Your Daily digest for PsyPost – Psychology News Daily Digest (Unofficial)

[Article Digests for Psychology & Social Work]

PsyPost – Psychology News Daily Digest (Unofficial)

 

(https://www.psypost.org/neuroscientists-illuminate-the-dark-aftermath-of-torture-on-brain-connectivity/) Neuroscientists illuminate the dark aftermath of torture on brain connectivity
Jan 15th 2025, 08:00

A neuroimaging study of torture survivors found that these individuals exhibit decreased connectivity in brain networks associated with response inhibition, attention, and motor function during a cognitive Go/No-Go task. This effect may be specifically linked to the dysphoria symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The research was published in (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bpsc.2024.07.025) Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging.
The United Nations defines torture as an act of state-sanctioned physical or psychological harm intentionally inflicted to obtain information, punish, intimidate, or discriminate. Torture is prohibited under international law. Despite this, many countries continue to practice torture. Approximately 20% of individuals affected by armed conflict have experienced torture.
A core aim of torture is to eradicate any sense of control in the victim. This profound loss of control over one’s life is a defining characteristic that differentiates experiences that are merely stressful from those that cause psychological trauma. Consequently, torture often leads to mental health conditions such as PTSD, depression, or anxiety. It can also cause significant changes in identity and produce numerous other psychological effects. Cognitive functioning is frequently affected as well, which can result in observable differences in brain functioning.
Study author Belinda J. Liddell and her colleagues sought to examine how exposure to torture is associated with neural network connectivity patterns during a cognitive Go/No-Go task. They conducted a neuroimaging study comparing a group of torture survivors to a group of individuals who had experienced trauma but were not tortured.
The study included 77 adults recruited from a torture trauma service in Sydney, Australia (NSW Service for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture and Trauma Survivors, STARTTS) or through advertisements at refugee services. All participants were resettled in Australia.
Participants were first interviewed by a research psychologist. During these interviews, they completed several assessments of trauma exposure and PTSD symptoms. They also reported whether they had experienced torture. Overall, 33 participants were identified as torture survivors, while 44 had survived other types of traumatic events.
In the next phase of the study, participants completed a Go/No-Go task while undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). A Go/No-Go task is a psychological test used to assess impulse control and response inhibition. Participants are required to respond to certain stimuli (Go) while withholding responses to others (No-Go). In this study, participants were instructed to respond to a white circle but refrain from responding to a white square.
The results indicated that participants were 95% accurate in the Go/No-Go task, suggesting that they were attentive. Torture survivors exhibited decreased connectivity compared to the other group in the posterior default mode network (specifically in the left precuneus region of the brain) and the auditory-motor network (in the right superior temporal gyrus region). Additionally, they showed reduced connectivity between the dorsomedial frontal network and the dorsal attentional network. During No-Go trials (when participants were supposed to refrain from reacting), the ventral attention network connectivity was lower in torture survivors.
The default mode network is active when a person is at rest but not sleeping. The auditory-motor network integrates auditory processing with motor control, facilitating activities like speech production, musical performance, and sound-based learning. The frontal network supports executive functions such as decision-making, planning, and working memory. The attentional networks regulate focus and the allocation of cognitive resources to relevant stimuli, enabling effective perception and response to environmental demands.
“Response inhibition, attention and motor networks appear less connected in torture survivors, which may be specifically linked to PTSD [posttraumatic stress disorder] dysphoria [a profound state of unease or dissatisfaction] symptom profiles. Findings suggest that targeting cognitive control processes may hold promise for alleviating post-traumatic symptoms amongst survivors of torture,” the study authors concluded.
The study sheds light on the neural changes associated with experiences of torture. However, it should be noted that the participants were effectively self-selected (i.e., volunteers) and that they were all refugees resettled in a country comparatively distant from the conflict zones they fled (e.g., Australia is over 5,000 kilometers from the nearest conflict zone). Studies on other groups of torture survivors may not yield identical results.
The study, “(https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bpsc.2024.07.025) Torture Exposure Modulates Cognitive Control and Attention Neural Network Connectivity During a Go/Nogo Task,” was authored by Belinda J. Liddell, Pritha Das, Gin S. Malhi, Kim L. Felmingham, Mirjana Askovic, Angela Nickerson, Jorge Aroche, Mariano Coello, Tim Outhred, and Richard A. Bryant.

