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(https://www.psypost.org/new-psychology-research-links-parental-well-being-to-feeling-valued/) New psychology research links parental well-being to feeling valued
Aug 27th 2024, 10:00

In the hustle and bustle of family life, expressing gratitude is often touted as a key ingredient for happiness. However, it’s not just about showing appreciation—feeling appreciated is also important. A new study published in (https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2024.2365472) The Journal of Positive Psychology has found that feeling valued by your spouse or children is associated with better mental health, improved relationship quality, and a more positive parenting experience.
The study, led by Allen W. Barton, an assistant professor at the University of Illinois, builds on previous research that has highlighted the benefits of perceived gratitude in romantic relationships. Barton and his team set out to see if these benefits extend beyond couples to include parent-child relationships.
Gratitude is often discussed in the context of individual well-being, with numerous studies showing that people who regularly practice gratitude are generally happier and less stressed. However, gratitude also plays a crucial role in our interactions with others, particularly within families. Most of the existing research has focused on gratitude between romantic partners, showing that when individuals feel appreciated by their partners, they are more satisfied, committed, and less worried about relationship instability.
But families are more than just couples—they include children, and the dynamics between parents and children are also essential for family well-being. Barton wanted to explore whether the positive effects of perceived gratitude seen in romantic relationships also apply to parent-child relationships. If parents feel appreciated by their children, does it enhance their parenting experience? Can it reduce stress and improve their overall mental health? These were the questions that Barton and his team aimed to answer.
“There has been a lot of interest in gratitude (in research and general culture), but mostly about the importance of being grateful,” Barton explained. “I’ve done multiple studies that highlighted in marriage and romantic relationships the importance of feeling appreciated (i.e., perceiving gratitude from one’s partner). This study was to explore feeling appreciated in the broader family context, between spouses as well as parents and children.”
To explore this, Barton and his colleagues conducted an online survey of 593 parents from across the United States. The participants were all adults aged between 24 and 75, with at least one child between the ages of 4 and 17. The sample was diverse, with the majority being married and identifying as White, but also including individuals who identified as Black, Asian, and other racial or ethnic backgrounds.
Participants were asked a series of questions designed to measure how often they felt appreciated by their romantic partners and their children. For romantic partners, the questions included items like “Does your partner express appreciation for the things you do?” and “Does your partner acknowledge when you do something nice for them?” For children, the questions were similar, with adjustments for age. Parents were asked to report separately on perceived gratitude from children aged 4 to 12 and from those aged 13 to 18.
In addition to measuring perceived gratitude, the survey also assessed participants’ psychological distress, parenting stress, and relationship satisfaction. Psychological distress was measured by asking how often participants felt nervous, hopeless, or depressed over the past month. Parenting stress was measured with questions about how often parents felt overwhelmed by their responsibilities, and relationship satisfaction was assessed with questions about how happy participants were in their romantic relationships.
Barton and his team found that parents who felt more appreciated by their romantic partners reported higher levels of relationship satisfaction and lower levels of psychological distress. This finding is consistent with previous research on couples, reinforcing the idea that feeling appreciated by your partner is essential for a healthy and satisfying relationship.
