherer Kids Learn Lifelong Skills by Age Six

Summary: Hunter-gatherer children in the Congo Basin learn critical skills like hunting, gathering, and childcare by age six or seven, thanks to a unique social learning environment. Unlike Western societies,…

How Decision-Making Improves with Age

Summary: Adolescents are known for making less optimal, noisy decisions, but a recent study reveals that these tendencies decrease with age and are linked to improvements in complex decision-making skills.…

Huntington’s Gene Enhances Early Brain Growth and Intelligence

Summary: A study reveals that the genetic mutation causing Huntington’s disease (HD) enhances brain development and intelligence in early life, but leads to degeneration in adulthood. Children with the HD…

Stable Bedtime Boosts Kids’ Behavior and Emotional Control

Summary: Children with regular bedtimes exhibit better emotional control and behavior than those with irregular sleep patterns. Researchers found that consistency in sleep times helps children handle stress and regulate…

Childhood Stress Disrupts Attention, Sleep, and Dopamine Balance in Adults

Summary: New research links childhood adversity with later attention deficits, sleep disruptions, and specific dopamine imbalances in the brain. Focusing on critical developmental windows, scientists found that disrupted care early…

Cooperative Care Influences Brain Development in Humans and Marmosets

Summary: Cooperative breeding influences brain development in common marmosets and humans, allowing longer periods for social learning. Marmoset brains, like human brains, develop socio-cognitive regions slowly, maturing in early adulthood.…

Childhood Attention Problems and Genes Linked to Psychosis Risk

Summary: Childhood attention issues, coupled with genetic predispositions, increase the likelihood of experiencing psychotic-like symptoms in adolescence. By analyzing data from 10,000 youths, researchers discovered that variability in attention spans…

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…

Youth Face Rising Risks of Harassment and Exploitation in the Metaverse

Summary: A new study reveals that youth are vulnerable to various forms of harm in the metaverse, including bullying, harassment, and sexual exploitation. Using data from over 5,000 U.S. teens,…

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…