Health News

Extremist minds: These psychological traits might help identify people vulnerable to becoming radicalized

The characteristics of peoples’ brains might offer clues about the political beliefs they hold dear. In a study of around 350 US citizens, we examined the relationship between individuals’ cognitive traits—the unconscious ways in which their brains learn and process information from the environment—and their ideological worldviews. We found parallels between how those with extreme […]

Health Problems

Obesity linked to psychological distress

New research, published in the research journal Obesity, has found that people on lower incomes may be more likely to have obesity due to psychological distress that gives rise to emotional eating to cope. Research by the University of Liverpool and Edith Cowan University (ECU) explored whether the relationship between lower socioeconomic status (SES) and […]

Health Problems

Design thinking can change the treatment of young people with psychological problems

Behavioural scientists are increasingly designing games that can be used preventatively or as therapy for young people with emerging or chronic psychological problems, such as anxiety or depression. Nevertheless, the development and validation of these games is still in its infancy. According to behavioural scientists Hanneke Scholten and Isabela Granic of Radboud University, a form […]

Health Problems

New paper stresses the importance of ecological thinking and diverse study samples to improve psychological science

For decades, consensus among psychologists has held that a cluster of five personality traits—or a slight variation thereof—universally defines the structure of human personality.Previous research conducted in high-income countries and across many cultures found strong support for what experts refer to as the “Big Five”—openness, conscientiousness, agreeableness, extraversion and neuroticism. However, when UC Santa Barbara […]