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<td><span style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:20px;font-weight:bold;">PsyPost – Psychology News Daily Digest (Unofficial)</span></td>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/how-eye-features-shape-our-perceptions-and-actions-towards-others-without-us-even-knowing/" style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing:-1px;margin:0;padding:0 0 2px;font-weight: bold;font-size: 19px;line-height: 20px;color:#222;">How eye features shape our perceptions and actions towards others—without us even knowing</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Jan 8th 2025, 08:00</div>
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<p><p>New research published in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/02699931.2024.2427340"><em>Cognition and Emotion</em></a> provides evidence that subtle changes in eye appearance can shape how people perceive others and influence their generosity. Across two experimental studies, researchers found that portraits of non-human primates with larger pupils elicited more positive impressions and greater charitable donations. Additionally, these effects were amplified when the primates had brighter irises, enhancing the visibility of pupil size.</p>
<p>The eyes have long been recognized as a critical aspect of social interaction, influencing how we perceive and relate to others. Previous studies have shown that pupil size can signal emotions, interest, and trustworthiness. Larger pupils are often associated with positive traits such as friendliness and attractiveness, while smaller pupils may indicate disinterest or sadness. However, the role of iris brightness in enhancing these effects has remained largely unexplored.</p>
<p>“A lot of us understand that eyes are extremely important for communication, at least intuitively, and I’m no different,” explained study author Juan Olvido Perea-García, who conducted the research while affiliated with the CoPAN lab at Leiden University and the Center for Language Evolution Studies at Michael Copernicus University.</p>
<p>“I started studying more obvious communicative functions over ten years ago. At first, my research focused on gaze-following and how the contrast between the iris and the ‘whites’ of the eye allows us to discern the direction that someone is looking easily. Slowly, I expanded this research to look at how other parts of the eye may transmit information to onlookers. I am fascinated by eyes, communication, and evolution, so I guess it is a natural topic to look into.”</p>
<p>The study was carried out in two parts, with participants recruited from Leiden University. In the first study, 64 students viewed digitally altered photographs of 32 non-human primate species. These primates were carefully selected to represent the full diversity of the primate evolutionary tree, ensuring that the findings would apply broadly across the primate lineage. This approach also avoided an overreliance on particularly “cute” species, allowing the researchers to evaluate the effects of their manipulations on both familiar and less well-known primates.</p>
<p>Each portrait was manipulated to display either constricted or dilated pupils while keeping iris brightness constant. Participants were asked to rate the primates on cuteness, friendliness, and attractiveness and to decide how much money they would donate to conservation efforts for each primate, with amounts ranging from zero to twenty euros.</p>
<p>In the second study, 121 participants viewed similar photographs, but this time both iris brightness and pupil size were manipulated. The irises were digitally adjusted to appear either brighter or darker, and the same questions about ratings and donations were posed. This design allowed the researchers to explore how the combination of iris brightness and pupil size influenced participants’ responses.</p>
<p>To ensure methodological rigor, participants were tested individually via an online platform, with clear instructions to avoid distractions. The researchers also employed manipulation checks to exclude participants who detected the image alterations.</p>
<p>The results confirmed that larger pupils were consistently associated with more positive ratings of cuteness, friendliness, and attractiveness. In the first study, participants also donated more money to primates with dilated pupils, although the effect size was modest. Notably, the impact of pupil size varied across species, with greater effects observed for primates whose irises naturally make their pupils more conspicuous.</p>
<p>“The findings were surprising to me,” Perea-García told PsyPost. “I am very skeptical of previous studies that also found substantial effects of pupil size on trait attribution and impression formation, but these results checked my skepticism and are forcing me to be more open about this topic. It was also utterly unsurprising to see that almost all our participants invariably chose the bald uakari as the least ‘attractive’ of the species we showed.”</p>
<p>The second study provided further insights. Participants rated primates with brighter irises as cuter, friendlier, and more attractive, but only when the pupils were dilated. When the pupils were constricted, brighter irises led to less favorable ratings. Donations were highest for primates with bright irises and dilated pupils, suggesting that the combination of these traits enhances the perception of approachability and positive emotional states.</p>
<p>The findings highlight “how affected we are by seemingly insignificant features that we do not consciously perceive,” Perea-García said. “Here, we explored this in a context of donation to endangered primates, but we are prone to acting on appearances more than we are aware of. We should remain skeptical of first impressions and try to hold judgments as much as we can because, as hard as this may be to accept, we are irrational agents and we act on appearances more than we may be willing to inspect and admit.”</p>
<p>But as with all research, there are caveats to consider. The artificial manipulation of images, though carefully executed, may not fully replicate natural variations in eye appearance. Future research could explore these effects using live interactions or more dynamic stimuli, such as videos.</p>
<p>“The most important issue here is that we manipulated the appearance of pupils and irises in primate portraits beyond what may naturally occur (what is known as ‘hyper stimulus’),” Perea-García noted. “This is common in many studies and does not critically undermine their results, but it is important to bear in mind.”</p>
