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<td><span style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:20px;font-weight:bold;">PsyPost – Psychology News</span></td>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/alcohol-use-has-particularly-negative-impact-on-individuals-with-adhd/" 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;">Alcohol use has particularly negative impact on individuals with ADHD</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">May 13th 2025, 10:00</div>
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<p><p>A study of individuals with alcohol use disorder in France found that the negative impact of problematic alcohol use on quality of life is greater in those with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) than in those without the condition. The adverse effects on quality of life appear to be amplified by dysfunctional efforts to manage the intense emotional dysregulation associated with ADHD under the influence of alcohol. The research was published in the <em><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0022395624007143">Journal of Psychiatric Research</a>.</em></p>
<p>Alcohol use disorder is a chronic condition marked by an inability to control alcohol consumption despite harmful consequences, resulting in significant distress or impairment. It involves a pattern of excessive drinking, strong cravings, and a loss of control over alcohol intake. Individuals with this disorder often experience withdrawal symptoms such as tremors, anxiety, and nausea when not drinking.</p>
<p>The severity of alcohol use disorder can range from mild to severe, depending on the number of symptoms present. Over time, it can lead to serious health problems, including liver disease, cardiovascular complications, and cognitive decline. Social and occupational functioning often deteriorates as individuals begin to neglect responsibilities and relationships due to their drinking.</p>
<p>Study author Amandine Luquiens and her colleagues aimed to examine how alcohol use affects quality of life in individuals with ADHD. In particular, they focused on the roles of impulsivity, emotional dysregulation, and maladaptive emotion regulation strategies in this relationship.</p>
<p>ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by persistent patterns of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity that interfere with daily life. It typically begins in childhood but can continue into adulthood, affecting academic, occupational, and social functioning.</p>
<p>The researchers analyzed data from the beginning of the TRAIN study, a clinical trial in France investigating the efficacy of a cognitive training program for patients with alcohol use disorder. The sample included 206 individuals diagnosed with alcohol use disorder, 40 of whom also had ADHD. All participants were classified as being at high risk due to their drinking levels—defined as consuming over 60 grams of alcohol per day for men and over 40 grams per day for women during the previous four-week period. At the time of the study, participants had been abstinent for between 7 and 30 days.</p>
<p>Participants completed a series of assessments measuring ADHD symptoms (using the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale), health-related quality of life specific to alcohol use disorder (using the Alcohol Quality of Life Scale), impulsivity (using the Impulsive Behavior Scale), emotion regulation strategies (using the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire), emotion regulation difficulties (using the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale – Impulse Control Difficulties subscale), and alcohol-related cognitive impairment (using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment).</p>
<p>The results showed that alcohol use had a greater negative impact on quality of life in individuals with ADHD compared to those without the disorder. Participants who were highly impulsive or who had difficulties with emotional regulation tended to report lower quality of life as well. Individuals with ADHD were more likely to suppress emotional expression, which was associated with further declines in quality of life. Overall, the researchers concluded that dysfunctional efforts to cope with emotional dysregulation significantly contributed to reduced well-being in individuals with ADHD and alcohol use disorder.</p>
<p>“Our findings have direct clinical and therapeutic implications. They underscore the relevance of identifying patients’ preferred emotion regulation strategies and the need to work with them on the limits of expressive suppression in the context of ADHD in AUD [alcohol use disorder], and on more functional and less costly alternatives,” the study authors note.</p>
<p>The study sheds light on the specificities of the relationship between alcohol use and quality of life in individuals with alcohol use disorder who also suffer from ADHD. However, it should be noted that the design of the study does not allow any causal inferences to be derived from the results.</p>
<p>The paper, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2024.12.012">ADHD and alcohol: Emotional regulation efforts pay off in quality of life points,</a>” was authored by Amandine Luquiens, Thibault Mura, Alexandra Dereux, Patrice Louville, Helene Donnadieu, Marie Bronnec, Amine Benyamina, Pascal Perney, and Arnaud Carre.</p></p>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/daily-exercise-improves-adolescent-mental-health-but-too-much-may-backfire/" 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;">Daily exercise improves adolescent mental health — but too much may backfire</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">May 13th 2025, 08:00</div>