(https://www.psypost.org/ancient-roman-rule-continues-to-shape-personality-and-well-being-in-germany-study-suggests/) Ancient Roman rule continues to shape personality and well-being in Germany, study suggests
Jan 15th 2025, 06:00

Regions of Germany that were under Roman rule approximately 2,000 years ago exhibit higher levels of psychological well-being, better health, and more adaptive personality traits compared to regions outside the Roman Empire, a new study has found. Published in (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666622725000012) Current Research in Ecological and Social Psychology, the study suggests that the infrastructure, institutions, and cultural advancements introduced by the Romans have left a surprisingly long-lasting imprint.
“The intersection of history and psychology is gaining increasing attention in psychological research, but there remains a need for more studies in this area, particularly those that consider ancient history rather than focusing solely on recent historical events and epochs,” said study author (https://www.uva.nl/en/profile/o/b/m.obschonka/m.obschonka.html?cb) Martin Obschonka, a professor of entrepreneurship at University of Amsterdam.
“We focused on the Roman macro-psychological imprint because there is substantial anecdotal evidence of the Roman legacy in Germany, particularly in the southern regions that were occupied and developed by the Romans around 2,000 years ago. Our study is among the first to systematically examine the correlation between Roman rule and present-day regional outcomes. In fact, it is the first study to investigate an effect of Roman rule on contemporary macro-psychological outcomes related to health and well-being.”
“There has been significant discussion about the historical imprint of the Berlin Wall—the border between West and East Germany that divided the country between 1961 and 1989,” Obschonka explained. “Even more than 35 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, a substantial socio-economic divide persists along its former course. In this new study, we explored whether, in addition to the Berlin Wall, the much older Roman Limes—an ancient frontier wall that separated German regions under Roman rule from the “barbarian” Germanic tribes—also left a lasting legacy as a socio-economic divide.”
“Finally, our study aimed to assess the enduring influence of ancient history, including major events and epochs, on today’s macro-psychological landscape and how these historical imprints continue to shape the lives of millions of people. We combined psychological, historical, and geographical approaches to investigate whether the Roman Limes wall is still ‘visible’ in the contemporary macro-psychological landscape.”
The researchers employed a spatial regression discontinuity design to investigate the long-term psychological and well-being effects of Roman rule in Germany. This quasi-experimental approach allowed researchers to compare regions that were historically part of the Roman Empire with neighboring regions that were not, focusing on areas near the Roman border, known as the Limes. By examining this natural boundary, the researchers minimized the influence of unrelated factors, such as geography or climate, that could otherwise confound the results.
This map shows the historical boundary of the Roman Empire’s northern frontier in Germany, known as the Limes Germanicus. The dark line represents the border that separated the Roman-occupied regions (to the south) from the unconquered Germanic territories (to the north). The Limes consisted of physical structures like walls, forts, and watchtowers, and it marked the extent of Roman administrative and military control in this part of Europe around the 2nd century AD.(Photo credit: (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Germanic_limes.jpg) Theutatis/Wikipedia)
To measure psychological traits, the researchers utilized personality data from the Gosling-Potter Internet Project, which collected responses from over 73,000 participants between 2003 and 2015. Participants completed a standardized Big Five Inventory questionnaire assessing traits like extraversion, agreeableness, neuroticism, conscientiousness, and openness. These responses were aggregated at the regional level. Health and well-being outcomes, including life satisfaction, health satisfaction, and life expectancy, were drawn from the German Socioeconomic Panel and official life expectancy statistics.