<p>Additionally, the study focused exclusively on non-human primates, which, while advantageous for reducing pre-existing biases, may not fully capture how people respond to human eyes. Investigating how these findings translate to human social interactions could provide a deeper understanding of the mechanisms at play.</p>
<p>“While the beginnings of my academic studies on eye color are around the theme of communication, I slowly realized a lot of the variation we see responds, rather, to the environmental lighting in which each primate species lives,” Perea-García said. “Primates live from up north (like Japanese macaques) to close to the equator (like black-crested macaques), and light in each of these environments is very different. Some parts of the eye of primates appear darker where it is sunnier, very much like skin in humans.”</p>
<p>“Ultimately, I would like to reconcile the multiple functions of eyes—communicative and visual. How the pressure to have organs optimized for vision is in tension with the pressure to inform members of the same species, and how these two pressures influence each other over evolutionary time.”</p>
<p>“Just for fun, I encourage readers to check out the <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02699931.2024.2427340#supplemental-material-section">supplementary files</a> in the article,” Perea-García added. “These show rankings of individual species in our study on different dimensions. Look up each species and see if your rating would match the rating of our participants! For example, which is the cutest species we included? I bet it is either an ape or a callitrichid!”</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/02699931.2024.2427340" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pupil size and iris brightness interact to affect prosocial behaviour and affective responses</a>,” was authored by Juan Olvido Perea-García, Daisy Berris, Jingzhi Tan, and Mariska E. Kret.</p></p>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/scientists-uncover-previously-unknown-target-of-alcohol-in-the-brain-the-tmem132b-gabaa-receptor-complex/" style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing:-1px;margin:0;padding:0 0 2px;font-weight: bold;font-size: 19px;line-height: 20px;color:#222;">Scientists uncover previously unknown target of alcohol in the brain: the TMEM132B-GABAA receptor complex</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Jan 8th 2025, 06:00</div>
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<p><p>What happens in the brain when we drink alcohol? Scientists have taken a significant step toward answering this question by identifying a protein called TMEM132B as a key regulator of alcohol’s effects. This protein not only amplifies alcohol’s action on GABA<sub>A</sub> receptors—key players in neural inhibition—but also influences behaviors like anxiety reduction and alcohol consumption. The findings have been published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(24)01024-9"><em>Cell</em></a>.</p>
<p>Alcohol is one of the most widely consumed and abused psychoactive substances globally, contributing to approximately 3 million deaths annually and a substantial burden on public health and society. Beyond the immediate risks associated with excessive consumption, alcohol use disorders are highly prevalent, causing chronic health issues and social consequences.</p>
<p>Despite its widespread use, the precise ways in which alcohol alters brain function at the molecular level remain poorly understood. Previous studies have shown that alcohol influences GABA<sub>A </sub>receptors—a type of receptor in the brain that plays a critical role in the central nervous system by mediating the effects of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain. However, the complexity of these receptors has made it challenging to pinpoint how alcohol’s actions translate into its behavioral and physiological effects.</p>
<p>To address this, researchers at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke focused on auxiliary proteins—molecules that interact with GABA<sub>A </sub>receptors to modify their function and distribution. These proteins could provide broader insights into alcohol’s effects than traditional genetic studies targeting individual receptor subunits.</p>
<p>“Alcohol is the most consumed and abused psychoactive drug globally, but the molecular mechanisms underlying its action in the brain and leading to alcohol use disorders remain largely unknown. We wish to make some contributions here,” said study author <a href="https://sites.google.com/site/lulaboratorynih/home">Wei Lu</a>, a senior investigator at <a href="https://research.ninds.nih.gov/lu-lab">the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke</a>.</p>
<p>The researchers conducted a series of experiments involving human brain tissues, animal models, and cellular assays. They began by analyzing postmortem brain samples from individuals with alcohol use disorder to identify molecular changes associated with chronic alcohol exposure. Using mass spectrometry, they compared protein levels in the hippocampus—a brain region involved in learning, memory, and emotion regulation—between individuals with and without alcohol use disorder. This analysis revealed a reduction in the levels of TMEM132B, a transmembrane protein with a previously unknown function, in the brains of individuals with alcohol use disorder.</p>
<p>The researchers then used animal models to explore the role of TMEM132B. They generated genetically modified mice that either completely lacked the TMEM132B gene (knockout mice) or carried a mutation that specifically disrupted TMEM132B’s interaction with GABA<sub>A </sub>receptors (knock-in mice). These models were used to examine how the absence or alteration of TMEM132B affected brain activity, receptor function, and alcohol-related behaviors.</p>
<p>In normal mice, TMEM132B was found to interact with GABA<sub>A </sub>receptors, increasing their abundance on the surface of neurons and slowing their deactivation. These changes make neurons more sensitive to inhibitory signals, which help to regulate and calm neural activity. When alcohol was introduced, it acted as a positive modulator of GABA<sub>A </sub>receptors, enhancing their inhibitory effects. TMEM132B amplified this modulation, making the neurons even more responsive to alcohol.</p>
<p>However, in mice genetically engineered to lack TMEM132B, this enhancement was diminished. Electrophysiological measurements from hippocampal neurons showed that alcohol-induced potentiation of GABA<sub>A </sub>receptor activity was significantly reduced in these mice.</p>
