Summary: New research examines the psychological trade-off between being ignored and being the subject of gossip, showing that neither option is pleasant but for different reasons. Across five experiments with more than 1,000 participants, the study found that most people reject negative gossip, and many also feel uneasy about being praised behind their backs. Notably, … Read more

Summary: A large new field experiment finds that high-quality, nonjudgmental listening improves how people feel about a conversation—but does not make persuasive messages more effective. Instead, sharing a vivid personal narrative produced measurable and lasting shifts in views on a contentious immigration policy. The study shows that empathetic listening reduces defensiveness and improves impressions of … Read more

Summary: New research indicates that the sensation of hunger itself can slow aging. Scientists found that fruit flies driven to feel hungry—either by altering diet or by stimulating specific hunger-related neurons—lived longer. The team also showed that hunger triggers changes in the brain’s epigenome that alter gene expression, feeding behavior, and lifespan. Although the researchers … Read more

Summary: A study found that the neighborhood where a person lived at age fifteen strongly influenced their risk of developing both affective psychosis (such as bipolar disorder) and non-affective psychosis (such as schizophrenia) later in life. Source: King’s College London This first-of-its-kind study, published in Schizophrenia Research, examined whether demographic and neighbourhood factors have different … Read more

Summary: Early development is shaped not only by genetics but also by interactions between newborn epigenetic marks and the emerging gut microbiome during the first year. A large longitudinal study shows that DNA methylation patterns present at birth influence how an infant’s gut bacteria mature, and that certain microbes acquired in infancy can reduce the … Read more

Brain’s ability to process consonants in noisy environments may predict a child’s future literacy A simple, short biological test could identify preschool children at risk for reading and language difficulties long before they begin formal reading instruction, according to new research from Northwestern University. Published July 14 in PLOS Biology, the study focuses on how … Read more

Summary: Researchers examined how household size and the ratio of adults to children influence children’s language development, offering new perspectives that challenge traditional assumptions about family structure. The team confirmed that higher household density is linked to lower vocabulary scores but found that a greater number of adults per child can support stronger language outcomes, … Read more

Brain networks that manage internal and external tasks mature more slowly in ADHD Analysis of brain scans from more than 750 children and adolescents reveals a consistent difference in brain network development between those with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and their peers without the condition. The study finds that children and teens with ADHD show delayed … Read more

Summary: A mouse study pinpoints a specific cortical location where distracting sensory signals are blocked, allowing focused processing of task-relevant stimuli. The discovery may help guide research into attention disorders such as ADHD and schizophrenia. Source: UCR Researchers at the University of California, Riverside, have identified a precise cortical site where distracting sensory inputs are … Read more

International research teams have clarified how genetic risk for autism spectrum disorders (ASD) relates to autism-like traits across the general population, according to a new collaborative study involving the University of Bristol, the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, and Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). The study examined whether genetic factors associated with clinically diagnosed ASD … Read more