When it came to parent-child relationships, the researchers found that perceived gratitude from children was associated with lower levels of parenting stress. Interestingly, this effect was more pronounced when the gratitude came from older children (ages 13 to 18) compared to younger children (ages 4 to 12).
Barton suggests that this difference may be due to the developmental stage of the children. Older children are more capable of understanding and expressing gratitude in meaningful ways, and when parents receive these expressions of appreciation, it can have a significant impact on their stress levels.
Perceived gratitude from older children was also linked to lower levels of psychological distress in parents. This suggests that when parents feel appreciated by their older children, it not only reduces their stress but also contributes to their overall mental well-being. However, this effect was not observed with younger children, possibly because parents do not expect the same level of gratitude from younger children, and therefore, the absence of it does not affect them as much.
The study also uncovered some interesting differences based on the sex of the parent. Women, in particular, reported feeling less appreciated by both their romantic partners and their older children compared to men. However, when women did feel appreciated by their children, it had a more substantial positive impact on their relationship satisfaction and parenting stress levels than it did for men. This finding highlights the potential differences in how men and women experience and respond to gratitude within the family.
“We all want strong, lasting family relationships, whether it is with our spouse, children, or other family members,” Barton told PsyPost. “As we think about the different aspects for actually making this desire a reality for our families, there is an increasing amount of research to suggest that gratitude is one important piece to that puzzle. Seek to build a family environment where spouses, children, and parents express sincere, frequent comments of appreciation to each other, whether it is for actions that benefit that person or the broader family. This is much easier said than done, but appears to be something that is worth the effort.”
“If you are a parent, you can work with your kids to make sure they are expressing and showing appreciation for the efforts others do from them — this could be to the other parent, another sibling or family member, or yourself. In marriage or dating relationships, make a point to ask your spouse or partner if they feel unappreciated (or underappreciated) in any areas and what you can do in response — and seek to calmly share areas where you feel unappreciated as well. Remember that you are a team and strive to be teammates that encourage each other. It takes a lot of work to make ‘family’ happen, and when individuals’ efforts go ignored, it can make things all the more challenging.”
As with all research, there are some caveats to consider. First, the study relied on self-reported data from a single point in time, which means it cannot establish cause and effect. Future research could benefit from tracking perceived gratitude and its effects over a longer period to see how these dynamics play out over time.
Another limitation is that the study focused solely on perceived gratitude—that is, how much participants felt appreciated by others. It did not measure how much gratitude they themselves expressed to their partners or children. Previous research suggests that there can be a disconnect between how much gratitude is expressed and how much is perceived, so it would be valuable to explore this in future studies.
Nevertheless, the findings suggest that fostering a culture of gratitude can have profound benefits for the entire family.
“As someone who studies family-based prevention programming, I am always trying to find research-based ways to build strong families, and expressing gratitude appears as one important means of doing that,” Barton stated. “There’s a lot of work that goes into making ‘family’ happen — parenting, marriage, couple relationships, and so on — for any and every family. And when those efforts go unacknowledged or underappreciated, it takes a toll on individuals and families. We know the power of thank you for couples, and this research shows it also matters for parent-child relationships.”
The study, “(https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17439760.2024.2365472) A ‘Thank You’ really would be nice: Perceived gratitude in family relationships,” was authored by Allen W. Barton and Qiujie Gong.