<p>Behaviorally, the absence of TMEM132B profoundly affected how mice responded to alcohol. When normal mice were given alcohol, they displayed reduced anxiety, as measured by their willingness to explore open spaces in an elevated plus maze. They also experienced sedation, demonstrated by their loss of the righting reflex (a measure of sedation). In contrast, mice lacking TMEM132B showed markedly reduced responses to alcohol in these tests. They did not exhibit the same levels of anxiety reduction, and their sedative response was weaker, with fewer mice losing their righting reflex after alcohol administration.</p>
<p>These findings suggest that TMEM132B is essential for alcohol’s calming and sedative effects. Without this protein, alcohol’s ability to enhance GABA<sub>A </sub>receptor function is diminished, leading to weaker behavioral responses.</p>
<p>Interestingly, despite experiencing diminished behavioral effects from alcohol, TMEM132B knockout mice consumed more alcohol compared to normal mice. In two-bottle choice experiments, where mice could choose between water and alcohol at varying concentrations, knockout mice consistently drank more alcohol. This tendency was even more pronounced in binge-like drinking tests, where the mice consumed large quantities of alcohol in short periods.</p>
<p>This increased consumption appears to reflect a compensatory mechanism. Because TMEM132B knockout mice experienced reduced calming and sedative effects from alcohol, they seemed to consume more in an attempt to achieve the same effects. This pattern mirrors certain aspects of alcohol use disorders in humans, where tolerance to alcohol’s effects can lead to increased consumption.</p>
<p>The compulsive nature of alcohol consumption in TMEM132B knockout mice was further demonstrated in tests that introduced an aversive component. In these tests, a bitter substance (quinine) was added to the alcohol to discourage drinking. While normal mice reduced their alcohol intake when quinine was present, the knockout mice continued to drink large amounts despite the bitter taste. This behavior indicates a loss of control over alcohol consumption, a hallmark of compulsive drinking.</p>
<p>The knock-in mice exhibited deficits similar to those seen in the knockout mice: reduced potentiation of GABA<sub>A </sub>receptor activity by alcohol, diminished behavioral responses to alcohol, and increased alcohol consumption. This finding underscores that TMEM132B’s role in alcohol’s effects is directly tied to its interaction with GABA<sub>A </sub>receptors.</p>
<p>The researchers also explored the specific molecular interactions between TMEM132B and GABA<sub>A </sub>receptor subtypes. TMEM132B was shown to interact with a broad range of GABA<sub>A </sub>receptor subunits, including those found in both synaptic and extrasynaptic locations. This broad interaction likely explains why its absence has such a pronounced effect on alcohol-related behaviors. TMEM132B’s influence on receptor dynamics is not limited to a specific subtype, making it a key regulator of alcohol’s effects on inhibitory signaling throughout the brain.</p>
<p>“The key take-home message is that we have identified the key target of alcohol in the brain: the TMEM132B-GABA<sub>A </sub>receptor complex,” Lu told PsyPost. “Genetic disruption of this complex increases alcohol consumption and reduces anxiolytic and hypnotic effects of alcohol in the brain in mice. Thus, approaches that can strengthen the interaction between TMEM132B and GABA<sub>A </sub>receptors might be useful in developing therapeutics to treat alcohol use disorders.”</p>
<p>This discovery is significant because it bridges findings from both human brain tissue and animal models, allowing for a translational approach to understanding alcohol’s effects. The inclusion of human tissue highlights that chronic alcohol consumption reduces TMEM132B expression in both humans and mice, suggesting a shared mechanism across species.</p>
<p>“Although human and mice have differences in brain structure and receptor dynamics, we found that chronic alcohol consumption led to reduced expression of TMEM132B in both human and mouse brain tissues, indicating a common mechanism operated in both human and mice in response to chronic alcohol drinking,” Lu explained.</p>
<p>“Thus, TMEM132B-dependent mechanisms we have characterized in mice likely also function in human brain. Based on our findings, approaches to maintain the expression of TMEM132B in the brain or strengthen the interaction between TMEM132B and GABA<sub>A</sub> receptors might be an effective strategy for development of treatment for alcohol use disorders.”</p>
<p>However, there is still much to learn about the the TMEM132B-GABA<sub>A </sub>receptor complex. The researchers are interested in pursuing three different lines of research, starting with the molecular basis of the TMEM132B-GABA<sub>A </sub>receptor interaction. “We plan to map amino acid domains in GABA<sub>A </sub>receptor subunits that mediate the binding to TMEM132B,” Lu said. “These molecular details will enable us to design sophisticated knockin mouse lines to genetically manipulate the TMEM132B-GABA<sub>A </sub>receptor interaction in vivo, so that the roles of GABA<sub>A </sub>receptor subunit-specific interaction with TMEM132B in psychoactive effects of alcohol in vivo can be determined.”</p>
<p>“The second question we are interested is to determine the mechanisms underlying the involvement of TMEM132B in alcoholism,” Lu said. “As discussed above, we have already found that TMEM132B expression is significantly reduced in postmortem human alcoholic brains. However, it remains unknown whether the reduced expression of TMEM132B contributes to development of alcoholism. We wish to investigate how TMEM132B expression is reduced in the human alcoholic brain and whether/how reduced expression of TMEM132B contributes to development of alcoholism in mouse models.</p>
<p>“The third one is to identify which population(s) of neurons in the brain are critical for the effects of TMEM132B in the regulation of alcohol-related behaviors.”</p>
<p>“These studies will deepen our understanding of the role of TMEM132B in both acute and long-term effects of alcohol in the brain and will uncover the region-specific role of TMEM132B in modulating alcohol action in the brain,” Lu explained. “Our long-term goal is to develop pharmacotherapies for alcohol use disorders.”</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2024.09.006" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The TMEM132B-GABAA receptor complex controls alcohol actions in the brain</a>,” was authored by Guohao Wang, Shixiao Peng, Miriam Reyes Mendez, Angelo Keramidas, David Castellano, Kunwei Wu, Wenyan Han, Qingjun Tian, Lijin Dong, Yan Li, and Wei Lu.</p></p>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/americans-agree-on-key-issues-despite-partisan-narratives/" style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing:-1px;margin:0;padding:0 0 2px;font-weight: bold;font-size: 19px;line-height: 20px;color:#222;">Americans agree on key issues despite partisan narratives</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Jan 7th 2025, 18:00</div>