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<p><p>A large-scale study published in <em><a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2025.116503" target="_blank">Psychiatry Research</a></em> suggests that physical activity is associated with better mental health outcomes in adolescents, but only up to a point. Using wearable devices and brain imaging data, researchers found that moderate amounts of activity — but not excessive exercise — were linked to fewer internalizing and thought problems. The findings also revealed brain connectivity patterns and genetic markers that may help explain how physical activity supports mental well-being during this critical stage of development.</p>
<p>Adolescence is a time of major brain growth and emotional change. Many mental health conditions, such as anxiety and depression, first appear during this period. While there is strong evidence that physical activity benefits adult mental health, it’s less clear how much exercise is ideal for young people or what brain mechanisms are involved. The new study aimed to address those questions by identifying how different types and amounts of activity relate to mental health in early adolescence, and by exploring the brain and genetic pathways that might underlie those connections.</p>
<p>“Adolescent mental health problems are a significant public health concern worldwide. Although physical activity and exercise have been associated with better mental health in adults, the evidence in children and adolescents is mixed,” said study authors <a href="https://istbi.fudan.edu.cn/lnen/info/1157/1639.htm" target="_blank">Jie Zhang</a>, a professor at Fudan University, and Gechang Yu, a PhD student at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.</p>
<p>“Answering the question, ‘What are the optimal type, frequency, and duration of physical activity for adolescent mental health?’ is an important step toward developing personalized, activity-based prescriptions. Wearable devices can provide more accurate information than self-reported questionnaires. More importantly, the genetic and neural pathways through which physical activity influences mental health in adolescents remain unclear. Understanding these mechanisms can help develop targeted interventions for youth mental health problems.”</p>
<p>The researchers used data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study, a long-term project following thousands of children across the United States. The sample for the current analysis included 7,188 participants who were around 11 to 12 years old. Each participant wore a Fitbit wrist device for three weeks to measure daily steps and time spent in different levels of activity: light, moderate, and vigorous. The team also collected self-reported and parent-reported data on exercise habits and sports participation.</p>
<p>Mental health was assessed using the Child Behavior Checklist, a tool completed by parents that measures internalizing problems (such as anxiety or sadness), externalizing problems (such as aggression), and thought problems (such as unusual thinking or poor attention). In addition to behavioral data, the study included genetic information and brain scans to explore how physical activity might influence mental health through biological pathways.</p>
<p>The findings showed that adolescents who were more physically active tended to have fewer internalizing and thought problems. This was true across all activity levels, from light walking to vigorous exercise. However, there was no strong link between physical activity and externalizing problems. Interestingly, the relationship between exercise and mental health was not linear. Instead, moderate durations of activity were associated with the best outcomes.</p>
<p>Specifically, about 90 minutes of moderate activity or 120 minutes of vigorous activity per day was linked to the lowest mental health burden. Adolescents who reported exercising four days a week showed similar benefits. Exceeding these amounts — such as exercising vigorously for more than two hours per day — was not associated with additional improvements and in some cases was linked to worse mental health outcomes. This pattern, sometimes described as a “U-shaped” curve, suggests that more exercise is not always better.</p>
<p>The findings indicate that “doing physical exercise for about three to four times a week and 90 minutes each time is optimal for adolescent mental health,” Zhang and Yu told PsyPost.</p>
<p>The study also examined how these relationships varied by sex. Light activity was more strongly associated with improved mental health in girls, while boys benefited more from vigorous exercise. However, light activity was also linked to more externalizing problems in boys. These differences highlight the need for tailored recommendations that take into account both activity type and individual characteristics.</p>
<p>To explore potential biological explanations, the researchers looked at genetic risk scores for several psychiatric disorders, including anxiety, depression, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and schizophrenia. They also included genetic scores related to physical activity. The results showed that genetic risk for mental illness was linked to lower activity levels, especially light activity and walking. Conversely, having a genetic tendency to walk more was linked to fewer thought problems. These findings suggest that genetic factors influence both how active a young person is and how vulnerable they are to mental health difficulties.</p>
