Self-centered reflection increased sense of agency; selfless reflection decreased it
A pilot experiment linked reflection style to agency and distinct EEG complexity patterns. In [Self-reflection, sense of agency, and underlying neural correlates: A pilot study], self-centered self-reflection increased an implicit measure of sense of agency, while selfless reflection reduced it. The researchers measured agency using intentional time binding, a timing-based method for assessing how people […]
Working memory links broadly to preadolescent psychopathology in network analysis
A large transdiagnostic model places working memory near the center of diverse symptoms. A network analysis in preadolescents found modest links between executive functions and psychopathology, with working memory emerging as a central connector. Working memory showed positive ties to attention problems, social problems, and rule-breaking behavior, and negative ties to anxious/depressed and somatic complaints. […]
When the Brain Stops Staying in Its Lane: What LSD Reveals About Flexibility and Synchrony
When brain networks loosen their grip, experience can change fast Some mental states feel “locked in.” Anxiety loops, depressive rumination, compulsive checking, or rigid perfectionism can trap attention in the same grooves, even when we know those grooves are hurting us. A major question in psychology and neuroscience is why the brain sometimes struggles to […]
When Feelings Move Faster Than Plans: What ADHD Looks Like for Many Adult Women
When Emotions Outpace Attention: Why This Study Matters Now For many adult women, living with ADHD is not just about missed deadlines or a wandering mind. It’s about emotions that arrive like a wave and leave just as abruptly—frustration that flares in a meeting, tears after a minor mistake, or stress that lingers long after […]
Turning Heartbreak Into a Story: How Writing About a Breakup Changes What You Remember and Expect Next
Why Putting Heartache Into Words Can Shift Your Next Chapter Breakups don’t just sting; they scramble our sense of who we are, what happened, and what could ever come next. Many of us cycle through the same fragments—texts, arguments, “what ifs”—without finding much clarity. This is where the new research paper The effects of narrative […]
When Anxiety Dims Our Warmth but Not Our Insight
Anxiety’s Quiet Tax on Connection We tend to treat empathy as a single skill—either you have it or you don’t. But empathy actually has two parts that work together: affective empathy, the capacity to feel with someone, and cognitive empathy, the ability to understand what someone else is thinking or experiencing. Many of us notice […]
Coping Beats Raw Brainpower: What Drives Grades for University Students in Southern Ethiopia
When Stress Management Outweighs Memory Tricks Grades are often treated like a scoreboard of intelligence, but this study suggests something far more practical: how students handle stress may be just as important as how quickly they process information. In the Psychosocial and cognitive predictors of academic achievement among higher education students in Southern Ethiopia, a […]
Rest, Mood, and Mental Clarity: What Daily Check-Ins Reveal for People Living With HIV
When a Restless Night Shapes the Whole Day for People Living With HIV Sleep is not just downtime; it sets the tone for how we think, feel, and make choices the next day. For people living with HIV (PLWH), the stakes can be even higher. Mood dips and foggy thinking can complicate daily tasks, from […]
When Focus Feels Heavy: How Task Pace and Personal Traits Shape Mental Effort
Why Some Tasks Feel Like Wading Through Wet Cement Some days, focusing is smooth. Other days, it’s like pushing your brain uphill. That strain you feel is not just a mood; it’s the conscious experience of mental effort. A new research paper, The experience of mental effort during a continuous performance task: Exploring the influence […]
Mindfulness Unlocked: Enhancing Focus in the Lab-Coated World
Introduction: A Breath of Fresh Air in the Hustle of Science The corridors of research labs resonate with the bustling energy of medical scientists, who juggle the demands of both clinical care and rigorous scientific inquiry. It’s a high-stakes world, where sharp focus and unwavering attention are not just virtues but necessities. However, the relentless […]