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<p><p>The United States presents a paradox: Though the media and public opinion suggest it is a nation deeply divided along partisan lines, surveys reveal that Americans share significant common ground on many core values and political issues.</p>
<p>As a <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=cHLvEG0AAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao">political philosopher</a>, I am deeply concerned about the perceived contrast between the public’s shared political concerns and the high level of polarization that is dividing the electorate.</p>
<h2>Sharing common ground on key issues</h2>
<p>Despite the prevailing narrative of polarization, <a href="https://theconversation.com/surprise-american-voters-actually-largely-agree-on-many-issues-including-topics-like-abortion-immigration-and-wealth-inequality-229458">Americans frequently agree on essential issues</a>.</p>
<p>For instance, there is widespread support for high-quality <a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/468401/majority-say-gov-ensure-healthcare.aspx">health care that is accessible to all</a> and for <a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/513623/majority-continues-favor-stricter-gun-laws.aspx">stronger gun-control regulations</a>. Remarkably, many Americans advocate for both the right to bear arms and <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/07/24/key-facts-about-americans-and-guns/">additional restrictions on firearms</a>.</p>
<p>There is strong <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ap-poll-democracy-rights-freedoms-election-b1047da72551e13554a3959487e5181a">support for fundamental democratic principles</a>, including equal protection under the law, voting rights, religious freedoms, freedom of assembly and speech, and a free press.</p>
<p>On critical issues such as climate change, a majority of citizens acknowledge the reality of <a href="https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/visualizations-data/ycom-us/">human-caused climate change</a> and <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/science/2023/06/28/majorities-of-americans-prioritize-renewable-energy-back-steps-to-address-climate-change/">endorse the development of renewable energy</a>. Similarly, support for <a href="https://navigatorresearch.org/majorities-of-americans-believe-reproductive-care-should-be-easier-to-access/">women’s reproductive rights</a>, including the <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2024/05/13/broad-public-support-for-legal-abortion-persists-2-years-after-dobbs/">right to an abortion</a>, is widespread.</p>
<p>Though Republicans tend to be more concerned about the economy when they vote, both Republicans and Democrats rank it highly as a top <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2024/09/09/issues-and-the-2024-election/">political priority</a>. Despite a currently strong economy by many standards, however, supporters of both parties believe the economy is performing poorly.</p>
<p>This fact is likely the result of a combination of <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/538/vibes-americans-perception-economy-completely-changed/story?id=111211869">pandemic-related factors</a>, from reduced spending and increased saving during the height of the pandemic to lingering inflation, partly triggered by the pandemic. Whatever the reason for this <a href="https://theconversation.com/trump-voters-said-they-were-angry-about-the-economy-many-of-them-had-a-point-239039">shared pessimism over the economy</a>, it clearly helped Donald Trump win the 2024 election.</p>
<p>Overall, Americans have a positive view of immigration. That sentiment <a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/647123/sharply-americans-curb-immigration.aspx">has declined in recent years</a>, however, as most Americans now want to see rates of immigration reduced – Republicans more so than Democrats.</p>
<p>Part of the tension in the nation’s thinking about immigration is likely the result of a political culture that favors sensational stories and disinformation over more sober consideration of related issues and challenges. For instance, much of this election’s discourse over immigration was marred by <a href="https://theconversation.com/no-immigrants-arent-eating-dogs-and-cats-but-trumps-claim-is-part-of-an-ugly-history-of-myths-about-immigrant-foodways-239343">fictional and bigoted accounts of immigrants eating pets</a> and <a href="https://www.npr.org/2024/03/08/1237103158/immigrants-are-less-likely-to-commit-crimes-than-us-born-americans-studies-find">inaccurate portrayals of most immigrants as criminals</a>. It should be evident that even shared political perceptions aren’t always based on good evidence or reasons.</p>
<p>Despite the existence of so much common ground, <a href="https://theconversation.com/political-polarization-is-about-feelings-not-facts-120397">Americans see the nation as polarized</a>. Shared values and concerns matter little if constant exposure to disinformation makes it nearly impossible for half the population to sort fact from fiction.</p>
<h2>The effect of perception</h2>
<p>The perception of division itself can fuel distrust where common ground might otherwise be found among citizens.</p>
<p>Even with substantial consensus on many issues, the perception of polarization often drives public discourse. This <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/08/09/what-the-data-says-about-americans-views-of-climate-change/">misalignment can be exacerbated</a> by partisans with something to gain.</p>
<p>Research shows that when people are told that experts are divided on an issue, such as climate change, it can lead to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0175799">increased polarization</a>. Conversely, <a href="https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/publications/scientific-agreement-can-neutralize-politicization-facts/">emphasizing the fact of scientific consensus</a> tends to unify public concern and action.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/650828/americans-agree-nation-divided-key-values.aspx">perception among U.S. voters that they disagree more than they agree</a> can precede and perpetuate discord. Differing political camps begin to perceive each other as foes rather than fellow citizens.</p>
