When we listen to a song or musical performance, out-of-tune singers or instruments are generally perceived as unpleasant for listeners. While it is well-established that mistuning can reduce the enjoyment of music, the processes influencing how humans perceive...
Psychology & Psychiatry
New behavioral signature could help quantify the value that people attribute to specific interpersonal relationships
During their lives, humans and other mammals tend to bond in different ways with others. Psychological theories suggest that individual humans attribute varying values to their social experiences, yet the values they assign to specific interpersonal relationships have...
Neural signatures commonly observed when humans make choices can also reflect choice-independent processes
Past neuroscience research has identified patterns in neural activity typically observed when humans are engaged in value-based decision-making. This is the process through which humans choose between options that could be linked to different costs and rewards,...
Propolis from a Morocco-native plant found to improve cognitive function in male rats experiencing chronic mild stress
Chronic stress can have adverse effects on both the minds and bodies of affected individuals. Past studies suggest that particularly stressful life events can also impact people's cognitive abilities, for instance, producing changes in their memory and sometimes...
Using machine learning to uncover predictors of well-being
Irrespective of their personal, professional and social circumstances, different individuals can experience varying levels of life satisfaction, fulfillment and happiness. This general measure of life satisfaction, broadly referred to as "well-being," has been the key...
Deep brain stimulation study models impulsivity and risk aversion
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a neurosurgical procedure that entails the implantation of electrodes in specific brain regions, to subsequently stimulate these regions via high frequency electric impulses. This procedure is a highly effective therapeutic intervention...
Treating depression with psilocybin or escitalopram found to result in different hierarchical brain reconfigurations
Depression is one of the most common mental disorders, affecting an estimated 300 million people worldwide. While there are currently numerous pharmacological treatments for depression, how different treatments impact the brains of the patients they are administered...
Exploring the link between time perspective and life satisfaction in adulthood
Humans can relate to the passage of time differently, experiencing a multitude of thoughts and emotions about their past, present and future. In psychology, these time-related mental representations are collectively referred to as "time perspective."
Humans employ forward and backward prediction strategies adaptively in different situations, research suggests
Humans often predict the outcomes of their decisions and actions, as this helps them to make sense of the world around them and navigate their present circumstances. Many previous psychology studies suggest that humans primarily make forward predictions, which entail...
Transcranial magnetic stimulation shows promise for treatment-resistant depression biotype
Depression is one of the most common mental health disorders worldwide, estimated to affect about one in eight people worldwide. Once individuals experiencing symptoms of depression approach a psychiatrist or psychotherapist, they are often rapidly diagnosed, yet...