A new study published in the journal Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery sheds light on the quality of sinusitis-related videos on TikTok. Researchers found that nearly half of these videos contain misleading or inaccurate content, primarily propagated by non-medical influencers. This alarming trend highlights the potential risks associated with sourcing health advice from unverified content on social media. Sinusitis, an inflammation of the sinuses, affects about one in seven adults in the United States, leading to an annual medical cost of approximately $5.8 billion. The condition can be tr ..read more

A recent publication in the Journal of Family Violence reveals that individuals with certain “dark” personality traits are more likely to accept the use of gaslighting tactics in intimate relationships. The study also found gender differences, with men generally more accepting of these tactics, a trend significantly influenced by primary psychopathy and vulnerable narcissism. Gaslighting is a form of psychological manipulation where one person sows seeds of doubt in a victim, making them question their own memory, perception, or sanity. The term originates from the 1938 play “Gas Light” where ..read more

A new study in the European Journal of Social Psychology explores how the competitive victimhood perceptions of parents — beliefs that their group has suffered more than others — impact their children’s willingness to engage with kids from rival groups. The findings provide new insights into the challenges of overcoming historical grievances and the role of intergenerational transmission of biases in sustaining conflict. Even decades after the cessation of active conflict, societies often remain divided, with historical grievances deeply embedded in the collective memory of communities. These ..read more

Researchers from Loyola University Chicago and The University of Tennessee Knoxville have found that stress and discrimination levels among immigrants in the United States varied significantly across the two most recent federal administrations. Under President Donald Trump, non-White immigrants experienced considerably higher levels of stress and discrimination compared to their White counterparts, a disparity that was not evident during President Joe Biden’s term. The findings have been published in the Journal of Evidence-Based Social Work. The U.S. is a melting pot of cultures, with immigra ..read more

New research published in Nature Communications sheds light on how traditional farming practices might influence cultural traits, suggesting that rice farming encourages more collectivistic behavior compared to wheat farming. Importantly, the research utilized a quasi-experimental design, enabling the researchers to more effectively explore causality between farming practices and cultural development. The “rice theory of culture” proposes that the intense labor and cooperative irrigation required in rice farming foster more collectivistic communities compared to the relatively independent natu ..read more

According to a new study published in Psychology & Aging, novel experiences cause greater emotional distress in younger adults compared to older adults, challenging age-related stereotypes. Novelty permeates everyday life, whether it’s new restaurants or the unfamiliarity of a first day at a new job. Such experiences can trigger uncertainties, which might lead to discomfort, or opportunities that facilitate personal growth. As we age, the impact of novelty on emotional well-being shifts, at times becoming misaligned with the goals and motivations of older adults. In this work, Li Chu and c ..read more

In recent research published in Frontiers in Social Psychology, scientists have presented findings that challenge long-standing beliefs about how adverse experiences shape our worldviews and ideological stances. The study reveals that while adverse experiences are strongly linked to clinical symptoms like depression, anxiety, and stress, they have only a marginal connection with personal ideologies and worldviews. Adverse experiences encompass a range of negative events that can significantly impact an individual’s emotional, psychological, or physical well-being, such as abuse, neglect, expos ..read more

Two experiments in Austria and Germany involving pictures of meals containing healthy and unhealthy foods indicated that people tend to believe that unhealthy foods taste better when there are more unhealthy food items available. This finding emerged despite the presentation of both healthy and unhealthy foods as equally tasty on average. The research was published in the journal Appetite. Scientists often distinguish between healthy and unhealthy foods. Healthy foods are typically those that provide a substantial amount of essential nutrients, such as vitamins, minerals, fiber, and healthy fa ..read more

A few years ago, the leader of Mexico’s PRI party told the New York Times that he, “would stick to tried and trusted campaign tools, like polls and political intuition”, and rely on “the old-fashioned way” to win the country’s election. His party had been caught using neuroscience to gauge voters’ opinions about their candidate for the presidency and the party was embarrassed. Subsequently, we know from other sources the party carried on using neuroscience techniques. Someone even described their approach as “the new way to win elections”. The approach is called neuropolitics and uses brain sc ..read more

A new study published in the journal Body Image sheds light on how social media images of peers, either sexualized or non-sexualized, affect young women’s views of themselves and others. The findings reveal that exposure to sexualized images leads to heightened self-objectification among viewers and a tendency to dehumanize the individuals depicted. Moreover, the act of generating hashtags for these images amplifies this effect, with tags often focusing unduly on body parts. Research has linked the exposure to sexually objectified representations in media with various negative psychological ou ..read more