<p>This continued perception that Americans are more divided on issues than we actually are poses an enormous threat to democracy. The biggest threat is that people begin to see even neighbors and family members who vote differently as enemies. <a href="https://fox17.com/news/local/2024-nov-15-survey-shows-americans-consider-cancelling-thanksgiving-plans-over-politics-election-donald-trump-kamala-harris">Stress about holiday interactions with relatives</a> who voted differently is reportedly leading some people to cancel family gatherings rather than spend time together.</p>
<p>Yet, Americans are still potential allies in a larger fight to realize similar political aspirations. If people are too busy attacking each other, they will miss opportunities to unite in defense of shared goals when threats emerge. In fact, they will fail to recognize the real threats to their shared values while busily stoking <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/articles/how-partisan-polarization-drives-the-spread-of-fake-news/">divisions that make them increasingly vulnerable to disinformation</a>.</p>
<h2>Bridging the gap</h2>
<p>Recognizing the public’s shared values is an important step in healing political divides. Philosopher Robert B. Talisse has argued that one way to get started might be refocusing attention on <a href="https://erraticus.co/2020/02/19/suspending-politics-save-democracy-private-lives-political/">community projects that are nonpolitical</a> but bring together people who don’t normally think of each other as political allies.</p>
<p>This might include, for example, participating in civic or sports clubs, or volunteering to help with local community events. These actions are not overtly politically charged. Rather, they are collaborative in a way that supports community identity rather than partisan identity. It is an exercise in rebuilding civic trust and recognizing each other as fellow citizens, and perhaps even <a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/overdoing-democracy-9780190924195?cc=us&lang=en&">friends, without the tension of partisan politics</a>. Once this trust in each other’s civic identity is healed, it can open a door for meaningful political discussion and understanding of each other’s shared concerns.</p>
<p>If we Americans don’t find ways to recognize our shared values, and even our shared humanity, we won’t be able to defend those values when they are challenged.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img decoding="async" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/242555/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1"><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p>
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<p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/americans-agree-more-than-they-might-think-not-knowing-this-jeopardizes-the-nations-shared-values-242555">original article</a>.</em></p></p>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/sexual-humor-boosts-intimacy-and-uniquely-enhances-sexual-satisfaction-study-suggests/" style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing:-1px;margin:0;padding:0 0 2px;font-weight: bold;font-size: 19px;line-height: 20px;color:#222;">Sexual humor boosts intimacy and uniquely enhances sexual satisfaction, study suggests</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Jan 7th 2025, 16:00</div>
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<p><p>Sexual humor appears to positively influence sexual satisfaction in romantic relationships, as reported in <a href="https://doi.org/10.3138/cjhs-2024-0024"><em>The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality</em></a>.</p>
<p>Christine D. Lomore and colleagues examined the role of sexual humor in romantic relationships, an area often overshadowed by general relational humor in the literature.</p>
<p>Past research has demonstrated the critical role of humor in relationships. Humor can help reduce tension and fosters closeness in various relational contexts. For example, relational humor styles (whether positive, instrumental, or negative) significantly correlate with relationship satisfaction. However, sexual humor, uniquely characterized by its sensitivity and intimacy, is relatively under-researched, prompting this study’s focus on its forms, frequency, and outcomes.</p>
<p>This study involved 196 participants who were at least 18 years old and in romantic relationships lasting a minimum of four months. Participants were recruited through university psychology courses and online platforms. The final sample was predominantly female (84.7%), with an average age of 20.3 years, and included individuals identifying as heterosexual (74.5%) and LGBTQ+ (21.8%). Participants reported an average relationship length of 25 months, with a mix of relationship types, including exclusive dating, long-distance, and cohabitating partnerships.</p>
<p>The study utilized various measures to assess relationship and sexual satisfaction and sexual humor use. The Relationship Assessment Scale (RAS) measured general relationship satisfaction, while the New Sexual Satisfaction Scale (NSSS) evaluated satisfaction with sexual experiences. To understand humor, researchers employed the Relational Humor Inventory (RHI), which captures different humor styles, such as positive, negative, and instrumental.</p>
<p>In addition, participants completed a custom survey to detail their experiences with sexual humor, including describing specific examples, their perceptions of its frequency and emotional valence, and its impact on their relationship. Open-ended responses were reviewed and coded by researchers to identify common themes, with a focus on humor’s situational use and its emotional consequences.</p>
<p>The researchers found that sexual humor was a common element in participants’ romantic relationships, generally associated with positive outcomes. Most participants reported feeling closer, more accepted, and more comfortable with their partners when sexual humor was used. For example, humor often served to smooth over awkward or embarrassing moments, such as mishaps during sexual activity, which helped reduce discomfort and strengthen intimacy. Participants also highlighted that humor added lightness and playfulness to their interactions, contributing to an enjoyable and relaxed atmosphere.</p>
<p>The study identified distinct types of sexual humor, including inside jokes and couple rituals, physical humor, wordplay, and humor used during sexual initiation or to suggest new activities. Importantly, participants who reported more frequent and positively valenced sexual humor also reported higher levels of sexual and relationship satisfaction.</p>
<p>While sexual humor frequency alone did not significantly predict satisfaction, its valence—whether it was perceived as positive—played a crucial role. Instances of negative valence, while infrequent, were linked to discomfort and dissatisfaction. A small number of participants reported that negative sexual humor felt offensive, killed the mood, or made them feel insecure.</p>
