Psychology

Augmented reality could help tackle fear of spiders

Researchers from the University of Basel have developed an augmented reality app for smartphones to help people reduce their fear of spiders. The app has...

5 common thinking traps and how to avoid them

Have you ever fallen into a thinking trap? “I already messed up my plan by eating a piece of cake, so I might as well...

Do you think you’re exclusively straight?

Scientific research has shown that sexuality exists on a spectrum. But how certain are people about where they fit on it? A new University of...

Lonely flies, like many humans, eat more and sleep less

COVID-19 lockdowns scrambled sleep schedules and stretched waistlines. One culprit may be social isolation itself. Scientists have found that lone fruit flies quarantined in test tubes...

People with this personality trait more likely to have heart attacks

In a recent study published in the European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing, researchers found that heart attack patients who are sarcastic or irritable could...

What size is an object? Your description might depend on your intentions

Imagine describing the precise dimensions of a common object—like a coin—for another person. Did you move your hand, pretending to pick one up to show...

Higher conscientiousness may protect cognitive functions in older people

Our aging brains collect tangles and sticky plaques that can interfere with our cognition and memory. But in a recent study published in the Journal of...

This personality trait can help you live longer

In a recent study published in Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, researchers found for the first time that the immune system directly links personality to the...

New study offers insight into how people make aesthetic judgments

Do you like the thick brush strokes and soft color palettes of an impressionist painting such as those by Claude Monet? Or do you prefer...

These 2 personality traits may protect you from Alzheimer’s disease and more

In a recent study published in the journal Neurobiology of Aging, researchers found that certain personality traits can protect brain structures against neuro-degeneration. They found people who...