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Social psychology
Social psychology is the scientific study of how people's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by the actual, imagined, or implied presence of others. The terms thoughts, feelings, and behaviors include all of the psychological variables that are measurable in a human being. The reference to imagined or implied others suggests that we are prone to social influence even when no other people are present, such as when watching television, or following internalized cultural norms. The study of attitudes is a core topic in social psychology. Attitudes are involved in virtually every other area of the discipline, including conformity, interpersonal attraction, social perception, and prejudice.
Social psychologists typically explain human behavior as a result of the interaction of mental states and immediate, social situations. In general, social psychologists have a preference for laboratory based, empirical findings. Their theories tend to be specific and focused, rather than global and general.
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Mind & Brain News
June 11, 2026
June 10, 2026 Researchers gave top AI models a classic attention test used in psychology and found a major flaw. While the models could correctly name colors in short lists, their performance deteriorated sharply as the task became longer and more complex. Some ...
June 10, 2026 A major study suggests glucosamine, a popular supplement for joint pain, could be linked to faster progression from mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers found a 25% higher ...
June 9, 2026 “Chemo brain” affects up to 80% of people receiving chemotherapy, making everyday tasks harder. In a new trial, cancer patients who followed a home-based exercise program showed better attention ...
June 9, 2026 A study of more than 2,100 adults found that eating more ultra-processed foods was linked to poorer attention and slower mental processing, even among people with otherwise healthy diets. Researchers also found higher consumption was associated with ...
June 8, 2026 Researchers have identified a new Alzheimer’s target and created an experimental compound that blocks a damaging process inside brain cells. In mice, the treatment slowed nerve cell loss, reduced Alzheimer’s-related changes, and even appeared to ...
June 3, 2026 A newly identified group of amygdala neurons appears to play a central role in anxiety and social behavior. Restoring normal activity in this tiny brain circuit reversed anxiety and social deficits in mice, revealing a promising new target for ...
June 3, 2026 Scientists have uncovered evidence that autism may include at least two biologically distinct subtypes, each marked by a different pattern of brain communication. By combining brain scans from nearly 1,000 people with autism with insights from 20 ...
June 2, 2026 A major study suggests that some of the groundwork for brain development may be shaped before birth through a surprising partnership between a baby’s genes and gut microbes. Researchers found that ...
May 31, 2026 Scientists at Scripps Research have uncovered a molecular “switch” that appears to fuel the damaging brain inflammation seen in Alzheimer’s disease. They found that a protein called STING becomes chemically altered in a way that keeps the ...
May 29, 2026 Scientists at Stanford may have uncovered a hidden reason our brains decline with age. Studying the ultra-short-lived turquoise killifish, researchers discovered that the cellular machinery responsible for building proteins begins to jam and ...
May 28, 2026 Feeling constantly drained might not just be about poor sleep or working too hard. Researchers in Japan found that low levels of key vitamins — especially vitamin B12 and folate — may quietly contribute to fatigue and lack of motivation, even in ...
May 28, 2026 Cambridge researchers created miniature brain-and-spinal-cord systems in the lab that can send signals and even trigger tiny muscle contractions. They discovered that human neurons gradually lose their ability to regrow after damage during ...
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June 10, 2026 A groundbreaking new connectome maps every neural connection in an adult fruit fly’s central nervous system, creating an unprecedented view of how ...
June 8, 2026 Scientists have uncovered a key brain signal that helps us break old habits and adapt when circumstances suddenly change. By watching mice navigate a virtual maze, researchers found that ...
June 2, 2026 Researchers found that social behavior begins in the brain before it becomes visible as movement. In zebrafish, a coordinated pattern of activity spread across the brain several seconds before the ...
May 30, 2026 Scientists discovered that sleep deprivation damages a key brain circuit responsible for social memory, making it harder to recognize familiar individuals. In laboratory studies, caffeine restored ...
May 28, 2026 CBD may be doing far more than just easing pain or anxiety — new research suggests it could help fight Alzheimer’s disease by calming the brain’s runaway immune response. In experiments using ...
May 28, 2026 For more than a century, pianists and music teachers have argued over whether a performer’s touch can actually change the tone color of a piano note — and now scientists say the answer is yes. ...
May 28, 2026 A newly identified protein called GPNMB may play a major role in helping Parkinson’s disease spread through the brain. Researchers discovered that ...
May 28, 2026 A new brain imaging study has found no evidence of widespread brain inflammation in patients suffering from prolonged symptoms after COVID-19 ...
May 28, 2026 A surprising new approach to depression treatment is showing early promise — not by targeting brain chemicals, but by calming the immune system. In a small clinical trial, researchers found that an ...
May 28, 2026 When the body runs low on protein, the gut sends powerful signals to the brain that reshape cravings and push animals to seek essential amino acids instead of sugar. Researchers say this newly ...