Americans own guns to protect themselves from psychological as well as physical threats

Owning a gun can influence your outlook, both fueling a sense of danger in the world around you and holding out the promise of rescuing you from those fears.

Nick Buttrick, Assistant Professor of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison • conversation
Oct. 31, 2024 • ~8 min

Mixed emotions – neuroscience is exploring how your brain lets you experience two opposite feelings at once

Bittersweet experiences aren’t uncommon. Do people ever truly feel both positive and negative at the same exact moment, or do we just switch quickly back and forth?

Anthony Gianni Vaccaro, Postdoctoral Research Associate in Psychology, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences • conversation
Sept. 23, 2024 • ~9 min

Collaboratively imagining the future can bring people closer together in the present

The future and its possibilities are something that you actively co-create with others. New research suggests that imagining together makes you closer and more connected to them in the here and now.

Brendan Bo O'Connor, Associate Professor of Psychology, University at Albany, State University of New York • conversation
Sept. 19, 2024 • ~11 min

How we discovered that people who are colorblind are less likely to be picky eaters

Seeing the world with a restricted color palate seems to tone down an emotion-based resistance to new foods.

Isabel Gauthier, David K. Wilson Professor of Psychology, Vanderbilt University • conversation
Sept. 10, 2024 • ~8 min

Under the influence and under arrest − what happens if you’re drunk in the interrogation room?

Legal psychology researchers are investigating how police treat drunken suspects, how impaired people behave when questioned, and how juries consider their statements.

Jacqueline R. Evans, Associate Professor of Psychology, Florida International University • conversation
April 26, 2024 • ~6 min

Chilling out rather than blowing off steam is a better way to manage anger − new review of 154 studies reveals what works

Activities such as deep breathing, muscle relaxation, yoga and meditation help people manage their anger, according to a meta-analysis of studies involving more than 10,000 participants.

Brad Bushman, Professor of Communication, The Ohio State University • conversation
March 20, 2024 • ~5 min

Mental fatigue has psychological triggers − new research suggests challenging goals can head it off

Setting specific, hard-to-reach goals seems to help people maintain motivation, while preventing them from feeling as drained by mental tasks.

Matthew Robison, Assistant Professor of Psychology, University of Texas at Arlington • conversation
Feb. 28, 2024 • ~7 min

Anger, sadness, boredom, anxiety – emotions that feel bad can be useful

Lots of people will do a lot to avoid feeling negative emotions. But researchers are figuring out how these unpleasant feelings actually have benefits.

Heather Lench, Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University • conversation
Feb. 8, 2024 • ~9 min

Republicans and Democrats consider each other immoral – even when treated fairly and kindly by the opposition

With growing polarization, political attitudes have begun to coincide with moral convictions. Partisans increasingly view each other as immoral. New research reveals the depth of that conviction.

Phillip McGarry, Ph.D. Candidate in Experimental Psychology, University of Tennessee • conversation
Feb. 1, 2024 • ~4 min

‘Collective mind’ bridges societal divides − psychology research explores how watching the same thing can bring people together

Even in a moment of extreme partisanship, ‘we’ still exist if ‘we’ can witness something together. Researchers are exploring how shared attention can build connection.

Garriy Shteynberg, Associate Professor of Psychology, University of Tennessee • conversation
Jan. 23, 2024 • ~8 min

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