The researchers incorporated historical data to evaluate the potential role of Roman infrastructure. They mapped the density of Roman roads, as well as the locations of ancient Roman markets and mines, to assess the extent of economic investment in different regions. The analysis also included a comprehensive set of control variables, such as soil quality, proximity to major rivers, and historical economic activities, to ensure that the results specifically reflected the influence of Roman rule.
The analysis revealed significant differences in personality traits and well-being outcomes between regions that were part of the Roman Empire and those that were not. Residents of former Roman regions scored higher on extraversion and agreeableness, lower on neuroticism, and exhibited better overall psychological well-being. These areas also showed greater life and health satisfaction and longer life expectancies, with Roman influence accounting for an average six-month increase in life expectancy.
“Ancient history may have a greater influence on the psychology of today’s populations than previously believed,” Obschonka told PsyPost. “Although Roman rule ended around 2,000 years ago, its legacy can still be observed in the present-day macro-psychological landscape. Not only is the Berlin Wall a fateful border for Germany, but the Roman Limes wall also represents a significant historical divide. Even when accounting for more recent historical factors, we find that regions developed by Roman civilization exhibit more adaptive personality patterns. These regions also show better health and psychological well-being today.”
Economic infrastructure played a critical role in these outcomes. The researchers found that modern economic prosperity mediated the relationship between Roman rule and present-day outcomes. Regions that benefitted from Roman infrastructure experienced sustained economic growth, which fostered psychological well-being and adaptive personality traits. This highlights how ancient economic advantages can create enduring cycles of development.
“Additional analyses suggest that Roman investments in economic institutions—such as trade infrastructure, including Roman roads, markets, and mines—played a pivotal role in creating this long-term effect,” Obschonka explained. “Collectively, these findings demonstrate how ancient cultures can leave a macro-psychological legacy that continues to contribute to present-day regional inequalities. The role of economic institutional investments in establishing a persistent comparative regional advantage appears to be critical for this cultural imprint.”
While the study sheds light on the long-term effects of Roman rule, it has limitations. The reliance on modern data means the study cannot fully trace the evolution of these effects across centuries. Future research could explore other mechanisms through which Roman rule influenced regional psychology, such as cultural transmission and social norms. Expanding the study to other regions influenced by the Roman Empire, like France or Italy, could provide a broader understanding of how ancient civilizations shape modern populations.
“We study long historical periods—spanning two millennia—which makes it challenging to account for every historical mechanism and event relevant to the emergence and persistence of regional macro-psychological differences,” Obschonka noted. “For example, we are unable to fully account for the complex migration patterns that have occurred throughout history.”
The long-term goal is “to test the link between ancient history and present-day psychology, as well as geographical and macro-psychological patterns,” he added. “Are today’s personalities and mindsets rooted in events and epochs from ancient history? Do today’s populations still think and behave in ways influenced by ancient historical legacies that persist and evolve across historical epochs?”
The study, “(https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cresp.2025.100214) Roma Eterna? Roman Rule Explains Regional Well-Being Divides in Germany,” was authored by Martin Obschonka, Fabian Wahl, Michael Fritsch Michael Wyrwich, P. Jason Rentfrow, Jeff Potter, and Samuel D. Gosling.