(https://www.psypost.org/study-finds-little-evidence-linking-violent-video-games-to-increased-aggression-in-adolescents/) Study finds little evidence linking violent video games to increased aggression in adolescents
Aug 27th 2024, 08:00

A longitudinal study of a large number of Czech adolescents found that individuals scoring higher on physical aggression tended to play video games that are a bit more violent. This was particularly the case among younger participants. However, the study did not find any evidence that changes in how much one plays violent video games had an impact on future physical aggression. The research was published in (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2024.108341) Computers in Human Behavior.
Video games have become one of the most popular forms of entertainment worldwide. Over the past few decades, they have evolved from simple, pixelated programs into immersive, lifelike experiences, spanning a wide variety of genres. Today, nearly 3 billion people around the globe are active video game players.
>From the early days of video gaming, violent video games—those that focus on physical aggression, combat, or other forms of violence as a primary element of gameplay—have attracted significant attention from researchers. Early studies often reported a link between playing violent video games and increased physical aggression in children. This link has raised concerns, particularly given that many of the most popular video games contain violent content. Yet, it remains unclear whether violent video games make players more aggressive or whether individuals who are already more aggressive are simply more drawn to these types of games.
Study author David Lacko and his colleagues sought to investigate this issue further. They conducted a longitudinal study using a special method known as a cross-lagged panel study to examine the relationship between preferences for violent video games and aggressive behavior over time.
In a cross-lagged panel study, researchers assess the same variables at different time points to determine whether one variable is likely the cause of another. The idea is that causes can influence future outcomes but cannot influence past ones. Therefore, if a variable is a cause of another, it will be more strongly associated with future values of that variable than with its past values. Conversely, the consequence will be more strongly associated with past values of its cause than with its future values. The researchers used this design to explore whether physical aggression leads to a preference for violent video games or if it is violent video games that increase aggression in adolescents.
The study involved 3,010 Czech adolescents who reported playing at least one video game during the study period. These participants took part in the first wave of data collection, but only 1,052 continued to participate through the fourth wave. The data were collected over an 18-month period between June 2020 and December 2022.
To measure aggression, the researchers used the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire—Short Form, a widely recognized tool for assessing various forms of aggression, including physical and verbal aggression. Empathy was assessed using the Adolescent Measure of Empathy and Sympathy, which evaluates both cognitive empathy (the ability to understand others’ emotions) and affective empathy (the ability to share others’ emotional experiences). To measure exposure to violence in video games, the researchers asked participants to name the three games they played most frequently. The level of violence in these games was then determined using ratings from Common Sense Media, which were used to create a violence score for each participant.
The results showed that the most frequently played games among participants included Minecraft, Roblox, Fortnite, games from the Grand Theft Auto franchise, and Brawl Stars.
The study’s findings revealed important distinctions between two types of effects: within-person effects and between-person effects. The between-person findings indicated that individuals who played more violent video games tended to score slightly higher on cognitive empathy and verbal aggression. There was also a somewhat stronger—but still relatively weak—tendency for participants who played more violent video games to score higher on physical aggression. Boys were generally found to play more violent video games than girls.
On the other hand, the within-person findings—those looking at how changes in an individual’s gaming habits relate to changes in their behavior over time—were particularly revealing. The researchers did not find that an increase or decrease in the level of violence in the games played by participants over the study period had any significant effect on changes in aggression or empathy. This suggests that violent video games are not a direct cause of increased aggression.
However, there were some nuanced findings. For instance, participants who showed an increase in empathy during the third wave of data collection tended to play fewer violent video games by the fourth wave. This association was not observed in other waves. Similarly, participants who exhibited an increase in physical aggression in the third wave tended to play more violent video games in the fourth wave. Conversely, those who reported higher levels of physical aggression in the first wave tended to play less violent games by the second wave.
While there are some associations between aggression, empathy, and the choice to play violent games, the study suggests that these games do not have a straightforward impact on changing behavior over time. Instead, the relationship appears to be influenced by a combination of individual differences and situational factors.
“These findings challenge the portrayal of VVG [violent video games] as a significant contributor to heightened aggression and decreased empathy in adolescents,” the study authors concluded.
The study sheds light on the nature of the link between video game violence and aggression. However, it should be noted that the study’s authors evaluated game violence based on the overall ratings the games received from a rating agency. This approach might be problematic because the content of a video game is not fixed but is actively shaped by the player and their actions. Consequently, the level of violence in many games can greatly depend on the player and their individual playstyle. While some players may engage in gameplay that includes a lot of violence, others may play the same game with minimal or even no violent content. This is particularly true in open-world sandbox games like Minecraft. Therefore, the validity of violence ratings may be questionable. Additionally, the study had a very high dropout rate, particularly among older participants, which may have influenced the results.
The study, “(https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0747563224002097) Does Violence in Video Games Impact Aggression and Empathy? A Longitudinal Study of Czech Adolescents to Differentiate Within- and Between-Person Effects,” was authored by David Lacko, Hana Machackova, and David Smahel.

(https://www.psypost.org/surprisingly-strong-link-found-between-political-party-affiliation-and-sleep-quality/) Surprisingly strong link found between political party affiliation and sleep quality
Aug 27th 2024, 06:00

