Talking Apes

How natural selection reprogrammed the brain for language

Are You Married But Lonely?

New research explores the relational dynamics leading some married couples to feel a growing sense of loneliness even though they’re not alone.

Why Does It Take Longer to Go There Than to Come Back?

New research explains the return trip effect, in which outward journeys seem to take so much longer than the trip back home.

What Melancholy Teaches Us About Ourselves

Are you struggling with depression? Walking into the places of your childhood can help ease the burden.

Is Retirement Bad for Your Mental Health?

A new study shows that older Americans can stay psychologically fit long after retirement, but only if they keep themselves mentally challenged.

When God Is Watching You in the Bedroom

New research finds that even a subliminal suggestion that God disapproves can encourage prosocial attitudes and discourage selfish ones.

So You Think You Want an Open Marriage?

New research shows that open marriages can improve the sexual satisfaction of couples while maintaining high levels of relational and personal happiness.

Do Conservatives View Trump Differently from Liberals?

New research shows that both Democrats and Republicans agree the President is high on the Dark Triad traits, but they disagree on whether that’s good or bad.

How Couples Negotiate Sexual Rejection

New research shows that it’s not the rejection per se but the way it’s done that determines whether the rejected partner, and the relationship as a whole, will be hurt or not.

What Remains of the Self After Memory Is Gone?

New research shows that even when Alzheimer’s patients have lost all autobiographical memories, their personality remains intact.

How Racial Minorities View Interracial Couples

Although there is a growing acceptance of mixed-race marriages, some cases are perceived as more favorable than others.

Why Do Young Men Engage in Risky Behaviors?

A new study shows that young men take fewer risks when they’re in a committed romantic relationship, but only when they’re with their girlfriend.

When Does Pornography Use Become Problematic?

New research suggests that a source of compulsive sexual behavior disorder lies in the conflict between normal urges and restrictive morality.

How Have We Become So Politically Divided?

New research shows that your ability to adapt your thinking to changing circumstances also shapes your political views.

The Psychology of Nostalgia

Experimental research shows nostalgia to be an overwhelmingly positive emotion. However, studies of nostalgia in everyday life show it to be more bitter than sweet.

Who Was the First African-American Woman Psychologist?

Ruth Howard and Inez Prosser were two early pioneers in psychology who broke down barriers of both gender and race.

This Is Your Brain on Religion

The brain appears to be hardwired for religious belief, probably as a byproduct of our enhanced abilities to socially engage with other people.

How a Husband and Wife Team Helped End Segregation

Kenneth and Mamie Clark conducted the famous doll studies that influenced the Brown v. Board of Education decision by the Supreme Court to end segregation in 1954.

Can Men Be Victims of Intimate Partner Violence?

Men have no monopoly on aggression, and they can often be the victims of violent acts in the home.

Why Some People Can't Stop Thinking About Their Exes

Men tend to look back on their former lovers favorably, while women are more likely to blame their exes for the end of the relationship.

Happy Wife, Happy Life

New research finds that a woman’s relationship satisfaction predicts both her own and her partner’s momentary sexual enjoyment.

Would You Reveal Your Marital Status If You’re Having an Affair?

When enticing an extramarital sex partner, men have reasons to hide their marital status, while women have reasons to reveal it.

Adolescence in the Age of Internet Porn

It’s only natural for teens to be curious about sex, so it should come as no surprise that they’re also big consumers of online pornography.

Why Some People Take Part in Risky Sexual Behavior

New research explores why some people are willing to have unprotected sex even when they know the risks.

Do Religious People Have a Bias Against Science?

Religious and non-religious people agree on how to evaluate scientific evidence, but they differ predictably in terms of how they judge supernatural claims.