(https://www.psypost.org/the-psychology-of-alexithymia-what-it-is-who-it-affects-and-why/) The psychology of alexithymia: What it is, who it affects, and why
Jan 14th 2025, 18:00

(https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/alexithymia) Alexithymia is a term you may not have heard before. But it describes something many people experience: difficulties in identifying, distinguishing and expressing emotions. It affects how people (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2022.12.065) engage with their emotions at work, in relationships and even within themselves. It may also change how a person analyses their surroundings and how they interact with the world.
It’s not easy to tell if someone you know has alexithymia. Often, a person may not even realise they have it themself. It’s very much an internal phenomenon that a person experiences.
The term “alexithymia” was first described in research (https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1974-23257-001) in the 1970s and there is no clinical diagnosis. It is thought to affect roughly (https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Kateryna-Keefer/publication/23667755_Latent_Structure_of_the_Alexithymia_Construct_A_Taxometric_Investigation/links/00b4953ac15dd43c5e000000/Latent-Structure-of-the-Alexithymia-Construct-A-Taxometric-Investigation.pdf) 10% of the general population, though. The word itself is taken from Greek roots – “a” (not), “lexis” (words), and “thymia” (soul or emotions) – and translates, roughly, as “no words for emotions”.
Alexithymia is closely related to one’s sense of (https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/interoception) interoception, which is the ability to interpret and label one’s (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27253723/) internal states. People with reduced interoception, also referred to as “alexisomia”, can’t easily tell if they are hungry, thirsty, tired, aroused or (https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.150664) in pain.
It’s important to point out that alexithymia isn’t a one-size-fits-all experience. It differs from person to person. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30399531/) Autistic people, for instance, experience it at a higher rate – between 33% and 66% compared to the general population. It’s also (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0149763422003530) more common among people with (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32082200/) obsessive compulsive disorder, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression. Some people have always had alexithymia whereas others acquire it through trauma.
If a person isn’t able to identify what they are feeling, they may be more likely to suppress or ignore those bodily sensations, and less likely to mitigate any problems. In this way it is harder for them to regulate themselves emotionally and they may experience feeling overwhelmed (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2022.12.065) more often.
One characteristic of alexithymia is an externally oriented thinking style. This is where people focus on what’s happening around them rather than their own emotional processes for information. Someone with alexithymia may need to look back at an event to understand what they were feeling (https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/the-forgotten-women/202308/what-its-like-to-live-with-alexithymia) at that particular moment through contextual clues. They often adapt their actions to cope with this in future situations.
For autistic people in particular, alexithymia can make it challenging to interpret social cues such as (https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-021-05083-9) facial expressions. This may become overwhelming and lead a person to experience meltdowns.
People with alexithymia may also respond differently to events that typically provoke communal emotions, such as the (https://www.gumonmyshoe.com/2024/02/how-do-i-feel-now-living-with.html) death of a celebrity or a wedding announcement. Reactions that may seem out of place to others can lead to misunderstandings and frustration for those involved.
Emotional awareness
Alexithymia affects how a person experiences and interprets emotions, from noticing physical sensations in the body, to identifying them as specific feelings and deciding how to respond. Understanding at which point someone struggles in this process can help determine the kind of (https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-021424-030718) support they may need.
While (https://www.psypost.org/new-psychology-research-shows-maltreatment-in-childhood-is-linked-to-alexithymia-in-adulthood/) alexithymia can affect a person’s connection to their emotions, emotional awareness is a skill that (https://www.psypost.org/text-messaging-offers-unique-expressive-avenue-for-those-with-alexithymia/) can be developed in adulthood and (https://doi.org/10.3390/jintelligence9030042) improved over time. Practising naming emotions and physical sensations is one strategy that can help people with alexithymia better understand themselves. Another is learning to identify how these are represented in the body.
 