Sleep, a basic human need, might be more intertwined with our political views than we ever imagined. A recent study conducted in Arizona reveals that Republicans generally enjoy better sleep than Democrats and Independents. The findings were recently published in the journal (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleh.2024.07.005) Sleep Health.
Political polarization in the United States has reached new heights, with individuals increasingly aligning themselves with distinct political identities that shape many aspects of their lives. Previous research has shown that political affiliation can influence mental health, happiness, and attitudes toward the healthcare system. However, the question of whether political views might also impact something as personal and physiological as sleep has been less explored.
Sleep is a critical component of overall health and well-being, and it is well-known that stress and social factors can significantly influence sleep quality. The stress surrounding elections, for instance, has been shown to disrupt sleep, but whether this extends to broader political identities was unclear. Given the heightened political tensions during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, the researchers sought to investigate whether political party affiliation might be linked to differences in sleep quality.
“It is an election year, which prior work shows is related to a host of stressors for many Americans. Further, there seems to be more partisan differences across aspects of life, so in this study we wanted to see if this was apparent for sleep among a sample of adults in Arizona — one of the most hotly contested swing states in recent elections,” said study authors Connor M. Sheehan and Nathan D. Martin, who are both associate professors at Arizona State University.
To explore this question, the researchers collected data from a sample of 922 adults in Arizona. The survey was conducted online in February and March of 2023, and participants were recruited through online platforms, with efforts made to ensure the sample reflected the state’s diverse demographics. The average age of the participants was 41.65 years, and they represented a wide range of backgrounds in terms of race, gender, and education.
Participants were asked a series of questions, including how often they had trouble sleeping over the past 30 days, with responses ranging from “none of the time” to “all of the time.” They were also asked about their political party affiliation—Democrat, Republican, or Independent—as well as whether their personal lives had changed significantly as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The researchers used statistical models to analyze the relationship between political affiliation and sleep quality, controlling for other factors like age, gender, race, and health status.
The analysis revealed a distinct pattern: Republicans reported better sleep quality than both Democrats and Independents. Specifically, Republicans had about 30% lower odds of experiencing sleep difficulties compared to Democrats, even when accounting for factors like age, gender, and health.
On the other hand, the pandemic appeared to have a more pronounced effect on the sleep of Democrats and Independents. Those who identified as Democrats or Independents and who reported that their lives had changed significantly due to the pandemic were more likely to experience sleep difficulties.
“We found that Arizona Democrats reported significantly worse sleep than did Republicans,” Sheehan and Martin told PsyPost. “Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic had a stronger influence on the sleeping patterns of Democrats than Republicans.”
The findings suggest that the stresses associated with the pandemic—whether related to health concerns, economic uncertainty, or societal disruptions—might have been felt more acutely by those on the political left. In contrast, Republicans, who have generally been less concerned about the pandemic’s impacts and more resistant to public health measures like mask-wearing and vaccination, may have experienced less pandemic-related stress, thereby maintaining better sleep quality.
However, the study is not without limitations. The researchers relied on self-reported data, which can sometimes be biased or inaccurate. Additionally, the survey only included adults from Arizona, so the results may not be applicable to other states or the broader U.S. population. Arizona’s unique demographic makeup, with a relatively large Hispanic and Native American population and a smaller Black population, might also influence the generalizability of the findings.
The researchers also caution that the study does not establish causality. It remains unclear whether political affiliation directly affects sleep quality or if other underlying factors, such as personality traits or lifestyle choices, play a role. For instance, individuals who identify with a particular political party might also share certain attitudes or behaviors that influence their sleep.
“We focus on adults in a single state, and analyze data from a cross-sectional survey and non-probability sample. More research is needed to gain a complete understanding of the link between party affiliation and sleep health,” the researchers said.
The study, “(https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2352721824001645) Does sleep quality differ across political parties? Results from a survey of Arizona adults,” was published online on August 10, 2024.

(https://www.psypost.org/scientists-discover-some-brain-cells-age-faster-contributing-to-alzheimers-disease/) Scientists discover some brain cells age faster, contributing to Alzheimer’s disease
Aug 26th 2024, 16:00

