Psychology | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/psychology/RSS feed for PsychologyenThu, 08 Oct 2026 11:45:00 +0000From Slasher Films to Vampire Flicks, Horror Movies Are More Popular Than Ever. Relive the Genre's Scariest Moments—if You Dare—at a New Exhibitionhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/from-slasher-films-to-vampire-flicks-horror-movies-are-more-popular-than-ever-relive-the-genres-scariest-momentsif-you-dareat-a-new-exhibition-180989624/The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures' latest show features nearly 350 props, costumes and artifacts from such films as "Psycho," "The Shining" and "Sinners"Thu, 08 Oct 2026 11:45:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/from-slasher-films-to-vampire-flicks-horror-movies-are-more-popular-than-ever-relive-the-genres-scariest-momentsif-you-dareat-a-new-exhibition-180989624/Some Birdsongs Are More Pleasing to Human Ears Than Others. Higher-Pitched, Complex Calls Tend to Sound More Beautiful to Ushttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/some-birdsongs-are-more-pleasing-to-human-ears-than-others-higher-pitched-complex-calls-tend-to-sound-more-beautiful-to-us-180989540/In a new study, more than 80 participants rated the pleasantness of vocalizations made by 123 European bird species. Researchers then looked at the acoustic qualities of the most—and least—liked songsThu, 24 Sep 2026 19:01:33 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/some-birdsongs-are-more-pleasing-to-human-ears-than-others-higher-pitched-complex-calls-tend-to-sound-more-beautiful-to-us-180989540/From Boosting Mental Health to Reducing Dementia Risk, Here's Why Reading Is Extremely Good for You, According to Sciencehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/from-boosting-mental-health-to-reducing-dementia-risk-heres-why-reading-is-extremely-good-for-you-according-to-science-180989548/Mounting evidence suggests that regularly cozying up with a book can increase brain and mental health, improve literacy and math skills, and even slow cognitive decline. What's more, fiction seems to have the added benefit of introducing readers to others' perspectivesWed, 23 Sep 2026 16:33:51 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/from-boosting-mental-health-to-reducing-dementia-risk-heres-why-reading-is-extremely-good-for-you-according-to-science-180989548/Could Artificial Intelligence Help With Early Diagnosis of Schizophrenia?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/could-artificial-intelligence-help-with-early-diagnosis-of-schizophrenia-180989486/The tool may pick up subtle differences in the speech of people with the mental health condition better than human psychiatristsFri, 11 Sep 2026 13:31:01 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/could-artificial-intelligence-help-with-early-diagnosis-of-schizophrenia-180989486/Part of Your Personality Is Encoded in Your Genes. Huge Analysis Links Characteristics to More Than 1,200 Common Genetic Variantshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/part-of-your-ersonality-is-encoded-in-your-genes-huge-analysis-links-characteristics-to-more-than-1200-common-genetic-variants-180989450/A new meta-analysis pooled data from more than one million people to look at the crossover between DNA and the "Big Five" personality traits: openness to experience, conscientiousness, extroversion, agreeableness and neuroticismFri, 04 Sep 2026 11:37:58 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/part-of-your-ersonality-is-encoded-in-your-genes-huge-analysis-links-characteristics-to-more-than-1200-common-genetic-variants-180989450/Scientists Gave Dogs MRIs and Learned That They're Surprisingly Good at Distinguishing Between Human Emotions, Even Some Negative Oneshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-gave-dogs-mris-and-learned-that-theyre-surprisingly-good-at-distinguishing-between-human-emotions-even-some-negative-ones-180989329/A recent study found that man’s best friend processes positive and negative human emotions differently and can distinguish between fearful faces and those showing sadness or angerFri, 21 Aug 2026 15:58:27 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-gave-dogs-mris-and-learned-that-theyre-surprisingly-good-at-distinguishing-between-human-emotions-even-some-negative-ones-180989329/This Newly Approved Narcolepsy Drug Is the First to Target the Sleep Disorder's Root Cause Rather Than Its Symptomshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-newly-approved-narcolepsy-drug-is-the-first-to-target-the-sleep-disorders-root-cause-rather-than-its-symptoms-180989362/The Food and Drug Administration just greenlit a medication called Orzeyful for the treatment of narcolepsy type 1 in adults. The condition is caused by the loss of brain cells that produce orexin, a chemical important for regulating the sleep-wake cycleTue, 18 Aug 2026 19:18:35 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-newly-approved-narcolepsy-drug-is-the-first-to-target-the-sleep-disorders-root-cause-rather-than-its-symptoms-180989362/