This article is republished from (https://theconversation.com) The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the (https://theconversation.com/alexithymia-why-some-people-find-it-so-hard-to-identify-emotions-and-how-this-affects-them-240480) original article.

(https://www.psypost.org/humility-reduces-anger-and-promotes-more-benign-interpretations-of-conflict/) Humility reduces anger and promotes more benign interpretations of conflict
Jan 14th 2025, 16:00

Research published in (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2024.112980) Personality and Individual Differences suggests that humility—both as a trait and as an experimentally induced state—was associated with lower levels of anger and reduced hostile attributions in ambiguous social situations.
Anger can be a destructive and difficult-to-regulate emotion, often linked to interpersonal and societal conflicts. Existing research suggests that humility—a psychological construct characterized by openness, accurate self-assessment, low self-focus, and appreciation of others—might serve as a protective factor against anger and aggression. Eddie Harmon-Jones and colleagues conducted this study to explore these associations further.
The research consisted of three studies designed to examine the relationship between humility and anger. Studies 1 (n = 166) and 2 (n = 112) employed a correlational approach to assess whether trait humility, as measured by various scales, was associated with reduced anger-related responses. In these studies, participants completed multiple questionnaires, including the Brief State Humility Scale, HEXACO Honesty-Humility subscale, and an intellectual humility scale.
To measure anger and aggression, researchers utilized the Aggression Questionnaire, which evaluates anger, verbal aggression, and hostility, and the Social Information Processing-Attribution Bias Questionnaire, which gauges participants’ attributions and emotional responses to ambiguous, potentially provocative scenarios. These scenarios allowed researchers to assess whether participants made hostile, benign, or instrumental attributions about others’ intentions.
Study 3 employed an experimental design to manipulate humility and measure its effects on anger-related responses. A total of 96 participants were randomly assigned to either a humility induction condition or a comparison condition. The humility condition involved a structured, 5-day program that included writing tasks, videos, and exercises designed to evoke humility. For example, participants reflected on moments of gratitude, acknowledged external contributions to their achievements, and wrote letters about times they acted altruistically.
In contrast, the comparison condition included tasks focusing on neutral or pride-inducing themes, such as reflecting on personal strengths and achievements. Measures of anger and humility were taken before and after the intervention, allowing researchers to test whether the manipulation effectively reduced anger-related responses. The study design ensured consistency across groups by controlling for task length and attentional engagement.
Studies 1 and 2 revealed that trait humility was strongly associated with lower levels of anger and aggression. Individuals who scored higher on humility measures reported less anger, reduced hostile attributions, and greater tendencies to make benign attributions when interpreting ambiguous, potentially antagonistic situations. Furthermore, humility was negatively associated with physical aggression, verbal aggression, and hostility as measured by the Aggression Questionnaire.
These effects persisted even after accounting for narcissism, a trait often considered the opposite of humility, suggesting that humility exerts unique and significant influence over anger regulation. The results also demonstrated that intellectually humble individuals were more open to understanding differing perspectives, which may help explain their reduced anger and hostility.
In Study 3, the experimental manipulation of humility demonstrated causal evidence that humility can reduce anger. Participants in the humility induction group reported significantly lower anger by the end of the five-day intervention, as measured by both self-reported emotional responses and the anger subscale of the Aggression Questionnaire.
However, while the humility manipulation reduced participants; emotional experiences of anger, it had less impact on their hostile attributions or behavioral aggression. These findings suggest that humility primarily influences the emotional aspects of anger rather than the cognitive or behavioral components. In comparison, participants in the control group, who completed tasks unrelated to humility, showed no meaningful change in their anger-related measures over the same period.
Overall, the results support the hypothesis that humility can serve as a protective factor against anger, with both trait humility and experimentally induced humility contributing to reduced emotional reactivity in anger-provoking situations.
While these studies demonstrated that humility reduced anger, it might not generalize to all aspects of anger-related behaviors or across diverse populations.
The research, “(https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2024.112980) Humility and anger,” was authored by  Eddie Harmon-Jones, Mikey Xu, Kinga Szymaniak, Thomas F. Denson, Brandon J. Schmeichel, and Cindy Harmon-Jones.

