Summary: Prolactin, the hormone best known for stimulating milk production, also shifts a mother’s behavioral priorities—reducing excessive aggression and encouraging caregiving and focused interactions with offspring. Source: University of Otago Researchers at the University of Otago have identified a previously unrecognized role for prolactin in shaping maternal behavior: rather than promoting aggression, this hormone helps … Read more

In life we often carry anger and resentment that linger far beyond the moment they began. These lingering grievances keep us locked in pain and can undermine both our emotional and physical health. Although the hurt someone has caused may be deep, it is possible to let go and forgive. Forgiveness benefits the spirit and … Read more

Berkeley Lab researchers study mice to shed light on genetic risks of Alzheimer’s and other diseases Many neurodegenerative disorders, including Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease, share common symptoms such as impaired motor function. Increasing evidence also points to connections between body weight—particularly obesity in midlife—and the risk or timing of neurological disease onset. However, the … Read more

Summary: A sensitive, high-resolution analysis finds many more DNA copy number variations in people with schizophrenia than in controls, and suggests that genomic instability may contribute to the disorder. Source: Nagoya University International researchers led by Nagoya University applied a highly sensitive method to detect DNA copy number changes and found a greater burden of … Read more

Humans are naturally curious, active, and social. Our drive to learn, connect, and master challenges often springs from intrinsic motivation—the internal desire to understand and grow (Ryan & Deci, 2017). Intrinsic motivation is not automatic. It flourishes when three basic psychological needs are satisfied: competence, autonomy, and relatedness. When these needs are met, people sustain … Read more

Summary: Researchers at the University of Oregon report that writing online journals focused on gratitude increases altruistic behavior and alters reward-related brain activity. Source: University of Oregon Gratitude Journaling Boosts Altruism and Changes Brain Reward Signals New research from the University of Oregon shows that a simple daily habit—writing about gratitude—can increase altruistic motivations and … Read more

Summary: Second-language learners notice pronunciation mistakes made by peers but tend to overrate their own accent, which may hinder improvement. Source: LMU Munich Learners of a foreign language often recognize typical pronunciation errors in others but continue to make the same mistakes themselves. A new study from Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet (LMU) Munich reveals that many learners perceive … Read more

We are all human — beautifully imperfect, doing our best in an imperfect world. Too often we hold ourselves to unrealistic standards, harshly criticize our mistakes, and overlook our strengths and achievements. Self-acceptance means treating yourself with compassion and embracing every part of yourself: the strengths, the weaknesses, and everything in between. Read on to … Read more

Summary: New long-term research shows that a mother’s sexual enjoyment in the years after childbirth does not depend on whether she delivered by cesarean section or vaginally. Source: University of Bristol Research indicates that sexual enjoyment and frequency in the years following childbirth are not linked to the mode of delivery. A team from the … Read more

Summary: Researchers have developed a new artificial intelligence tool for games that leverages social behavior models to make nonplayer characters (NPCs) more reactive, adaptive, and varied in their responses to player actions. Source: North Carolina State University. Computer science teams at North Carolina State University and Universidade de Lisboa have created CIF-CK, an AI architecture … Read more