Strawberry and rose odors shifted color choices, painting mood, and object selection
Two experiments suggest smells can bias what people paint, which colors they use, and what they pick to depict. In a new journal article, specific odors reliably lined up with specific colors and painting impressions. Strawberry odor tended to pull people toward warmer, lighter, more positive work, while rose odor leaned cooler in color associations. […]
Combined diving and mindfulness reduced emotional eating in adults with obesity and the benefits lasted months
A two-month program cut emotional eating more than standard care and also reduced stress and weight self-stigma. A community trial in France tested a two-month scuba-diving program paired with mindfulness exercises, added to standard care for adults with obesity. Compared with standard care alone, the combined program produced a larger drop in emotional eating at […]
More green space exposure linked to lower depression, anxiety, and stress; noise exposure linked to higher levels
A Lebanese online survey found opposite mental health patterns for greenery and everyday noise. More exposure to green space was associated with lower depression, anxiety, and stress scores. More noise exposure and noise-related problems were associated with higher scores on all three. The findings point to practical mental health gains from quieter, greener daily environments. […]
Peer supported Open Dialogue care strengthened self determination, human connection, and collaboration for recovery
Clients described recovery support as a flexible, power-aware way of working rather than a fixed professional role. In a Peer supported Open Dialogue practice, clients described recovery support as three linked building blocks: self-determination, human connection, and reciprocal collaboration. They also emphasized competencies and organizational conditions that make those building blocks possible, including careful handling […]
Technology-enhanced neuromotor rehabilitation improved autonomy and well-being more than standard training in stroke and osteoarthritis
A pilot longitudinal study found broader short-term gains and some sustained benefits, especially in quality of life. Technology-enhanced, individualized neuromotor rehabilitation was linked to improvements beyond movement, including autonomy, mood, and well-being. Compared with standard training, it showed added benefits in specific groups and outcomes, especially shortly after treatment. Some gains, particularly health-related quality of […]
Student motivation with generative artificial intelligence can be measured, and higher use links to more pressure
A new scale separates feeling that learning is redundant from feeling self-driven, and it works similarly across student groups. Researchers validated a new survey tool to measure how generative artificial intelligence relates to students’ motivation and basic psychological needs in higher education. The scale showed a clear multi-factor structure and worked comparably across gender, study […]
Stress and coping sit upstream of multiple modifiable Alzheimer’s disease risks in network models
Across linked psychosocial and health factors, stress-related variables showed the broadest downstream connections. In network models of older adults, stress, anxiety, and coping were positioned upstream of depression, social support, cognitive activity, and cardiometabolic risks. Social support sat at a key junction, linking psychological factors with physical activity and downstream body mass index and blood […]
Girls report higher body dissatisfaction than boys across countries, and links to lower well-being are stronger
Across two international surveys, the gender gap holds across body size and background, and it widens in some higher-status groups and more developed countries. Girls report significantly higher body dissatisfaction than boys across two large international adolescent surveys. This gap persists regardless of Body Mass Index, socioeconomic background, age, or country, and body dissatisfaction connects […]
Performance crises in professional soccer grow from hidden vulnerabilities and escalating cycles, coaches report
Twelve German coaches describe how unmet expectations and organizational misalignment can turn a slump into a self-reinforcing breakdown. Performance crises in professional soccer are not “one bad loss” problems, coaches say. They emerge when pre-crisis vulnerabilities meet an acute trigger, then spiral through escalating dynamics across team, club, and external environments. The result is a […]
Virtual therapist tool was acceptable to hospitalized people with schizophrenia, but empathy and flexibility were limited
Patients liked clear communication and relaxation exercises, while reporting rigid dialogue and technical glitches. A pilot study tested a conversational agent called Terabot to support recognition and regulation of anger, shame, and fear in hospitalized people diagnosed with schizophrenia. Patients generally rated the experience positively, especially for clarity, friendly appearance, and helpful exercises, but rated […]