<p>“Adolescents’ inactivity is influenced by genes associated with neuropsychiatric disorders,” the researchers said.</p>
<p>Brain scans provided additional insight. The team found that higher levels of physical activity were associated with changes in the way different brain regions communicate with each other. Specifically, better mental health was linked to stronger connectivity between brain networks involved in sensory and motor processing and weaker connectivity between networks involved in cognitive control and auditory processing. These patterns were found across multiple types of activity and appeared to mediate the relationship between physical activity and mental health.</p>
<p>Interestingly, the researchers found that brain structure — such as the size or thickness of certain brain regions — was not as strongly related to physical activity or mental health. Instead, patterns of functional connectivity, or how different brain networks communicate during rest, played a more central role.</p>
<p>“We found that the effects of physical activity on mental health act more through brain function than through brain morphology in adolescence,” Zhang and Yu said.</p>
<p>These results suggest that exercise may influence adolescent mental health by shaping the way the brain processes information and coordinates between regions responsible for attention, motor skills, and emotional regulation. They also imply that moderate levels of physical activity may support optimal brain function during this developmental window, while too much activity may disrupt these processes.</p>
<p>The study had several limitations. It was based on cross-sectional data, meaning that it captured a snapshot in time rather than tracking changes over time. As a result, it cannot prove that physical activity causes better mental health — it could be that adolescents with better mental health are simply more active. Also, the study relied on observational data, and although it adjusted for many factors, unmeasured variables could still play a role. </p>
<p>“Experimental and intervention studies are needed to further confirm the causality between physical activity, mental health and brain function,” Zhang and Yu said.</p>
<p>Despite these limitations, the study offers one of the most comprehensive looks to date at how physical activity relates to mental health in early adolescence. By combining wearable device data, brain imaging, and genetics, it provides a clearer picture of the biological pathways involved and highlights the importance of finding a balance in exercise routines.</p>
<p>“We hope to validate current findings in other cohorts and populations, and assess if the identified associations are consistent during the whole period of adolescence,” Zhang and Yu said.</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2025.116503" target="_blank">Genetic Influence and Neural Pathways Underlying the Dose-Response Relationships Between Wearable-Measured Physical Activity and Mental Health in Adolescence</a>,” was authored by Gechang Yu, Xinran Wu, Zhaowen Liu, Mai Shi, Huaxin Fan, Yu Liu, Nanyu Kuang, Songjun Peng, Zhengxu Lian, Chuiguo Huang, Hongjiang Wu, Baoqi Fan, Jianfeng Feng, Wei Cheng, Barbara J. Sahakian, Trevor W. Robbins, Benjamin Becker, and Jie Zhang.</p></p>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/psychedelics-linked-to-religious-disaffiliation-but-not-spiritual-change-in-large-scale-study/" 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;">Psychedelics linked to religious disaffiliation—but not spiritual change—in large-scale study</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">May 13th 2025, 06:00</div>
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<p><p>A new study published in <em><a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/fulltext/2026-13123-001.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Psychology of Religion and Spirituality</a></em> examined whether psychedelic use is associated with changes in religious beliefs and spiritual identity. Analyzing two large birth cohorts in the United Kingdom and a longitudinal survey in the United States and United Kingdom, researchers found that people who had used psychedelics were more likely to report religious disaffiliation—but psychedelic use was not associated with changes in spirituality or religiosity over time.</p>
<p>Classic psychedelics like LSD and psilocybin have long been associated with mystical or spiritual experiences. Many studies have examined how these substances affect perceptions of meaning, self, and the transcendent. But few have asked whether psychedelic use leads to actual changes in religious identity or beliefs in everyday life.</p>
<p>“As both a psychology researcher and rabbi, I was interested in life experiences that influence religious and spiritual development. With the resurgence of psychedelic research, there has been much discussion about the intersection of psychedelics and spirituality, and very little research had examined long-term patterns,” said study author <a href="https://linktr.ee/aaroncherniak" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Aaron D. Cherniak</a>, a PhD candidate at <a href="https://www.su.se/english/profiles/aach4770-1.449739" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Stockholm University</a>, research fellow at Reichman University, and director of research at Shaare Nefesh Resilience Center.</p>
