https://phys.org/ en-us Latest news from American Psychological Association Teachers' emotions in the classroom play a critical role in how students learn, according to research published in the Journal of Educational Psychology. When teachers experience enjoyment, they deliver higher-quality instruction that boosts students' confidence in their abilities, interest and academic performance, while teacher anger is linked to poorer teaching and worse student outcomes. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-teachers-emotions-student.html Education Mon, 01 Jun 2026 09:00:03 EDT news699263161 College students feel more pressure to be perfect than they did a generation ago, finds research published in Psychological Bulletin. That increase in perfectionism may be tied to social and economic factors such as rising inequality and slowing economic growth, the researchers found. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-young-adults-perfectionistic.html Thu, 28 May 2026 09:00:03 EDT news699092654 Whether it's artificial intelligence programs or the Amazon rainforest, people often experience gratitude or protectiveness toward non-human entities because they perceive these entities as having good intentions, according to research published in the journal Emotion. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-machines-forests-strange-reshaping-human.html Social Sciences Thu, 14 May 2026 09:00:05 EDT news697875990 Older adults report fewer recent regrets than younger adults, finds research published in the journal Emotion. In addition, although older and younger adults report a similar number of long-term regrets, older adults experience less anger and frustration when they think about those mistakes and missed chances. The research highlights how both age and time shape our emotional responses to past decisions. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-mellow-age.html Thu, 07 May 2026 09:00:07 EDT news697273112 Asian, Arab and Latino Americans may face more discrimination when seeking jobs that emphasize stereotypically American characteristics because they are deemed to be culturally foreign, according to research published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology https://phys.org/news/2026-04-perceptions-cultural-foreignness-job-discrimination.html Social Sciences Thu, 30 Apr 2026 09:00:07 EDT news696678029 Relying on AI to complete work duties may not be diminishing our cognitive abilities, but it can undermine confidence in our own independent reasoning and perceived ownership of ideas, according to research published in Technology, Mind, and Behavior. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-overreliance-ai-undermine-confidence.html Machine learning & AI Thu, 16 Apr 2026 09:00:01 EDT news695456296 The small talk you try to avoid because you think it will be boring may actually be more enjoyable than you think, and good for you as well, according to research published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-small-topics-enjoyable.html Social Sciences Mon, 13 Apr 2026 09:00:03 EDT news695028773 Sticking to the same meals and eating a consistent number of calories each day may help people lose more weight, according to research published in the journal Health Psychology. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-weight-meals.html Thu, 26 Mar 2026 09:00:06 EDT news693640926 Past behavior matters, especially in law enforcement where certain pre-hire misbehavior by law enforcement candidates sharply increases the likelihood of police misconduct once they are hired, according to research titled "The Importance of Not Looking the Other Way: Prehire On- and Off-the-Job Misbehavior Predicts Subsequent Police Misconduct," published in the Journal of Applied Psychology. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-police-misconduct-traceable-hire-national.html Social Sciences Mon, 23 Mar 2026 09:00:01 EDT news693155000 According to research published in the journal Psychology of Popular Media, if you want to attract more interest on dating apps, don't just list your best qualities in your profile—instead, tell a story about your life. Dating profiles that tell a story create empathy and connection and attract more interest from potential dates, https://phys.org/news/2026-03-stories-narrative-dating-profiles.html Social Sciences Thu, 19 Mar 2026 09:00:05 EDT news693035794 Teens who frequently lash out at others may face lasting physical health consequences later in life, according to research published in the journal Health Psychology. The study found that aggressive behavior in early adolescence is linked to faster biological aging and higher body mass index (BMI) by age 30. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-teen-aggression-older-biological-age.html Psychology & Psychiatry Thu, 05 Mar 2026 09:00:04 EST news691824661 When you make a small mistake that doesn't harm anyone else—such as tripping over a curb or misremembering a name—people will like you more if you can laugh at yourself rather than act embarrassed, finds research published by the American Psychological Association. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-stumble-laughter.html Social Sciences Thu, 26 Feb 2026 11:00:04 EST news691324675 When lawmakers name bills after victims of tragedy—such as Megan's Law or the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act of 1993—public support surges, but this emotional boost may come at the expense of sound policymaking, according to research published in the journal Psychology, Public Policy, and Law. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-laws-tragedies.html Social Sciences Mon, 23 Feb 2026 09:00:01 EST news690799068 Food insecurity can increase anxiety and undermine employees at work, but workplace programs to address it can improve job outcomes, according to research published in the Journal of Applied Psychology. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-food-insecurity-impacts-employees-productivity.html Social Sciences Thu, 19 Feb 2026 09:00:01 EST news690625802 As courts increasingly turn to virtual proceedings, jurors who deliberate online may be just as attentive, engaged, and fair-minded as those who meet face-to-face, according to research published by the American Psychological Association. