Tag

Psychology

All articles tagged with #psychology

health2 days ago•16 min saved

Your Legacy: How Values and Meaning Shape Life and Death

A BBC health feature argues that thinking about the legacy we leave behind can boost mental health and give life more meaning, with legacy categorized into biological, material, and values; examples range from organ and body donation to recording life stories and passing on beliefs. Thinking about legacy early in life may reduce death anxiety, encourage prosocial behavior, and guide choices, while end-of-life activities can ease grief and provide comfort for patients and families.

via BBC|

#death #end-of-life-care #health

psychology6 days ago•7 min saved

Why Grown-Ups Revisit Retro Games: They’re Chasing a Lost Version of Themselves

People returning to childhood games aren’t just seeking fun; psychology suggests they’re trying to reclaim a version of themselves displaced by time. Nostalgia blends restorative and reflective longing, while episodic memory and the reminiscence bump make adolescence-era memories unusually vivid. Adults’ flow state is harder to achieve due to responsibilities and evolved cognitive patterns, so the recalled experience often feels brighter and more cohesive than the real game. In short, retro gaming serves as a reconstructive retrieval cue for identity, not a simple replay.

via The Daily Galaxy|

#episodic-memory #flow-state #memory

psychology9 days ago•3 min saved

Rigid Masculine Norms Linked to Poorer Mental Health in Men, Study Finds

A 2016 Journal of Counseling Psychology analysis of 78 studies (nearly 20,000 participants) found men who subscribe to rigid masculine norms and misogynistic attitudes—such as exerting power over women or Playboy-like behaviors—are more likely to report poorer mental health and are less likely to seek treatment, though causality isn’t established. The findings suggest these harmful norms affect men and highlight the need to rethink upbringing to reduce domination beliefs.

via YourTango|

#gender-norms #masculinity #mental-health

science9 days ago•32 min saved

After the Credits: Researchers quantify post-game depression in immersive video games

A study in Current Psychology introduces the Post-game Depression Scale to quantify the sadness and emptiness some players feel after finishing highly engaging games. Across two studies (210 and 163 adult gamers), researchers found that post-game depression is linked to broader depressive symptoms and emotion-processing difficulties, with RPG players most at risk. The 17-item scale covers four domains: game-related rumination, the sadness/emptiness at game end, urge to replay, and media anhedonia. While not a clinical diagnosis, these findings show a measurable emotional impact of immersive gaming. The research is cross-sectional, so causality can’t be established; longitudinal work is planned to explore antecedents and consequences.

via PsyPost|

#emotional-regulation #post-game-depression #psychology

psychology10 days ago•10 min saved

Fear as Knowledge: Hadfield’s Spiderweb Method for Everyday Courage

Chris Hadfield argues fear isn’t danger but a cue to uncover the real risk, then train by exposing yourself to the feared situation. Using the spider example, most fears are harmless and the key is combining accurate risk assessment with repeated exposure—an approach NASA uses for spacewalks. Applied to daily life, this means pinpoint the feared outcome, map a realistic worst case and response, then practice walking through it until the fear loses sway; however, chronic anxiety or phobias may require professional help.

via Space Daily|

#exposure #fear #hadfield

space11 days ago•10 min saved

Mars Will Take Its Toll—and We're Going Anyway

The Space Daily piece argues that even the most experienced planetary scientists warn that a crewed Mars mission will impose serious, partly irreversible costs—radiation exposure with mortality estimates in the several percent range, significant bone and muscle loss due to microgravity, and substantial psychological strain during a multi-year round trip—yet missions are proceeding into the 2030s (including SpaceX plans) because the strategic drive to explore and expand capability overrides unresolved risks, shaping a framework where volunteers accept sizable, not fully calculable risks for the chance to reach another planet.

via Space Daily|

#boneloss #mars #psychology

health12 days ago•21 min saved

Hopeful minds, healthier hearts: optimism linked to cardiovascular health

A growing body of research suggests optimism may protect the heart biologically and by promoting healthier habits, potentially lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease.

