PsyResearch.org Home

Robotic Puppy "Jennie" Designed to Boost Mental Health
Source: United Press International - Health NewsEmotional support dogs can serve people with various mental health needs, but many of them can't care for an animal at home. That's where Tombot comes in. The company has designed a robotic puppy to aid individuals, families, and communities in dealing with health adversities. This week, Tombot unveiled Jennie, its battery-operated Labrador retriever puppy intended to help people with dementia, autism, anxiety, PTSD, and other health conditions.
Blackrock Quits Climate Change Group in Latest Green Climbdown
Source: Google News - HealthBlackRock has become the latest financial firm to quit a big climate change industry group in the wake of Donald Trump's election as U.S. president. The world's largest money manager told clients in a letter on Thursday that it had quit Net Zero Asset Managers. All six of the largest U.S. banks—JPMorgan, Citigroup, Bank of America, Morgan Stanley, Wells Fargo, and Goldman Sachs—have recently quit Net-Zero Banking Alliance, a similar group...
Artificial Intelligence Could Make IVF More Successful, Study Suggests
Source: United Press International - Health NewsArtificial intelligence might be able to boost the success rates of in vitro fertilization among hopeful families. An AI program can help doctors analyze ultrasound scans to determine the best timing for a hormone injection associated with egg collection, researchers reported Wednesday in the journal Nature Communications. Getting the timing right can optimize the number of eggs retrieved and improve the odds of having a successful pregnancy.
Is It Still "Social Media" If It's Overrun by Artificial Intelligence?
Source: Canadian Broadcasting Company - World NewsBack in 2010, a 26-year-old Mark Zuckerberg shared his vision for Facebook: "The primary thing that we focus on all day long is how to help people share and stay connected with their friends, family and the people in the community," Zuckerberg said. Now, Facebook's parent company Meta has a new vision: characters powered by AI existing alongside actual friends and family. Some experts caution that this could mark the end of social media as we...
In Sudan's Vicious Civil War, U.S. Accuses One Side of Genocide
Source: CBS News - World NewsThe U.S. has determined that genocide has been committed by the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary and its allied militias in Sudan, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday. The RSF and its allies are one side in a vicious civil war that has claimed tens of thousands of lives in less than two years. In his statement, Blinken called the war a "conflict of unmitigated brutality that has resulted in the world's largest humanitarian...
Caregivers Face Rising Physical and Mental Health Risks, Study Finds
Source: United Press International - Health NewsMore and more adults are stuck in the middle of their families, caring not only for their kids but for aging parents and other older family members. The mental and physical health of these "sandwich carers" is more likely to deteriorate over time, suggests a new study published in the journal Public Health. The study analyzed data from about 2,000 sandwich carers, comparing them with 2,000 people who only care for a child younger than 16.
Pentagon Agrees to Historic Legal Settlement with LGBTQ+ Veterans
Source: CBS News - U.S. NewsThe Pentagon has reached a historic legal settlement with more than 35,000 gay and lesbian military veterans who were dismissed because of their sexual orientation, and in many cases denied an honorable discharge and various services they had earned, CBS News has learned. Veterans can now have their paperwork reissued without reference to their sexuality, and if they were denied an honorable discharge, they will be eligible for an immediate...
Psychology Research Collaborations Becoming More Global
Source: APA MonitorPsychological science is going global, seeking larger, more representative samples and tackling issues that go beyond WEIRD nations (Western, educated, industrialized, rich, and democratic). Technology is one factor enabling global collaborations, but equally important is a shift in the science community. In 2025, researchers predict more collaborative projects in Africa, Latin America, the Pacific Islands, and other historically...
Older Parents, Climate Change and AI: Say Hello to Generation Beta
Source: Canadian Broadcasting Company - Top Stories NewsBaby Boomers grew up in a wealthy post-war world, whereas Generation Z was raised with an iPhone in hand. More recently, Generation Alpha spent their childhood knowing the face masks and work-from-home lifestyle of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2025, enter Generation Beta. The newest generation is expected to grow up in a world defined by artificial intelligence, smaller families, and ongoing climate change, say experts.
Psychology Leaders Seeking to Modernize the Profession
Source: APA MonitorThough psychology has historically been a doctoral-level field, APA's elected and appointed leaders are creating a blueprint to become a multitiered profession that embraces the training of master's-level psychology professionals who can help meet an unprecedented demand for mental health services. The goals are to build consistency for the field and improve public access to care that is rooted in psychological science.