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-justice-laptop.html Social Sciences Thu, 29 Jan 2026 09:00:01 EST news688813621 Helping to care for grandchildren may serve as a buffer against cognitive decline in older adults, according to research published by the American Psychological Association. The work was led by researchers from Tilburg University in the Netherlands. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-grandparenting-cognitive-decline.html Psychology & Psychiatry Mon, 26 Jan 2026 09:00:05 EST news688322041 Letting out a swear word in a moment of frustration can feel good. Now, research suggests that it can be good for you, too: Swearing can boost people's physical performance by helping them overcome their inhibitions and push themselves harder on tests of strength and endurance, according to research published by the American Psychological Association. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-12-stronger.html Psychology & Psychiatry Thu, 18 Dec 2025 09:00:04 EST news685125901 When engaging in a political discussion, talking about what you oppose instead of what you support may make others more open to your views, according to research published by the American Psychological Association. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-politics-oppose.html Political science Mon, 15 Dec 2025 09:25:17 EST news685013101 More than half of psychologists experimented with artificial intelligence tools in their practices in the past year, but almost all cite concerns about how the technology may affect their patients and society, according to the American Psychological Association's 2025 Practitioner Pulse Survey. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-12-psychologists-ai.html Psychology & Psychiatry Tue, 09 Dec 2025 05:43:40 EST news684481382 Children who count on their fingers between ages 4 and 6.5 have better addition skills by age 7 than those who don't use their fingers, suggesting that finger counting is an important stepping stone to higher math skills, according to research published in Developmental Psychology. https://phys.org/news/2025-11-young-children-finger-abstract-skills.html Education Thu, 20 Nov 2025 09:00:03 EST news682676881 About a quarter of U.S. service members and veterans who start psychotherapy for post-traumatic stress disorder quit before they finish treatment. But not all therapies are equal in their appeal, with some effective approaches reporting the highest dropout rates, according to research published in the journal Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-11-ptsd-therapies-veterans-treatment.html Psychology & Psychiatry Mon, 17 Nov 2025 09:00:03 EST news682331582 Emotional support is an increasingly common reason people turn to generative artificial intelligence chatbots and wellness applications, but these tools currently lack the scientific evidence and the necessary regulations to ensure users' safety, according to a new health advisory by the American Psychological Association. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-11-artificial-intelligence-wellness-apps-mental.html Psychology & Psychiatry Thu, 13 Nov 2025 06:32:04 EST news682237921 Loneliness and emotional disconnection appear to have become a defining feature of life in America, as a majority of U.S. adults say societal division is a significant source of stress in their lives, according to the latest Stress in America survey released by the American Psychological Association. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-11-poll-reveals-nation-stress-societal.html Psychology & Psychiatry Thu, 06 Nov 2025 05:43:04 EST news681630181 Skipping breakfast or practicing intermittent fasting is unlikely to cloud most adults' thinking in the short term, according to research published in the journal Psychological Bulletin. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-10-short-fasts-impair-ability-healthy.html Psychology & Psychiatry Mon, 03 Nov 2025 09:00:01 EST news681118441 Sharing happy moments with a partner may be good for older people's health, lowering the level of the stress hormone cortisol in their bodies, according to research published by the American Psychological Association. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-10-positive-emotions-partner-good-health.html Psychology & Psychiatry Thu, 30 Oct 2025 09:00:01 EDT news680888221 Self-affirmations—brief exercises in which people reflect on their core values, identity and positive traits—can increase people's general well-being and make them happier in small but significant ways, according to research published by the American Psychological Association. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-10-affirmations-boost.html Psychology & Psychiatry Mon, 27 Oct 2025 09:00:01 EDT news680513462 Interventions designed to reduce loneliness can be effective, but do not yet offer a complete solution to what is becoming a worldwide public health problem, according to research published in the journal American Psychologist. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-10-therapy-effective-social-strategies-loneliness.html Psychology & Psychiatry Thu, 23 Oct 2025 09:00:08 EDT news680345161 People who feel supported by family, friends and colleagues tend to have better mental health, perform more effectively at work and experience positive outcomes in other areas such as physical health, education and risk-taking behaviors, according to research published in the journal Psychological Bulletin. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-10-social-linked-multiple-life-domains.html Psychology & Psychiatry Thu, 16 Oct 2025 09:00:01 EDT news679649821 Watching short inspirational videos may be just as effective at reducing stress as meditation, according to research published by the American Psychological Association. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-10-short-videos-effective-meditation-stress.html Psychology & Psychiatry Thu, 09 Oct 2025 09:00:01 EDT news679072501 The brains of politically extreme individuals, whether left- or right-leaning, appear to respond to and process political information in surprisingly similar ways, according to research published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. The paper is titled "Politically extreme individuals exhibit similar neural processing despite ideological differences." https://phys.org/news/2025-08-political-polar-opposites-alike.html Social Sciences Thu, 28 Aug 2025 09:00:03 EDT news675503761