via The Washington Post|

#cardiovascular #health #heart-health

psychology12 days ago•12 min saved

The Hidden Reason Late-Life Compassion Grows: Accumulated Evidence

The article argues that empathy tends to rise after age 40 not from a softening of character but from a lifetime of observing that initial judgments of others’ behavior are often miscalibrated. Through repeated experiences of discovering private suffering behind visible actions, older people develop a cautious interpretive habit that asks, “what would this look like if the person were suffering?” This accumulated evidence base makes late-life compassion real but not a spiritual achievement, and it suggests that the same recalibration can be cultivated earlier by deliberately pausing before judging so as to consider hidden contexts.

via Space Daily|

#aging #compassion #empathy

psychology14 days ago•7 min saved

Hovering Hinders Mental Health; Friction Builds Resilience

A meta-analysis of 52 studies across cultures finds small but reliable links between overparenting and increased depression and anxiety in teens and young adults. Self-regulation isn’t taught from warmth alone; it’s built through discomfort, frustration, and independent problem-solving. Unstructured, child-directed play and exposure to manageable risks support better self-regulation, while rising independence limits—such as traffic dangers and restrictive school policies—may hinder resilience. Overparenting is identified as a modifiable risk factor, suggesting that reducing excessive parental control could modestly improve youth mental health when combined with other factors.

via Indian Defence Review|

#autonomy #overparenting #psychology

mental-health21 days ago•2 min saved

Rage Workouts: Do Frustrations Fuel Fitness or Fuel More Frustration?

The article questions whether venting anger through rage-focused workouts or rage rooms helps, noting real-world classes like rage HIIT and feminine rage sessions. It cites Brad Bushman’s research showing that physically venting anger tends to increase it, and that the least angry participants were those who did nothing or sat quietly. The piece suggests catharsis is not an effective anger release and that calm, non-venting approaches may be better in managing anger.

via The Guardian|

#anger #catharsis #exercise

entertainment22 days ago•45 min saved

This Week’s Darkest Roundup: Murders, Disappearances, and a 1950s Head-Hunting Scandal

BuzzFeed’s weekly dark roundup covers five unsettling stories: the Dec. 2025 murder investigation surrounding Rob Reiner and his wife, with their son Nick charged in connection with the case; Nicole Delien’s Kleine-Levin syndrome, a rare sleep disorder; the ongoing Ireland missing-person case of 15-year-old Amy Fitzpatrick from 2008; a grim account of the 1950s British Malayan headhunting scandal; and Velma Barfield, one of the first women executed in the modern era, highlighting how these cases reveal the darkest corners of history and humanity.

via BuzzFeed|

#entertainment #historical-crime #missing-persons

science25 days ago•3 min saved

Genes, Not Upbringing, Drive Narcissism, Twin Study Finds

A twin-based study of 6,715 participants indicates narcissism is largely inherited through shared genetics rather than shaped by upbringing or environment, challenging long-held psychoanalytic theories and suggesting the trait may require a different approach in psychotherapy and workplaces.

via New York Post|

#environment #genetics #narcissism

science28 days ago•3 min saved

Invisible hums from old pipes may prime minds for hauntings

inaudible infrasound below 20 Hz emitted by aging pipes and boilers can raise irritability and cortisol even when people cannot hear it, potentially fueling beliefs in hauntings among predisposed individuals; the findings are preliminary and require larger studies.

via The Guardian|

#cortisol #haunted-houses #infrasound

science29 days ago•8 min saved

Low-Frequency Noise May Fuel Haunted-House Sensations, Study Finds

A Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience study shows that infrasound in the 17–19 Hz range can raise salivary cortisol and increase irritability, making people feel unsettled even when they can’t consciously hear the sound. Environmental sources such as pipes, HVAC, or wind turbines could contribute to alleged hauntings, but infrasound is unlikely to be the sole cause; it may be one piece of a larger combination of factors and expectations, with larger studies needed.

via Ars Technica|

#cortisol #hauntings #infrasound

science29 days ago•45 min saved

Daily dialogue declines: study shows fewer words spoken

A study of 22 data sets involving over 2,000 people finds that the average daily words spoken aloud fell about 28% from 16,632 in 2005 to 11,900 in 2019, a trend likely worsened by the pandemic; younger people are slightly more affected, and researchers warn of potential effects on conversational skills and social well-being, urging simple habits to reverse the decline.

via The Verge|

#conversation #linguistics #psychology