psychology

Here is an excerpt from the book Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst, by Robert M. Sapolsky. It's about the link between lying for monetary gain and corruption. "The human capacity for deception is enormous. We have the most complex innervation of facial muscles and use massive...

I've selected a few interesting excerpts from the remarkable book Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst, by Robert M. Sapolsky. These are all from chapter 12: Hierarchy, Obedience and Resistance. Foundation of Morality Affective psychological differences Implicit Factors...

I have been re-reading Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst, by Robert M. Sapolsky, one of the most interesting books I have read. I thought I'd share a few passages from chapter 11 "Us versus Them" as I found it very illuminating in humans think, feel and behave towards people...

You reach for your morning coffee not just for the caffeine kick, but because something about that first cup just feels good. New research published in Nature Communications has finally uncovered what's really happening: your coffee is reshaping your gut microbiome, which in turn is talking...

A sweeping new meta-analysis draws a clear line between helicopter parenting and rising rates of anxiety and depression in young people — but the story is more nuanced than it first appears. Every generation of parents wants to do better than the last. We hover over homework, negotiate with...

New research reveals that a parent's unspoken attitude toward emotional expression — not just their actions — can quietly shape a child's well-being and the bond they share. Introduction Picture a common scene: your child bursts into tears over a minor frustration, or flies into a rage...

A groundbreaking study reveals that some of the world's richest nations are failing their citizens — while poorer countries quietly thrive Every year, the release of the World Happiness Report triggers a familiar ritual. Pundits celebrate the Nordic countries at the top of the rankings...

New neuroscience research suggests the roots of friendship run deeper than shared hobbies or happy accidents — they may be wired into the brain itself. You know that feeling of instant connection with a stranger — the sense that you're simply on the same wavelength? Science may have just...

You want the best for your child. So you warn them. The world is dangerous, people can't be trusted, and life will disappoint them if they're not prepared. It feels responsible — even loving. But a growing body of psychological research suggests this well-meaning instinct may be quietly...

A landmark neuroimaging study finally shows what happens in the brain when an emotionally sensitive person encounters another's joy or sadness Have you ever met someone who tears up at a stranger's smile, or feels physically drained after a crowded party — not because they're anxious or shy...

Association between intelligence quotient and violence perpetration in the English general population A 2019 study published in Psychological Medicine examined the relationship between intelligence and violence perpetration in the general English population. Conducted by Louis Jacob, Josep...

Most of us like to think we're fundamentally good people — but a new study published in Personality and Individual Differences (2026) suggests that human moral personality is more nuanced than a simple good-versus-bad divide. Researchers from Deakin University, Columbia University, and the...

A new study argues that a lot of public moral and political talk is not just about beliefs or values, but also about status. The authors call this moral grandstanding — meaning the use of moral or political language to make oneself look admirable, important, or superior in front of others. That...

Most of us have an intuitive sense that people differ not just in how "smart" they are overall, but in their specific cognitive strengths and weaknesses — some people are gifted at math, others at language, others at rapid processing. But how much of that profile is inherited? A major 2022...

We've all suspected it. Now there's peer-reviewed evidence. A study published in Science — co-authored by researchers at Stanford and Carnegie Mellon — found that today's most popular AI assistants systematically validate users, even when those users are clearly wrong. The paper, led by PhD...

I found this on X. It's based on an article from the Financial Times: The troubling decline in conscientiousness The charts are interesting on so many levels. People over 60 years old tend to have stable personalities, apart on the extroversion scale, which has seen a decline for all age...

With the looming US presidential election, I thought it would be interesting to post about an important trend in US politics, namely that religiously active people are considerably more likely to vote than the the inactive and unaffiliated. This trend was identified by Pew Research in 2019. In...

Here is another way artificial intelligence could soon revolutionise healthcare. The Economist: AI offers an intriguing new way to diagnose mental-health conditions In summary: AI tools are being developed to diagnose mental-health conditions by analyzing speech patterns, which can detect...

A new study suggests a link between brain damage and increased religious fundamentalism. The study involved analyzing brain lesions in two groups: veterans and rural Iowa patients with brain injuries. The research found an overlap in brain areas associated with religious fundamentalism...

When comparing countries and cultures, few people think of the fact that the frequency of basic emotions can vary widely depending on the society where one lives. Using Gallup's State of the Global Workplace: 2022 Report I created maps showing the percentage of respondents that felt anger...