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...
Psychology & Psychiatry
Study links social and non-social synchrony to romantic attractiveness
Romantic relationships and attraction among humans have been the focus of numerous psychological and neuroscientific studies. While these studies have unveiled some of the neural and mental processes associated with romantic bonding, many questions about their...
Study explores the link between stock market fluctuations and emergency room visits in China
The advent of computerized trading and fintech platforms has made investing in stocks easier and more accessible to individuals worldwide. This has led to an increase in stock market participation in many countries, including China.
Large-scale study assesses the short-term impact on stress of self-administered mindfulness exercises
Mindfulness practices, derived from ancient meditative traditions, have become increasingly popular in modern society. Past studies have found that these practices, which encourage people to intentionally direct their attention to the present moment, can have a...
How the human hippocampus contributes to value-based decision-making under uncertainty
Value-based decision-making is the process through which humans choose between options associated with different costs or efforts, as well as rewards. These choices include, for instance, selecting different products at the grocery stores or making substantial...
Probing the effects of visual distraction during natural behavior using VR technology
Humans are innately well-equipped to complete procedural tasks, such as following a recipe and assembling furniture. While completing these tasks, however, people can sometimes encounter visual distractors, such as irrelevant ingredients in the same cupboard as those...
Study shows that opportunity costs influence when people leave social interactions
Psychology researchers and neuroscientists have been trying to understand the principles guiding social interactions for decades. While their studies have yielded interesting results, many questions remain unexplored or unanswered.
Study sheds new light on the contribution of dopamine to reinforcement learning
The neurotransmitter dopamine has often been linked to pleasure-seeking behaviors and making stimuli paired with rewards (e.g., food, drinks) valuable. Nonetheless, the processes through which this key chemical messenger contributes to learning have not yet been fully...
The neural signature of subjective disgust could apply to both sensory and socio-moral experiences
Disgust is one of the six basic human emotions, along with happiness, sadness, fear, anger, and surprise. Disgust typically arises when a person perceives a sensory stimulus or situation as revolting, off-putting, or unpleasant in other ways.
A minimal cognitive architecture reproduces control of human decision-making processes
Neuroscientists and psychologists have been trying to pinpoint the processes behind human decision-making for decades. While their efforts led to numerous interesting insights, the intricacies of complex decision-making remain poorly understood.