Recent research published in Computers in Human Behavior explores how adolescent social media usage is related to social skills and time spent with friends offline. The study finds that increased social media activity does not adversely affect social skills and is associated with more offline interactions with friends. This challenges the common concern that digital platforms might hinder adolescents’ social development. “Socializing with peers outside of the family is crucial to adolescents’ (socioemotional) development and well-being,” said study author Silje Steinsbekk, a professor of clini...
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A series of seven studies published in theJournal of Personality & Social Psychology examined the link between existential anxiety and self-determination, exploring how individuals’ autonomy over their lives may mitigate the unsettling knowledge of inevitable death. Awareness of one’s mortality is a profound and universal human experience that can influence psychological well-being. In this work, Kenneth E. Vail III and Dylan E. Horner weaved together self-determination and terror management theory to explore how agency and existential anxiety can influence happiness and life satisfaction. In ...
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Researchers have discovered that individuals with higher levels of narcissism, particularly those exhibiting traits of agentic extraversion, are more likely to set unrealistic future goals. The new findings have been published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences. Narcissism is a multifaceted personality trait with three main dimensions: agentic extraversion, antagonism, and narcissistic neuroticism. Agentic extraversion includes traits like dominance and the desire for admiration; antagonism involves aspects like entitlement and manipulativeness; and narcissistic neuroticism ...
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An analysis of selfies shared publicly on Twitter and Instagram found that women living in environments with higher equal inequality and where people are preoccupied with their relative social standing are more likely to publish sexy self-photos. These areas also had higher sales of goods and services related to female physical appearance enhancement. The research was published in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). Cultural sexualization of women refers to the process in which women’s bodies and identities are treated primarily as objects of sexual desire through cultu...
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In a recent study, a team of scientists investigated how perceived facial dominance, indicated by the facial width-to-height ratio (fWHR), affected student evaluations of teaching. Their study found that higher fWHR enhanced evaluations for male professors but appeared to detrimentally affect female professors’ scores. The findings, published in Economics & Human Biology provide evidence for a gender-based double standard in academia that punishes women more harshly for perceived dominance. The fWHR is calculated by dividing the width of the face by its height, and studies have suggested that ...
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Recent research has illuminated how the “wine mom” phenomenon, prevalent on social media and television, influences mothers’ attitudes towards alcohol. This study found that the portrayal of mothers consuming alcohol as a stress-relief mechanism on platforms like Instagram and Facebook could encourage risky drinking behaviors by shaping social norms around alcohol consumption among mothers. The findings have been published in the journal Psychology of Popular Media. The “wine mom” phenomenon promotes the idea that alcohol is a necessary coping tool for motherhood’s challenges, often via humoro...
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A recent study of incarcerated women found that those with pronounced psychopathic traits tended to hold their head more rigidly during a clinical interview. The study used an automated detection algorithm to assess head position and dynamics. The research was published in Personality and Individual Differences. Psychopathic traits are a specific cluster of personality characteristics that include a profound lack of empathy and remorse resulting in indifferent or callous attitudes towards others. Individuals with high levels of psychopathic traits tend to display shallow emotional responses an...
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A recent study published in the Journal of Individual Differences has shed light on the psychological factors influencing conspiracy thinking. The research found that existential isolation and alienation are both significant predictors of conspiracy beliefs. However, loneliness did not have a significant impact on such beliefs. Conspiracy theorists are frequently stereotyped as isolated individuals, often depicted as reclusive figures wearing “tinfoil hats.” But this image has evolved significantly, with contemporary research recognizing that conspiracy beliefs are no longer fringe phenomena b...
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New research published in theJournal of Personality & Social Psychology found that stable personality traits not only predict important life outcomes like health, happiness, and career success, but that even small changes in our personality over time can shape our future in meaningful ways. Personality traits, defined as enduring characteristics that influence how we think, feel, and behave, are pivotal in predicting a range of life outcomes. The Big Five personality framework—encompassing openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism—is often used to study these tr...
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New research published in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin shows that feeling understood by close friends or romantic partners can deeply affect how important these relationships are to our sense of who we are. The findings provide important insights into how personal interactions that foster understanding can significantly enhance our self-concept. The new study sought to investigate the impact of perceived understanding within personal relationships on individuals’ self-concepts. The researchers were particularly interested in how feeling understood by someone close could make ...
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