<p>Positive relational humor strongly predicted the frequency and valence of sexual humor, underscoring the interconnectedness of general and sexual humor styles.</p>
<p>Of note is that the study’s sample was predominantly young, female, and heterosexual, limiting the generalizability of findings.</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.3138/cjhs-2024-0024">The use of sexual humor in romantic relationships: Description, valence, and association with sexual satisfaction</a>,” was authored by Christine D. Lomore, Angela D. Weaver, and Claire E. Lavoie.</p></p>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/study-links-visual-perception-deficits-in-psychosis-to-altered-brain-connectivity/" style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing:-1px;margin:0;padding:0 0 2px;font-weight: bold;font-size: 19px;line-height: 20px;color:#222;">Study links visual perception deficits in psychosis to altered brain connectivity</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Jan 7th 2025, 14:00</div>
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<p><p>New research published in <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2451902224003781"><em>Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging</em></a> sheds light on how psychotic disorders, such as schizophrenia, affect the brain’s ability to perceive and process visual information. The study found that individuals with psychotic psychopathology struggle with a visual task that involves identifying patterns amidst noise—akin to a “connect-the-dots” challenge. These perceptual difficulties appear to stem from altered brain activity and impaired connectivity between key visual regions.</p>
<p>Visual perception is a fundamental aspect of daily life, allowing us to recognize objects, navigate our environment, and interpret social cues. Previous studies have documented atypical visual processing in schizophrenia, with impairments in areas like motion detection, contrast sensitivity, and facial recognition. These deficits are not just nuisances—they are linked to the severity of psychotic symptoms and disorganized thinking.</p>
<p>The current study aimed to deepen our understanding of one specific visual function, called contour integration. This process enables the brain to connect spatially separated elements into a unified whole, helping us discern shapes and objects from noisy backgrounds. The researchers sought to uncover how contour integration differs among individuals with psychotic disorders, their biological relatives, and healthy controls, using both behavioral tasks and advanced ultra-high-field brain imaging.</p>
<p>“The biological basis of psychotic disorders, such as schizophrenia, remains poorly understood. By studying the visual system in people with psychosis, we hope to learn more about how brain functions differ in this group, as we have a reasonably good understanding of how brain activity contributes to visual perception in humans (without psychosis) and other animals,” explained study author <a href="https://schallmolab.umn.edu/">Michael-Paul Schallmo</a>, an assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.</p>
<p>For their study, the researchers recruited a total of 141 participants: 63 individuals with psychotic psychopathology, 44 biological relatives of individuals with psychosis, and 34 healthy controls. The psychosis group included participants with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and schizoaffective disorder, while the relatives group consisted of first-degree family members without a personal history of psychosis. All participants were screened to ensure normal or corrected-to-normal vision and the absence of neurological conditions.</p>
<p>Participants completed a contour integration task that involved determining the orientation of an egg-shaped contour formed by small visual elements called Gabor patches. The task featured three levels of difficulty: in the easiest condition, contours were presented without background elements, making them simple to discern; in the moderate condition, contours were embedded within a grid of background elements, requiring participants to distinguish the shape from visual noise; and in the most challenging condition, the alignment of the contour elements was deliberately disrupted, creating “jittered” patterns to assess the maximum level of distortion participants could tolerate while still identifying the shape accurately.</p>
<p>The psychosis group performed significantly worse than both the healthy controls and the relatives on the contour integration task, particularly in conditions with background noise or higher levels of jitter. Their lower accuracy indicated a reduced ability to integrate visual elements into coherent shapes. In contrast, the relatives group performed similarly to the healthy controls, suggesting that genetic liability alone does not necessarily impair contour integration.</p>
<p>In addition to this behavioral testing, the participants underwent ultra-high-field functional MRI scans. The researchers focused on brain regions involved in visual processing, including the primary visual cortex, lateral occipital complex, and lateral geniculate nucleus, to study how these areas interact during the contour integration tasks.</p>
<p>Imaging results revealed altered patterns of activity in key visual areas among individuals with psychosis. While activity in the primary visual cortex was largely similar across groups, differences emerged in the lateral occipital complex. Participants with psychosis exhibited heightened activity in this region when processing patterns with background noise. This overactivation may contribute to their struggles with figure-ground segmentation, the ability to distinguish objects from their backgrounds.</p>
<p>The lateral geniculate nucleus also showed differences across groups. Functional connectivity between the lateral geniculate nucleus and primary visual cortex was weaker in individuals with psychosis, particularly when background noise was present. This reduced connectivity suggests that disrupted communication between these regions impairs the brain’s ability to process visual information effectively.</p>
<p>The researchers also observed notable differences in functional connectivity between visual regions. Control participants exhibited strong connectivity between the lateral geniculate nucleus and primary visual cortex, particularly when background noise was present. But this connectivity was reduced in the psychosis group.</p>
