Psychology

Teaching computers to assess the emotional tone of a piece of writing—a task called sentiment analysis—is becoming more widely used as researchers, companies and even mental health professionals delve into people’s social media musings for insights.

How Algorithms Discern Our Mood From What We Write Online

While sentiment analysis is far from perfect, it distills meaning from huge amounts of data—and could one day even monitor mental health

Every so often, people get utterly lost, so lost that they scramble their brains along with their bearings.

Ten Curious Cases of Getting Lost in the Wilderness

Historical accounts of disorientation tell us a lot about how people have navigated relationships and space over time

This Border Collie doesn't look thrilled to be participating in firework festivities.

Why Fireworks Scare Some Dogs but Not Others

Canine scientists investigate why loud sounds cause some dogs to lose their cool and offer insight on effective treatment

To get around the hair clipper shortage, the founder of the Trans Clippers Project bulk ordered supplies during the early days of the pandemic.

A New Project Hopes to Give Transgender Americans Some Much-Needed Haircuts

To promote mental health during the pandemic, the Trans Clippers Project has provided hundreds of trans and nonbinary people with a free pair of clippers

Danish physician Nadja Albertsen spent a year at Concordia Research Station in Antarctica.

Ten Tips From Scientists Who Have Spent Months in Isolation

Find a hobby, for starters, and don't forget the mission, say scientists who have worked at remote research stations

Stuck at Home? Take Yale’s Most Popular Course Ever: The Science of Happiness

In its first year, the class attracted more than 1,200 students. The online version is abbreviated, but free

African grey parrots are highly social, and may benefit from establishing reputations for generosity.

Parrots Will Share Currency to Help Their Pals Purchase Food

Animals often share food, but these birds understand that metal rings can be exchanged for treats, and they share the rings with no promise of reward

It's hard enough to talk about our feelings. Now, try doing it across languages.

The Meanings Behind Words for Emotions Aren't Universal, Study Finds

Certain emotions may be universal. But the way humans describe their feelings, it seems, is not

Older people tend to believe that younger generations lack whatever traits they themselves possess in abundance.

The Psychology Behind Generational Conflict

Older people have groused about younger people for millennia. Now we know why

The team hypothesized that works published during the so-called “good old days” would be more uplifting than those penned during times of hardship

What Millions of Books Reveal About 200 Years of Happiness

Researchers analyzed eight million texts to gauge how lifespan, warfare and the economy affect national well-being

Soldiers take a psychological test (the exact type of examination is unclear) in Camp Lee in Virginia in November 1917, the year the United States entered World War I and Woodworth first developed his test.

The First Personality Test Was Developed During World War I

Long before online quizzes and Myers-Briggs, Robert Woodworth’s “Psychoneurotic Inventory” tried to assess recruits' susceptibility to shell shock

New Study Suggests Leonardo da Vinci Had A.D.H.D.

The master painter had difficulties with procrastination, finishing projects and staying on task his entire life

Moving forward, the researchers hope to study how paper wasps use transitive inference in social interactions

Wasps Are the First Invertebrates to Pass This Basic Logic Test

New research suggests paper wasps are capable of transitive inference, a form of logic used to infer unknown relationships on the basis of known ones

To some, beets' soil-like smell is so strong that eating the vegetable holds the same appeal as dining on a chunk of dirt.

New Study Reveals How One Person’s ‘Smellscape’ Can Differ From Another’s

A single genetic mutation could determine whether you perceive beets’ soil-like smell, whiskey’s smokiness and lily of the valley’s sweetness

At nearly 91, Dr. Ruth is still committed to the cause

Dr. Ruth Changed the Way America Talked About Sex

A new documentary chronicles the revolution Ruth Westheimer brought to the air

A new study looks at the role “pro-social” religions play in fostering large-scale societies

Which Came First, Vengeful Gods or Complex Civilizations?

A new study pushes back against the hypothesis that moralizing gods were necessary to keep large societies civil

Around 20 percent of the time, the bears returned a playmate’s expression within one second of seeing it

Sun Bears Mimic Each Other’s Facial Expressions to Communicate

Previously, precise facial mimicry has only been observed in humans and gorillas

Due to their genetic and physiological similarities to humans, lab rodents have become the cornerstone of animal research.

The History of the Lab Rat Is Full of Scientific Triumphs and Ethical Quandaries

Lab rodents have been used in animal testing for more than 150 years, and the number of rodent-based studies continues to grow

Will A.I. Ever Be Smarter Than a Four-Year-Old?

Looking at how children process information may give programmers useful hints about directions for computer learning

Loss-of-Confidence Project Aims to Foster Culture of Self-Correction in the Scientific Record

Psychologists can submit a statement on how they lost confidence in one of their own findings to help end the stigma around admitting errors

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