Researchers at the University of California San Diego have made a significant discovery about the aging process of brain cells, revealing that some brain cells age faster than others. They found that these rapidly aging cells are more abundant in individuals with Alzheimer’s disease.
Additionally, the study uncovered differences in how brain cells age between men and women, with female brains showing a higher proportion of “old” oligodendrocytes—cells that provide support to neurons—compared to men. These findings not only offer new insights into the cellular mechanisms behind Alzheimer’s disease but also suggest that women may be at a higher risk for certain neurodegenerative disorders due to these cellular differences.
The motivation behind this research, published in the journal (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-07239-w) Nature, stemmed from a long-standing question in neuroscience: why do some brain cells deteriorate faster than others, particularly in the context of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s? The research team, led by Sheng Zhong, aimed to explore the molecular mechanisms that drive the aging process within individual brain cells. Understanding these mechanisms could provide critical clues for developing targeted therapies that might slow down or prevent the onset of diseases like Alzheimer’s.
To tackle this complex problem, the researchers developed and utilized an innovative technique called MUSIC, which stands for multinucleic acid interaction mapping in single cells. This method allowed the team to closely examine the interactions between chromatin (the tightly packed form of DNA) and RNA within individual brain cells. These interactions are crucial because they influence gene expression, which in turn affects how cells function and age. By studying these interactions at such a detailed level, the researchers could identify specific patterns associated with aging and disease.
“MUSIC is a powerful tool that can allow us to dig deeper into the complexities of Alzheimer’s disease,” said Zhong, a professor in the Shu Chien-Gene Lay Department of Bioengineering at the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering. “The technology has the potential to help us uncover novel molecular mechanisms underlying Alzheimer’s pathology, which could pave the way for more targeted therapeutic interventions and improved patient outcomes.”
The study involved analyzing postmortem brain samples from 14 donors, aged 59 years and older, some of whom had Alzheimer’s disease while others did not. The researchers focused on the frontal cortex, a brain region involved in memory, attention, and executive functions. By applying the MUSIC technique, they were able to map out the interactions between chromatin and RNA in different types of brain cells. One of the key observations was that brain cells with fewer short-range chromatin interactions—a sign of altered chromatin structure—were more likely to show characteristics of aging and Alzheimer’s disease.
One of the most striking findings from the study was the discovery that some types of brain cells age much more rapidly than others. These “older” cells were found in greater numbers in individuals with Alzheimer’s disease compared to those without the disease. This suggests that the accumulation of these rapidly aging cells could be a contributing factor to the development or progression of Alzheimer’s.
“With this transformative single-cell technology, we discovered that some brain cells are ‘older’ than others,” said Zhong.
The study also revealed sex-specific differences in how brain cells age. In female brains, particularly in the cortex, there was a higher ratio of old oligodendrocytes to old neurons compared to male brains. Oligodendrocytes are crucial for maintaining the health of neurons by providing a protective layer called myelin, which helps with the efficient transmission of electrical signals in the brain. The disproportionate aging of these cells in women could have implications for understanding why women are more prone to certain neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and could offer new avenues for gender-specific treatments.
“The disproportionate presence of old oligodendrocytes in the female cortex could shed new light on the increased risks of neurodegenerative and mental disorders observed in women,” said study co-first author Xingzhao Wen, a bioinformatics Ph.D. candidate in Zhong’s lab.
Despite the groundbreaking nature of these findings, the study does have some limitations. One major limitation is that the research was conducted using postmortem brain samples, which only provide a snapshot of cellular conditions at the time of death. While this method allows for detailed analysis of chromatin-RNA interactions, it does not capture the dynamic processes that occur in living brains over time. Future research could involve longitudinal studies that track changes in brain cell aging in living subjects, which might provide more comprehensive insights into how these processes unfold.
Another limitation is the relatively small sample size—14 donors—used in the study. While the findings are significant, larger studies are needed to confirm the results and ensure they are representative of the broader population. Additionally, the study primarily focused on the frontal cortex; therefore, it remains unclear whether similar patterns of accelerated cell aging and sex-specific differences occur in other regions of the brain.
Looking ahead, the researchers plan to further refine the MUSIC technique to delve deeper into the molecular factors that drive the accelerated aging of certain brain cells. By identifying the regulatory genes and gene circuits involved, they hope to develop strategies to slow down or even reverse the aging process in these cells. This could open the door to new treatments that target the underlying causes of Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases, potentially improving outcomes for millions of people worldwide.
“If we could identify the dysregulated genes in these aged cells and understand their functions in the local chromatin structure, we could also identify new potential therapeutic targets,” said Wen.
The study, “(https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-07239-w) Single-cell multiplex chromatin and RNA interactions in ageing human brain,” was authored by Xingzhao Wen, Zhifei Luo, Wenxin Zhao, Riccardo Calandrelli, Tri C. Nguyen, Xueyi Wan, John Lalith Charles Richard, and Sheng Zhong.