How Artificial Intelligence Is Impacting the Field of Psychology
Source: APA MonitorAs artificial intelligence is driving what some call the fourth industrial revolution, its power and potential have wrought excitement and fear across nearly every sector of society, from finance to education to psychology. In response, psychologists have begun developing, testing, and integrating AI tools into the discipline and beyond, and in August of 2024, APA released a policy statement entitled "Artificial Intelligence and the Field of...
Psychological Tips From Conflict Zones to Deal With Incivility
Source: APA MonitorIncivility is surging across the United States, seeping into workplaces and online spaces. Researchers who focus on psychology within conflict zones and fractured societies have science-backed methods to help challenge misconceptions, focus on shared values, and increase social connections in a way that promotes civility. Here's what the latest research says about how incivility starts and what you can do to alleviate it.
Study Suggests That Sleep Prevents Unwanted Memories From Intruding
Source: Science Daily - Top HealthSleep problems play an important role in the onset and maintenance of many mental health problems, but the reason for this link has been elusive. A new study, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, offers fresh insight into the cognitive and neural mechanisms underlying the connection between sleep and mental health. The study suggests that poor sleep may create deficits in brain regions which keep unwanted thoughts out of...
Instructors Are Adapting to the Use of Artificial Intelligence
Source: APA MonitorGenerative artificial intelligence promises to touch nearly every part of our lives, and education is one of the first sectors grappling with this fast-moving technology. Even though AI has been used in classrooms for years—quietly powering learning management tools such as Google Classroom, Canvas, and Turnitin—the recent spread of generative AI tools such as ChatGPT is providing new challenges and opportunities for students and educators alike.
Using AI to Understand What Animals Are Saying to Each Other
Source: Google News - HealthResearchers are building an AI system they hope will allow humans to understand the many languages that animals use to communicate with one another. Knowing what animals are saying could not only aid human knowledge of the world but might provide a compelling case for giving animals broader legal rights. Created by Earth Species Project, NatureLM has already shown potential in identifying the dialogue of species that the system has never...
Too Few Women or Too Many Men? Framing Makes a Difference
Source: Science Daily - Top SocietyTo many people, Vice President Kamala Harris's loss in the 2024 presidential election highlighted the under-representation of women in leadership positions. A new study has found, however, that framing the gender gap as "men's overrepresentation"—rather than "women's underrepresentation"—elicits more anger among women and increased perceptions that the gap is unjust. Moreover, the results suggest that anger at the disparity leads women to...
New York Fining Fossil Fuel Companies $75 Billion Under New Climate Law
Source: Google News - HealthNew York state will fine fossil fuel companies a total of $75 billion over the next 25 years to pay for damage caused to the climate under a bill signed into law on Thursday. The law is intended to shift some of the costs of climate change from individual taxpayers to oil, gas, and coal companies. For example, funds will be spent on mitigating climate change impacts by adapting roads, transit, water, and sewage systems, buildings, and other...
Canada to Hold Antisemitism Forum Following Recent Incidents
Source: Canadian Broadcasting Company - Top Stories NewsCanada will hold a forum on combatting antisemitism in February—news that comes as police investigate a fire at a Montreal synagogue and gunshots aimed at a Toronto Jewish girls school. Before these incidents, the U.S. ambassador to Canada said in an interview his "impression is that antisemitism as a problem is worse in Canada than the United States." In 2023, there were 900 police-reported hate crimes against Jewish people in Canada, up from...
Large Study Finds No Link Between Antibiotics and Dementia
Source: Science Daily - Top HealthGiven that the gut microbiome is important for overall health—including cognitive function—researchers have been concerned that antibiotics could have a harmful long-term effect on the brain, especially because older adults are frequently prescribed antibiotics. New research suggests, however, that antibiotic usage is not related to dementia. The results, based on 13,571 healthy people over 70, were published December 18, 2024, in the...
Unraveling the Power and Influence of Language
Source: Association for Psychological ScienceFraming matters. For instance, when a story about cancer is framed as a "battle" rather than a "journey," people tend to view the diagnosis as more fatal. Indeed, research on framing goes well beyond health and psychology—it extends to economics and government policy. This multidisciplinary area of research is spotlighted in the latest issue of Psychological Science in the Public Interest, which explores the power and influence of language.

Psychology in the News