Social PsychologySep 11, 2025
Media and Communications Psychology in the 21st Century
The 20th century experienced a dramatic explosion of mass media communications —from newspapers, to magazines, advertisements ...
Social Psychology
Updated Aug 26, 2026 8:00 AM PT
Social Psychology Psychologist News
Current reporting, research and professional developments across Social Psychology, curated for psychologists and behavioral-health professionals.
Social PsychologyAug 14, 2025
The surprising brain chemistry behind instant friendships
UC Berkeley scientists found oxytocin is key for quickly forming strong friendships, but less critical for mate bonds. In prairie voles, a lack of oxytocin receptors delayed bonding and reduced partner selectivity…
Social PsychologyAug 12, 2025
Trapped in guilt and shame? Science explains why you can’t let go
Flinders University researchers found that forgiving yourself isn’t just about letting go. People stuck in guilt and shame often feel trapped in the past, and true healing comes from addressing deeper moral injuries and…
Social PsychologyAug 6, 2025
Member Spotlight: Tiange Dai
Tiange Dai is a doctoral student at Miami University, where he primarily works with Dr. Heather Claypool on ostracism research. Tiange’s primary research interests focus on the health consequences of belonging threat and…
Social PsychologyAug 5, 2025
Alzheimer’s risk may start at the brain’s border, not inside it
Your brain has its own elite defense team — and new research shows these "guardian" cells might be the real battleground for neurological diseases like Alzheimer’s and stroke. Scientists discovered that most genetic…
Social PsychologyJul 30, 2025
This brain circuit may explain fluctuating sensations—and autism
Sometimes a gentle touch feels sharp and distinct, other times it fades into the background. This inconsistency isn’t just mood—it’s biology. Scientists found that the thalamus doesn’t just relay sensory signals—it…
Social PsychologyJul 30, 2025
Cross-country study gathers new insight about the psychology of social class
Understanding the effects of social class on people's attitudes, thoughts, feelings and behaviors could have valuable ...
Social PsychologyJul 25, 2025
Four hidden types of autism revealed — and each tells a different genetic story
Scientists at Princeton and the Simons Foundation have identified four biologically distinct subtypes of autism, using data from over 5,000 children and a powerful new computational method. These subtypes—each with…
Social PsychologyJul 24, 2025
Your brain sees faces in everything—and science just explained why
You may be seeing faces in clouds, toast, or cars—and it turns out your brain is wired to notice them. A fascinating new study shows how our attention is hijacked not just by real faces, but by face-like illusions…
Social PsychologyJul 12, 2025
Researchers grow 400+ brain cell types—a leap for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s research
Scientists at ETH Zurich have broken new ground by generating over 400 types of nerve cells from stem cells in the lab, far surpassing previous efforts that produced only a few dozen. By systematically experimenting with…
Social PsychologyJul 5, 2025
The surprising link between hearing loss, loneliness, and lifespan
People who treat hearing loss with hearing aids or cochlear implants regain rich conversations, escape isolation, and may even protect their brains and lifespans—proof that better hearing translates into fuller living.
Social PsychologyJul 3, 2025
Why anger cools after 50: Surprising findings from a new menopause study
Anger isn’t just a fleeting emotion—it plays a deeper role in women’s mental and physical health during midlife. A groundbreaking study tracking over 500 women aged 35 to 55 reveals that anger traits like outbursts and…
Social PsychologyJul 2, 2025
The pandemic pet boom was real. The happiness boost wasn’t
Locked-down Hungarians who gained or lost pets saw almost no lasting shift in mood or loneliness, and new dog owners actually felt less calm and satisfied over time—hinting that the storied “pet effect” may be more myth…
Social PsychologyJun 29, 2025
The gene that hijacks fear: How PTEN rewires the brain’s anxiety circuit
Deleting a gene called PTEN in certain brain cells disrupts the brain’s fear circuitry and triggers anxiety-like behavior in mice — key traits seen in autism. Researchers mapped how this genetic tweak throws off the…
Social PsychologyJun 2, 2025
Attachment theory: A new lens for understanding human-AI relationships
Human-AI interactions are well understood in terms of trust and companionship. However, the role of attachment and experiences in such relationships is not entirely clear. In a new breakthrough, researchers from Waseda…
Social PsychologyMar 31, 2025
Social Psychology
Social psychology is the scientific study of how individuals perceive, think about and behave towards others in social contexts.
Social PsychologyMar 7, 2025
Psychology with Health and Wellbeing in Society
This degree explores how the mind and behaviour shape health and wellbeing. You’ll gain a deeper understanding of health issues ...
Social PsychologyMar 4, 2025
Is the “Social Cure” a Cultural Universal?
The social cure theory rests on a bedrock of robust findings that belonging to many social groups benefits a person’s physical ...
Social PsychologyFeb 28, 2025
Social Exclusion and Psychological Outcomes
Social exclusion denotes the experience of being ignored, rejected or ostracised by one’s social group and poses a fundamental ...
Social PsychologyFeb 23, 2025
Escape Room 154 reinvents social psychology research
When people enter an escape room, they are usually blindfolded and locked inside, tasked with finding clues and solving puzzles ...
Social PsychologyAug 18, 2024
Is Social Media Making Us Lonely?
When award-winning poet and critic, and director of creative writing at Yale University, Richard Deming sat down to write a book ...
Social PsychologyJul 24, 2024
What do genes have to do with psychology? They likely influence your behavior more than you realize
Whether genes are able to compromise between their competing interests can have consequences for development. pressureUA/iStock ...
Social PsychologyJun 21, 2024
The Dark Side of Social Media
In a previous post, my team and I explored how social media use can negatively impact body image in youth. As young people are on ...
Social PsychologyMay 18, 2024
We Know Social Media Use Stirs Up Anxiety and Depression for Many
In the early 2000s, social media was a baby. Cut to now: Statista (2023) predicts there should be around six billion social media ...
Social PsychologyMay 9, 2024
Decoding Social Proof In Consumer Psychology
In a marketplace echoing with an excess of choice, the whisper of the crowd often becomes the deciding voice. This voice, an ...
Social PsychologyAug 16, 2023
A Psychologist Explains Why Taylor Swift Is The Subject Of A New Course On Social Psychology
Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I write about relationships, personality, and everyday ...
Social PsychologyAug 5, 2021
A Social Psychology Tutorial
In May 1997, I was privileged to receive a Ph.D. in social psychology from the University of New Hampshire. While my career since ...
Social PsychologyJul 21, 2020
Behavioral Principles Can Promote a Prosocial Society
Western society typically promotes neo-liberal economic values of capital growth, both for the individual and society as a whole ...
Social PsychologyApr 17, 2016
Welcome to Social psychology!
Welcome to the website of the Social Psychology Research Group headed by Gerald Echterhoff. Our work combines social psychology ...
Social PsychologyApr 4, 2016
Social Psychology: It’s "Obvious" or it’s "False"
Being able to spend my days talking to people about social psychology research is a great privilege. The behavior involved in ...