<p>Functional connectivity between the primary visual cortex and the lateral occipital complex was also disrupted in psychosis. Participants with psychosis showed less modulation of this connectivity when background noise was introduced, suggesting difficulties in distinguishing shapes from noise.</p>
<p>“During a visual ‘connect the dots’ task, we saw differences in both task performance and brain activity within visual areas in people with psychosis compared with controls,” Schallmo told PsyPost. “Our results suggest this difference in perception may be linked to impaired functioning in other cognitive domains, and may be related to altered patterns of brain activity between visual brain areas.”</p>
<p>Interestingly, while the relatives performed similarly to controls on the behavioral tasks, their brain activity and connectivity patterns resembled those of the psychosis group. This suggests that altered neural processing in visual regions may reflect genetic risk for psychosis, even in the absence of clinical symptoms.</p>
<p>Future research could expand on this study in several meaningful ways to deepen our understanding of visual processing deficits in psychotic disorders. One promising direction is to explore how these impairments evolve over time, particularly during critical phases such as the early stages of illness, acute episodes, or periods of remission. Longitudinal studies could help determine whether these deficits remain stable, worsen, or improve with treatment.</p>
<p>Additionally, larger sample sizes that focus on distinct diagnostic groups, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or schizoaffective disorder, could clarify whether contour integration deficits are specific to certain conditions or represent a shared characteristic across psychotic disorders. This could help refine diagnostic tools and tailor interventions to the unique cognitive profiles of each disorder.</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bpsc.2024.12.002">Impaired contour object perception in psychosis</a>,” was authored by Rohit S. Kamath, Kimberly B. Weldon, Hannah R. Moser, Samantha Montoya, Kamar S. Abdullahi, Philip C. Burton, Scott R. Sponheim, Cheryl A. Olman, and Michael-Paul Schallmo.</p></p>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/handwriting-trumps-visual-learning-for-teaching-english-to-children/" style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing:-1px;margin:0;padding:0 0 2px;font-weight: bold;font-size: 19px;line-height: 20px;color:#222;">Handwriting trumps visual learning for teaching English to children</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Jan 7th 2025, 12:00</div>
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<p><p>A new study published in <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0001691824001616"><em>Acta Psychologica</em></a> has found that handwriting provides significant advantages over visual learning when it comes to helping elementary school students acquire new English words, particularly their shapes, sounds, and meanings.</p>
<p>Scientists have long argued that handwriting engages the brain differently than typing or visual learning alone, due to how handwriting combines multiple senses. Writing requires the individual to see the letters, guide their hand movements, and feel the pen or pencil, making the learning process deeply engaging. By contrast, reading words on a screen or page relies solely on visual input, which might not create as strong a memory.</p>
<p>The team behind the study wanted to see if handwriting had distinct advantages in learning the three critical aspects of English words: their form (how they look), sound, and meaning.</p>
<p>To test this, Yang Ying and colleagues from Shenyang Normal University in China recruited 40 sixth-graders (20 males, 20 females, average age of 11 years). The students were split into two groups – one learning English words through handwriting and the other learning English words through visual reading.</p>
<p>Over three days, the children performed tasks that tested their ability to recognize word forms, match sounds, and identify meanings.</p>
<p>By the end of the experiment, the handwriting group outshone the visual learners in almost every category, and the researchers discovered that students who wrote out words achieved better accuracy and faster response times in the tasks compared to those who simply read them on a screen.</p>
<p>Interestingly, Ying and colleagues noted that the impact of handwriting did not happen all at once. The children demonstrated improvements in recognizing word sounds on the very first day, followed by word meanings on the second day, and lastly word forms on the third day. Furthermore, word form tasks showed fastest improvement in reaction times.</p>
<p>The authors explained that writing words by hand forces children to slow down and pay close attention to the shapes and details of letters: “the reasons for these advantages may be related to factors such as attentional focus, multisensory processing, and detailed visual processing.”</p>
<p>However, the study isn’t without its limitations. All the participants were sixth-grade students, so it is unclear whether handwriting offers similar benefits to younger children or older students. The researchers also didn’t include typing in their comparison, leaving open the question of how handwriting stacks up against today’s most common method of text input.</p>
<p>Despite these gaps, the findings have practical implications. In an era when screens dominate classrooms, educators might want to revisit the value of traditional pen-and-paper exercises. Handwriting, according to the study, doesn’t just teach kids how to form letters – it strengthens their understanding of the entire word.</p>
<p>The study, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2024.104284">“The Role of Handwriting in English Word Acquisition Among Elementary Students</a>,” was authored by Yang Ying, Zhang Huixin, Wu Yunxia, and Li Wenhui.</p></p>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/our-brains-underestimate-our-wrists-true-flexibility-study-finds/" style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing:-1px;margin:0;padding:0 0 2px;font-weight: bold;font-size: 19px;line-height: 20px;color:#222;">Our brains underestimate our wrist’s true flexibility, study finds</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Jan 7th 2025, 10:00</div>
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<p><p>Researchers have found that people systematically underestimate how far their wrists can move. This finding suggests that the brain’s internal representation of the body’s movement range is not as accurate as one might assume. The study, published in <em><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s44271-024-00153-x" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Communications Psychology</a></em>, highlights how our brains prioritize safety over precision when estimating the limits of our mobility.</p>