<p>To investigate, the researchers conducted two complementary studies. The first drew from two nationally representative birth cohort studies—the 1958 National Child Development Study and the 1970 British Cohort Study—each with over 11,000 participants. The goal was to explore whether people who had used psychedelics differed in their religious affiliation, and whether they were more likely to report switching, leaving, or joining a religion. The second study was a two-month longitudinal survey of 9,732 adults in the United Kingdom and United States, looking at whether recent psychedelic use predicted changes in self-identified religiosity or spirituality.</p>
<p>In Study 1, the researchers used long-term data from the cohort studies to compare participants who reported lifetime use of psychedelics—specifically LSD and psilocybin—with those who did not. They found that people who had used psychedelics were more likely to report being religiously unaffiliated both in childhood and adulthood. Psychedelic users were also more likely to report religious disaffiliation—shifting from a religious identity in childhood to no religious affiliation in adulthood.</p>
<p>Interestingly, LSD use was also associated with switching between religious affiliations and, in one of the cohorts, joining a religion after being raised without one. However, these patterns were not unique to psychedelics. Similar associations were found for other illicit substances such as cannabis and amphetamines. This suggests that psychedelic use may not have distinct effects on religious change, but rather reflect broader patterns related to drug use and social norms.</p>
<p>In addition to changes in affiliation, the researchers also looked at belief in God and the afterlife. Those who had used psychedelics were more likely to say they did not believe in God or were unsure of God’s existence. They were also less likely to believe in life after death. Again, this was consistent with broader patterns among users of various illicit substances.</p>
<p>Study 2 explored whether psychedelic use was associated with short-term changes in religious or spiritual identity. The researchers recruited representative samples of adults in the United States and United Kingdom and surveyed them twice, two months apart. They asked participants how religious and how spiritual they considered themselves to be and whether they had used psychedelics in the past two months.</p>
<p>At baseline, people who had recently used psychedelics were less likely to identify as religious, but slightly more likely to identify as spiritual. However, when the researchers followed up two months later, they found no evidence that psychedelic use had led to changes in either religiosity or spirituality. People’s self-identification as religious or spiritual remained relatively stable, regardless of whether they had used psychedelics.</p>
<p>Taken together, these findings suggest that psychedelic use is associated with long-term religious disaffiliation, but not with dynamic or immediate shifts in how religious or spiritual people feel. The associations with religious change also appear to mirror those of other illicit substances, which complicates any assumption that psychedelics uniquely influence religious belief.</p>
<p>“Contrary to popular belief, using psychedelics does not automatically lead people to become more religious or spiritual,” Cherniak told PsyPost. “For some, it may affirm previously held beliefs or reduce attachment to traditional or institutional religiosity, but not more than the consumption of other illicit substances.”</p>
<p>The researchers highlight that while psychedelics can elicit experiences that feel spiritual or religious in the moment, these do not always translate into lasting changes in religious identity. Instead, the social and cultural context—such as whether someone grows up in a religious household, or lives in a secular society—may be a more powerful influence on how psychedelics are interpreted and whether they prompt shifts in worldview.</p>
<p>“Psychedelic experiences are deeply personal,” Cherniak said. “Whether they lead to more spiritual openness or disillusionment often depends on factors like your personality, your beliefs before the experience, and your intentions for using them. Psychedelics may offer powerful and transformative experiences, but they don’t reliably lead to deeper faith or spiritual awakening. They seem to amplify what’s already there or open space for rethinking one’s worldview, in unpredictable directions.”</p>
<p>The study has several strengths. It includes large, nationally representative samples and uses both retrospective and prospective data. It also carefully compares psychedelics with other substances to clarify whether any effects are specific or general to drug use.</p>
<p>“Most studies in this field rely on people looking back and describing how psychedelics changed them,” Cherniak said. “This one is different—it tracked people over time in a large population-based sample and followed a strict scientific plan (a preregistered design), making the findings more trustworthy.”</p>