(https://www.psypost.org/non-deceptive-placebo-pills-reduce-stress-anxiety-and-depression-even-remotely-administered/) Non-deceptive placebo pills reduce stress, anxiety, and depression—even remotely administered
Jan 14th 2025, 14:00

A recent study provides evidence that non-deceptive placebos—placebos given with full disclosure—can effectively reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, even when administered remotely. The findings, published in Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being, demonstrate the potential of this simple, low-cost intervention to address significant mental health challenges, particularly during periods of prolonged stress such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
The COVID-19 pandemic caused a sharp rise in global stress, anxiety, and depression. In the United States alone, the rate of severe psychological distress more than tripled during the pandemic, highlighting the urgent need for scalable and accessible mental health interventions. Prolonged stress, if unmanaged, can lead to significant emotional and physical health issues. However, many traditional mental health resources, such as therapy or medication, are costly, time-intensive, and not universally accessible.
“I am generally interested in testing and understanding low-effort interventions. In this study, I was interested in exploring non-deceptive placebos because they offer a unique, ethical, and low-effort approach to managing stress and improving mental health,” said study author Darwin A. Guevarra, an assistant professor of psychology at Miami University and the director of the
(https://www.darwinguevarra.com/) Affective Science and Psychophysiology Lab.
“During the COVID-19 pandemic, many people experienced prolonged stress, anxiety, and depression, and there was a clear need for scalable, accessible interventions. The pandemic offered a unique opportunity to test whether non-deceptive placebos could be administered remotely as a mental health support tool for people struggling during this global crisis.”
The researchers conducted a two-week randomized controlled trial with participants aged 18 to 30 who were experiencing moderate stress related to the pandemic. To ensure safety, participants with severe mental health conditions or those taking psychotropic medications were excluded. Recruitment was conducted online, targeting Michigan residents to account for regional variations in COVID-19 cases and restrictions.
Participants were randomly assigned to either a non-deceptive placebo group or a no-treatment control group. Those in the placebo group received placebo pills in the mail and participated in four virtual Zoom sessions. During these sessions, researchers explained the placebo effect, including how placebos can work even when individuals are aware they are taking inactive substances. Participants in this group were instructed to take one pill in the morning and another in the evening for the study’s duration. In contrast, the control group received no pills or additional intervention beyond completing periodic surveys.
The primary outcomes measured were levels of COVID-related stress, general stress, anxiety, and depression, assessed through validated self-report surveys at baseline, one week, and two weeks. Secondary outcomes included participants’ adherence to taking the placebo pills and their perceptions of the intervention’s feasibility, acceptability, and appropriateness.
The researchers found that participants in the non-deceptive placebo group experienced reductions in stress, anxiety, and depression over the two weeks, while those in the control group showed little or no improvement. By the end of the study, the placebo group’s reported stress and emotional distress had dropped to levels comparable to those achieved by more intensive mental health interventions, such as online cognitive behavioral therapy.
“The key takeaway is that non-deceptive placebos—placebos that participants know contain no active ingredients—can still significantly reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, even when administered remotely,” Guevarra said. “This suggests that simple, low-cost interventions, grounded in honest communication can effectively support mental health during prolonged periods of stress.”
The findings also highlighted the practicality of the intervention. Adherence to the placebo regimen was high, with participants taking their pills as instructed 92.5% of the time. Additionally, participants found the intervention easy to use, non-burdensome, and appropriate for the context of managing pandemic-related stress. These qualities make non-deceptive placebos particularly appealing as a mental health resource for individuals with limited access to traditional care or those who may struggle to engage with more demanding interventions.
“I was pleasantly surprised by how well participants adhered to the placebo regimen and how positively they perceived the intervention’s feasibility and acceptability,” Guevarra told PsyPost. “Despite knowing they were taking inert pills, participants still experienced meaningful psychological benefits, highlighting the power of belief and expectation in emotional well-being.”
While the findings are promising, the study has some limitations to consider. First, the sample size was relatively small, and most participants were young, white, and female. This lack of diversity may limit the generalizability of the results to broader populations.
“Larger and more diverse studies are necessary to confirm and extend these findings,” Guevarra noted.
The ability to administer non-deceptive placebos remotely has far-reaching implications for mental health care. This approach offers a scalable, low-cost solution that could benefit individuals who lack access to traditional mental health services due to financial, geographic, or logistical barriers. Moreover, the minimal effort required to participate makes this intervention particularly suitable for people experiencing low motivation or impaired self-regulation due to prolonged stress.
“This research highlights the importance of exploring unconventional yet ethical methods to support mental health, especially when traditional interventions may not be accessible,” Guevarra explained. “Non-deceptive placebos challenge the notion that treatments must involve active ingredients to be effective and open the door to innovative approaches in psychological care.”
Future research should explore the mechanisms underlying the effectiveness of non-deceptive placebos. While the placebo effect has traditionally been linked to expectations of benefit, this study found no significant correlation between participants’ expectations and their outcomes. This suggests that other factors, such as prior conditioning or implicit beliefs, may play a role. Understanding these mechanisms could help optimize the design and delivery of non-deceptive placebo interventions.
“My long-term goal is to explore how non-deceptive placebos can be integrated into broader mental health care strategies, particularly as scalable, low-cost interventions for managing stress and emotional distress,” Guevarra said. “I aim to investigate their effectiveness across diverse populations and various types of prolonged stress and to understand the psychological mechanisms that make them effective.”
The study, “(https://doi.org/10.1111/aphw.12583) Remotely administered non-deceptive placebos reduce COVID-related stress, anxiety, and depression,” was authored by Darwin A. Guevarra, Christopher T. Webster, Jade N. Moros, Ethan Kross, and Jason S. Moser.

(https://www.psypost.org/misinformation-thrives-on-outrage-study-finds/) Misinformation thrives on outrage, study finds
Jan 14th 2025, 12:00