<p>Understanding how we perceive our body’s capabilities is central to motor planning and action control. When we plan movements—whether reaching for a glass or playing a sport—our brain relies on internal models of our body’s mechanics. These models help us estimate how much effort is needed and avoid actions that might cause harm.</p>
<p>While years of experience might lead one to believe we have a precise understanding of our movement limits, research has shown that perceptions of body size, shape, and even weight are often inaccurate. This new study builds on these findings, exploring whether similar biases extend to how we perceive the range of motion of our limbs.</p>
<p>Lead author Artur Pilacinski (<a href="https://bsky.app/profile/fatresearchcat.bsky.social" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@fatresearchcat.bsky.social</a>), a postdoctoral researcher at <a href="https://klaeslab.de/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ruhr University Bochum</a>, explained the origins of the research. His co-author, Gilles Vannuscorps, had been “studying the cognitive representations of the body’s biomechanical constraints and our ‘motor knowledge’ for a while now, so the idea followed his earlier research interests.” For Pilacinski, the question was less intuitive: “Having a research background in motor planning, I had always assumed that whatever the brain intends to do realistically reflects what the body can actually do, and all errors (e.g., due to fatigue) are adjusted in real time.”</p>
<p>Pilacinski’s own experiences added another layer of curiosity to the study. “It was a bit at odds with my own experiences in rock climbing, where I would miserably fail whenever trying to recreate moves that my more skilled and agile colleagues would do effortlessly,” he said. “So, after we first discussed the idea with Gilles, I started casually asking my friends to estimate how far they think their hands rotate (similar to the movements we tested in the paper) and was surprised their answers were usually far off from their actual movements.”</p>
<p>The researchers conducted two experiments involving a total of 84 participants. In the first experiment, 59 individuals were asked to estimate and then perform the maximum range of wrist rotation in four directions: abduction (away from the body), adduction (toward the body), flexion (bending the wrist forward), and extension (bending it backward). Participants performed these tasks with both their dominant and non-dominant hands.</p>
<p>To ensure accurate measurements, participants’ hands were placed in a specific resting position on a table, aligned with a protractor. For each movement direction, participants first estimated how far they could rotate their wrists by indicating a point on the protractor. Then, they attempted to execute the movement, and their actual range was recorded. Each movement was repeated three times to ensure consistency.</p>
<p>The second experiment focused on motor imagery, involving 25 participants. Instead of performing the movements, participants imagined the maximum range of motion they could achieve and indicated the corresponding position on a protractor. These estimates were then compared to the actual range of motion measured during subsequent physical trials.</p>
<p>The results showed a consistent underestimation of wrist mobility. In both experiments, participants judged their wrists to have a smaller range of motion than they actually demonstrated. This underestimation was more pronounced for the non-dominant hand, which typically engages in fewer precise tasks than the dominant hand. Among the four movement directions, biases were most significant for flexion and extension, while adduction showed the smallest discrepancy.</p>
<p>Interestingly, the results were consistent across both tasks—whether participants physically moved their wrists or simply imagined doing so. This indicates that the bias is not limited to actual movements but extends to the brain’s internal representation of movement possibilities.</p>
<p>The researchers theorized that this underestimation serves an evolutionary purpose. By underestimating their limits, individuals are less likely to attempt movements that might push their joints to unsafe extremes, thereby reducing the risk of strain or injury. While this strategy may lead to some inefficiencies, such as the need for minor corrective movements, it ultimately promotes long-term joint health.</p>
<p>“Your body is more flexible than your brain thinks it is,” Pilacinski told PsyPost. “This bias is to prevent your body from injury in the case the movement goes wrong. As most cognitive biases, this one seems to be actually a feature, reflecting the real world conditions and aimed at maintaining our safety—so it should not be just ignored and converted into a cheesy motivational slogan like ‘you can do more than you think.’”</p>
<p>While the findings were robust, the study has some limitations. For example, the underestimation bias was not consistent across all participants or all movement directions. A few individuals even overestimated their wrist mobility, suggesting variability in how different people perceive their limits. These differences may stem from factors such as motor experience, reliance on visual versus proprioceptive feedback, or individual variations in motor control skills.</p>
<p>“The actual precision of movement estimates relies on the size of the physical movement itself, which might have made our measurements not sensitive enough to precisely estimate smaller movements (like adduction in our study),” Pilacinski said. “This will certainly have to be addressed in our future, follow-up experiments.”</p>
<p>Future research could also investigate how factors like age, physical activity, or training influence these biases. For instance, athletes or individuals undergoing physical rehabilitation might develop more accurate representations of their movement limits through deliberate practice. Understanding how to modify these biases could have practical applications in sports and rehabilitation, where pushing the perceived limits of mobility is often essential.</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s44271-024-00153-x" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Humans underestimate the movement range of their own hands</a>,” was authored by Artur Pilacinski, Antoine Vandenberghe, Gabriella Andrietta, and Gilles Vannuscorps.</p></p>
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<p><strong>Forwarded by:<br />
Michael Reeder LCPC<br />
Baltimore, MD</strong></p>
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