(https://www.psypost.org/experiencing-extreme-heat-can-weaken-climate-change-conspiracies-research-suggests/) Experiencing extreme heat can weaken climate change conspiracies, research suggests
Aug 26th 2024, 14:25

As global temperatures continue to rise, so too does the urgency of understanding how people form their beliefs about climate change. A recent study published in the (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2024.102409) Journal of Environmental Psychology explores a link between personal experiences of temperature anomalies and the likelihood of believing in climate change conspiracy theories. The findings indicate that people who experience hotter-than-usual temperatures are less likely to believe in climate change conspiracy theories.
Previous research has established that local weather conditions can influence how concerned people are about climate change. For instance, hotter-than-usual temperatures can lead to increased concern, more frequent discussions about climate change, and even actions supporting climate mitigation. This phenomenon is often referred to as the “local warming effect.”
However, what has remained unclear is whether these temperature anomalies can also reduce belief in climate change conspiracy theories. Conspiracy theories about climate change go beyond mere skepticism—they often involve complex narratives suggesting that climate change is a fabricated hoax designed to manipulate the public. The researchers aimed to explore whether personal experiences of extreme weather events, such as unusually hot temperatures, could alter these beliefs.
“I am curious about how changes in the physical environment would affect people’s beliefs about climate change, particularly those who consider it a hoax. As extreme weather events become more frequent, it is crucial to understand how people psychologically respond to them and how their experience of these events would change their thoughts about climate change,” said study author (William) Hoi-Wing Chan, an assistant professor at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
The study was conducted using a two-wave longitudinal design, meaning that participants were surveyed at two different points in time to observe changes in their beliefs. The researchers collected data from adults in the United States and mainland China — two regions that have experienced significant heat waves in recent years. In addition, these two countries were chosen for their contrasting political climates — while climate change is a highly politicized issue in the United States, it is less so in China.
The study involved 1,003 adults from the United States and 1,000 adults from mainland China. Participants were surveyed twice: first in late August and early September 2022, after experiencing the summer, and again in early January 2023, following the winter season. This timing enabled the researchers to capture the participants’ experiences of temperature anomalies during two distinct seasons.
The researchers found that participants who perceived their summer as being hotter than usual were less likely to believe in climate change conspiracy theories, both at the time of the survey and several months later. This suggests that when people experience weather anomalies firsthand, they may become more skeptical of the idea that climate change is a hoax. This effect was particularly strong among participants in the United States.
Interestingly, this effect was not as pronounced when objective measures of temperature were used. In other words, the actual deviation from average temperatures did not significantly impact beliefs in climate change conspiracy theories. This highlights the importance of subjective experience—how people perceive and interpret their environment—over objective reality in shaping beliefs.
The researchers also explored how psychological distance—the perceived proximity of climate change—played a role in shaping beliefs. They found that participants who felt that climate change was closer to them geographically, socially, or temporally (in the near future) were less likely to believe in climate change conspiracy theories.
This perception of proximity appeared to mediate the relationship between experiencing a hotter summer and reduced belief in conspiracy theories. In other words, when people felt that climate change was directly affecting them, they were more likely to reject the idea that it was a hoax.
Negative emotions toward climate change also played a role. Participants who reported stronger feelings of fear, anxiety, or concern about climate change were less likely to believe in conspiracy theories. These emotions seemed to act as a protective factor against the influence of conspiracy narratives, perhaps because they heightened participants’ awareness of the seriousness of the issue.
“One major implication of our findings is that people’s beliefs about climate change conspiracy theories are not fixed,” Chan told PsyPost. “Such beliefs could be malleable to their subjective experience of the external physical environment. Our results imply that the happening of extreme weather events would be a crucial opportunity for scientists to educate and inform the public about climate science.”
A surprising finding was related to the role of conspiracy mentality. The researchers initially hypothesized that people with a strong tendency to believe in conspiracy theories would be less likely to change their beliefs about climate change, even in the face of personal experience with extreme temperatures.
However, the study found that in some cases, the opposite was true. In the United States, people with a strong conspiracy mentality who experienced a hotter summer were actually more likely to reduce their belief in climate change conspiracy theories. This suggests that personal experiences might have the power to override even deep-seated conspiratorial thinking, at least temporarily.
But the findings were not consistent across all measures and contexts. In the Chinese sample, there was a positive association between experiencing a hotter summer and belief in climate change conspiracy theories among those with a strong conspiracy mentality over time. This unexpected result suggests that the relationship between personal experience and belief in conspiracy theories might be more complex than initially thought and could vary based on cultural or political context.
The study sheds new light on the nature of belief in climate change conspiracy theories. But there are some limitations. For instance, while the study identified associations between temperature experiences and belief changes, the design does not conclusively establish causality, and reverse causality remains a possibility.
“It is important to note that the current study does not yield any causal effect,” Chan said. “All findings reported are correlational.”
The study, “(https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0272494424001828) Hotter weather, less of a hoax? Testing the longitudinal association between experience of temperature anomalies and belief in climate change conspiracy theories,” was authored by Hoi-Wing Chan, Xue Wang, Kim-Pong Tam, Ying-yi Hong, and Bo Huang.