Misinformation travels far and fast online, and according to new research published in (https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adl2829) Science, outrage is the fuel behind its spread. By examining millions of social media interactions, researchers found that misinformation sources consistently provoke more outrage than credible news, making it more likely to be shared. Alarmingly, this emotional response encourages users to share misinformation impulsively, often without verifying its content.
“Understanding the psychology of misinformation consumption is crucial, as platforms continue to grapple with limiting its spread (and it might be even more important now that platforms such as Meta are giving up on professional fact checkers),” said study author (https://williamjbrady.com/) William J. Brady, an assistant professor at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.
“Much of the existing research assumes that people prioritize sharing accurate information—what we term ‘epistemic motivations’ for sharing. However, social media behavior is also driven by non-epistemic motivations, such as the desire to share information just because it aligns with your group’s beliefs ((https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1745691620917336) see here for example some of our prior work).”
“Expressions of moral outrage, in particular, are frequently tied to such behaviors. Building on this reasoning, we hypothesized that misinformation exploits our inclination to share moral outrage online. While previous studies have examined the role of emotion in misinformation consumption, we theorized that moral outrage plays a particularly critical role in shaping this psychology.”
The researchers analyzed data from Facebook and Twitter, two of the most widely used social media platforms. On Facebook, the dataset included over one million shared links from the URL Shares dataset. This dataset provides aggregated metrics on public interactions with links shared on the platform, including the number of reactions, such as “Anger,” “Love,” and “Wow.” Outrage was operationalized by counting the number of “Anger” reactions a link received, as this reaction closely aligns with moral outrage, a mix of anger and disgust.
On Twitter, the researchers examined over 44,000 tweets, focusing on original posts that linked to either misinformation or trustworthy sources. They also collected over 24,000 responses to these tweets, such as replies and quote tweets. To measure outrage in these responses, the team used a machine-learning-based classifier called the Digital Outrage Classifier. This algorithm was specifically trained to detect expressions of moral outrage in political tweets, offering a robust and scalable way to quantify outrage on the platform.
Both platforms’ data spanned multiple years (2017 and 2020–2021), allowing the researchers to assess the consistency of their findings over time. To ensure reliability, they classified links as “misinformation” or “trustworthy” based on the quality of their source, as determined by professional organizations and fact-checking databases.
The researchers found that misinformation sources tended to provoke stronger feelings of outrage than trustworthy news sources. On Facebook, links from misinformation sources received significantly more “Anger” reactions compared to links from credible sources. Similarly, on Twitter, tweets containing misinformation links elicited a higher proportion of responses expressing moral outrage.
On Facebook, links that received more “Anger” reactions were also shared more frequently, and this relationship was stronger for misinformation than for trustworthy content. Similarly, on Twitter, tweets with outrage-filled responses were more likely to be reshared, further amplifying their reach. In addition, links on Facebook that evoked more outrage were more likely to be shared without being read first, particularly when the links came from misinformation sources.
“The key findings revealed that misinformation tends to elicit more outrage than trustworthy news, which in turn increases its likelihood of being shared. Additionally, when individuals feel outraged, their sharing decisions are more likely to be driven by non-epistemic motivations—such as sharing information simply because it aligns with their group’s beliefs. For example, we find that outrageous misinformation is more likely to be shared even before people have read the actual news article.”
In addition to observational analyses, the researchers conducted two controlled experiments to establish causal relationships. A total of 1,475 participants were recruited for these studies. Participants were shown news headlines in a simulated social media environment and were asked to evaluate these headlines on various criteria.
In the first experiment, participants were shown 20 headlines, half of which were from trustworthy sources and half from misinformation sources. The headlines were further divided based on their outrage-evoking potential (high or low). Participants rated how likely they were to share each headline on a four-point scale, ranging from “not at all likely” to “very likely.” This design allowed researchers to test whether outrage influenced sharing behavior differently for misinformation and trustworthy news.
Headlines evoking high levels of outrage were significantly more likely to be shared than those with low outrage potential. Interestingly, the researchers found no significant difference in the likelihood of sharing between misinformation and trustworthy headlines. This suggests that outrage influences sharing behavior uniformly, regardless of whether the content is true or false.
The second experiment followed a similar design but focused on accuracy discernment. Participants evaluated the perceived accuracy of the same set of headlines, using a four-point scale from “not at all accurate” to “very accurate.” This experiment aimed to determine whether outrage affected participants’ ability to distinguish true from false headlines, providing insights into the epistemic motives for sharing.
Participants were generally able to discern trustworthy headlines from misinformation, rating the former as more accurate overall. However, the level of outrage evoked by a headline did not significantly affect participants’ accuracy judgments. High-outrage headlines were neither more nor less likely to be judged accurately compared to low-outrage headlines. This finding suggests that while outrage drives sharing intentions, it does not directly impair or enhance participants’ ability to evaluate the accuracy of information.
“An important implication of our findings is that that policy interventions focused on getting users to pay more attention to ‘facts’ might not be effective for the most outrageous misinformation,” Brady told PsyPost. “However, further research is needed to identify the most effective interventions for curbing the consumption of outrage-inducing misinformation. At a minimum, our findings underscore the importance of focusing on misinformation that is most likely to evoke outrage, as this type of content is more prone to spreading widely and potentially having significant impact.”
The study, “(https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adl2829) Misinformation exploits outrage to spread online,” was authored by Killian L. McLoughlin, William J. Brady, Aden Goolsbee, Ben Kaiser, Kate Klonick, and M. J. Crockett.

(https://www.psypost.org/religious-attendance-linked-to-slower-cognitive-decline-in-hispanic-older-adults/) Religious attendance linked to slower cognitive decline in Hispanic older adults
Jan 14th 2025, 10:00

Recent research has found that Hispanic older adults who frequently attended religious services tended to experience a slower rate of cognitive decline. Interestingly, Hispanic older adults with higher levels of cognitive functioning were more likely to attend religious services with friends. However, the opposite was observed among White adults. The study was published in (https://doi.org/10.1177/01640275241269949) Research on Aging.
In childhood, an individual’s cognitive abilities develop rapidly, generally peaking by the early or mid-twenties. This is followed by a period of stability and, later, a gradual decline as the person ages. The rate of cognitive decline in old age varies significantly between individuals. While some experience a relatively rapid decline in their cognitive abilities as early as their 40s or 50s, others maintain good cognitive functioning well into very advanced age.
One important protective factor against cognitive decline is cognitive reserve. Cognitive reserve refers to the brain’s ability to compensate for damage or age-related changes by utilizing pre-existing neural networks or adapting through alternative pathways. This concept helps explain why some individuals maintain cognitive function despite having levels of brain pathology similar to those who exhibit significant cognitive decline. Factors such as higher education, engaging in mentally stimulating activities, and maintaining an active social life are believed to build cognitive reserve over a lifetime.
Study author Madison R. Sauerteig-Rolston and her colleagues sought to explore whether religious involvement might play a role in maintaining cognitive functioning in old age. They noted that a growing body of literature has examined this relationship but that it remains unclear which aspects of religious practice are beneficial for the cognitive health of older adults. They also emphasized that, due to cultural differences, the relationship between religious practice and cognitive health might differ across racial groups in the United States.
The researchers analyzed data from the Health and Retirement Study, a multistage probability survey of adults aged 50 years and older, which oversampled Black, Hispanic, and Florida residents. Their analysis included data collected between 2006 and 2020.
In total, the study used data from 14,173 individuals. Of these, 11,053 were White, 1,870 were Black, and 1,250 were Hispanic. The average age was around 65 years for the White participants, while the other two racial groups were, on average, two years younger. Among the participants, 70% of White and Hispanic individuals and 48% of Black individuals were married. On average, Black and Hispanic participants had somewhat lower initial levels of cognitive functioning compared to White participants.
In terms of religious practices, participants with better cognitive functioning were more likely to have friends in their congregation. Among Hispanic participants, those with better initial cognitive functioning were more likely to attend religious services, and they also experienced slower cognitive decline. In contrast, White participants who frequently attended religious services tended to have somewhat worse cognitive functioning, and there was no association with the rate of cognitive decline. For Black participants, there was no observed relationship between cognitive functioning and religious practices.
“The relationship between religious involvement and cognitive function varied both by facet of religious involvement and by race and ethnic status. Religious attendance was associated with slower cognitive decline among Hispanic adults only, a finding that raises additional questions regarding the value of regular participation among those who choose to connect with a faith community,” the study authors concluded.
The study contributes to the scientific understanding of the relationship between religious practices and cognitive functioning in old age. However, it remains unclear why these associations differed among the examined racial groups. Additionally, the number of Hispanic and Black participants was significantly lower than the number of White participants.
It is also important to note that the study’s design does not allow for causal inferences to be drawn from the results. While it is possible that religious activities have a protective effect against cognitive decline, it is equally plausible that individuals experiencing more advanced cognitive decline are less able to participate in religious activities.
The paper, “(https://doi.org/10.1177/01640275241269949) Religious Involvement and Cognitive Function Among White, Black, and Hispanic Older Adults,” was authored by Madison R. Sauerteig-Rolston, Lisa L. Barnes, Patricia A. Thomas, Jacqueline L. Angel, and Kenneth F. Ferraro.

Forwarded by:
Michael Reeder LCPC
Baltimore, MD

This information is taken from free public RSS feeds published by each organization for the purpose of public distribution. Readers are linked back to the article content on each organization's website. This email is an unaffiliated unofficial redistribution of this freely provided content from the publishers. 

 

(#) unsubscribe from this feed
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.clinicians-exchange.org/pipermail/article-digests-clinicians-exchange.org/attachments/20250115/79c0e501/attachment.htm>