(https://www.psypost.org/new-study-shows-targeted-brain-stimulation-can-block-traumatic-memory-consolidation/) New study shows targeted brain stimulation can block traumatic memory consolidation
Aug 26th 2024, 12:00

A study published in (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2024.104548) Behaviour Research and Therapy has demonstrated that targeting a specific part of the brain with magnetic stimulation can disrupt the consolidation of traumatic memories, potentially paving the way for new treatments for conditions like anxiety and PTSD.
Researchers have long known that human memories of threats are highly flexible and can be edited. This flexibility has been harnessed by interfering with the memory consolidation process. Techniques such as non-invasive brain stimulation have been used to modify these memories, but the exact mechanisms and optimal timing for intervention have remained unclear.
Led by Simone Battaglia from the University of Bologna in Italy, the research team was particularly interested in the role of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) in consolidating threat memories. They hypothesized that this brain region is crucial for the process and that disrupting its activity could prevent the consolidation of traumatic memories.
To test their hypothesis, the team conducted a study involving 72 healthy adult volunteers. The participants were divided into four groups and subjected to a threat-conditioning paradigm. This involved pairing a visual stimulus with an electric shock to create a conditioned threat response. The key intervention was the application of low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (LF-rTMS) targeting the dlPFC immediately after the threat acquisition phase.
The researchers discovered that participants who received LF-rTMS targeting the dlPFC showed a significant reduction in defensive reactions to the threat stimulus immediately after stimulation, as well as one hour and 24 hours later. In contrast, participants in the control groups, who received either occipital cortex stimulation, delayed dlPFC stimulation (six hours later), or sham stimulation, did not show any reduction in defensive reactions.
By disrupting the activity of this brain region within the early consolidation period, the researchers were able to prevent the persistence and return of conditioned threat responses. The authors suggest that LF-rTMS could be a powerful tool for interfering with the consolidation of aversive, threat-related memories.
Battaglia and colleagues emphasized the importance of their findings, “unveiling the brain areas necessary for memory consolidation in the context of novel threat learning creates an engaging chance for non-invasive stimulation-based interventions, applicable to mental disorders such as anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorders. In this context, it is crucial to be aware that 20–60% of psychiatric populations show a poor response to classic pharmacological and behavioral therapies, putting a strain on the healthcare system… Thus, specific treatments resulting from new/combined approaches will also lead to a reduction in the financial concerns arising from the cost of psychiatric interventions.”
However, the study did have some limitations. The researchers relied solely on skin conductance response to assess fear responses, which may not capture the full complexity of the emotional and physiological reactions involved. Additionally, the study only administered LF-rTMS to the left dlPFC, leaving open the question of whether similar effects would be observed with stimulation of the right dlPFC.
The study, “(https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0005796724000755) Nip it in the bud: Low-frequency rTMS of the prefrontal cortex disrupts threat memory consolidation in humans”, was authored by Simone Battaglia, Claudio Nazzi, Miquel A. Fullana, Giuseppe di Pellegrino, and Sara Borgomaneri.

Forwarded by:
Michael Reeder LCPC
Baltimore, MD

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