<p>However, there are limitations. In the cohort studies, most psychedelic users also reported using other illicit substances, making it difficult to isolate the effects of psychedelics. The measures of religious belief and affiliation were broad and did not capture the depth of participants’ convictions or their reasons for change. Also, the prospective study spanned only two months, which may be too short to detect deeper transformations in identity.</p>
<p>The researchers caution against overinterpreting the results. While psychedelics are sometimes described as tools for spiritual insight or awakening, this study suggests they do not consistently shift people’s religious outlook. At least in secular societies, they may reinforce a tendency toward disaffiliation rather than conversion or deeper religiosity.</p>
<p>“It was surprising that, overall, people did not report greater spirituality after using psychedelics.,” Cherniak noted. “Future studies should consider asking more precise questions about the supposed components of spirituality, which itself can be vague.”</p>
<p>Future studies could also benefit from exploring how the context of psychedelic use—such as whether it occurs in a religious ceremony, therapeutic session, or recreational setting—influences outcomes. More nuanced data on participants’ beliefs, values, and personal narratives could also help clarify when and why psychedelics contribute to spiritual or religious development.</p>
<p>“We hope to delve more into more subtle processes that comprise spiritual experiences and meaning-making as well as their clinical relevance,” Cherniak said.</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/rel0000561" target="_blank" rel="noopener">How Does Psychedelic Use Relate to Aspects of Religiosity/Spirituality? Preregistered Report From a Birth Cohort Study and a Prospective Longitudinal Study</a>,” was authored by Aaron D. Cherniak and Pehr Granqvist.</p></p>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/can-you-train-your-brain-to-unsee-optical-illusions-scientists-think-so/" 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;">Can you train your brain to unsee optical illusions? Scientists think so</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">May 12th 2025, 18:00</div>
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<p><p>Optical illusions are great fun, and they fool virtually everyone. But have you ever wondered if you could train yourself to unsee these illusions? Our <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-88178-y">latest research</a> suggests that you can.</p>
<p>Optical illusions tell a lot about how people see things. For example, look at the picture below.</p>
<p><figure aria-describedby="caption-attachment-227381" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://www.psypost.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Mond-vergleich.svg"><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" class="wp-image-227381 size-full" src="https://www.psypost.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Mond-vergleich.svg" alt="" width="650" height="400"></a><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">[<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mond-vergleich.svg">Wikimedia Commons</a>]</figcaption></figure>The two orange circles are identical, but the one on the right looks bigger. Why?</p>
<p>We use context to figure out what we are seeing. Something surrounded by smaller things is often quite big. Our visual system takes context into account, so it judges the orange circle on the right as bigger than the one on the left.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.illusionsindex.org/i/ebbinghaus-illusion">This illusion</a> was discovered by German psychologist Herman Ebbinghaus in the 19th century. This and similar geometrical illusions have been studied by psychologists ever since.</p>
<p>How much you are affected by illusions like these depends on who you are. For example, <a href="https://dspace.stir.ac.uk/bitstream/1893/17610/1/size%20perception.pdf">women are more affected</a> by the illusion than men – they see things more in context.</p>
<p><a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1467-7687.2009.00931.x?casa_token=e-xnwyqGTYAAAAAA%3ALCcyF-dBeuAgKKkmouojaSfoBlSVtuwZcqNWaF8dr7oH813kY2l5VksTfBa0s5-wzhnZIL8gSt8a8XOT">Young children</a> do not see illusions at all. To a five-year-old, the two orange circles look the same. It <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0885201423001156?via%3Dihub">takes time to learn</a> how to use context cues.</p>
<p>Neurodevelopmental conditions similarly affect illusion perception. People with <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/human-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2016.00175/full">autism</a> or <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0920996422004777?via%3Dihub">schizophrenia</a> are less likely to see illusions. This is because these people tend to pay greater attention to the central circle, and less to the surrounding ones.</p>
<p>The culture you grew up in also affects how much you attend to context. Research has found that east Asian perception is <a href="https://veijyn.lima-city.de/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Studie_holistische_vs_analytische_Wahrnehmung-1.pdf">more holistic</a>, taking everything into account. Western perception is more analytic, focusing on central objects.</p>
<p>These differences would predict greater illusion sensitivity in east Asia. And true enough, <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/23453300_The_Context_Sensitivity_of_Visual_Size_Perception_Varies_across_Cultures?amp%3B_tp=eyJjb250ZXh0Ijp7ImZpcnN0UGFnZSI6Il9kaXJlY3QiLCJwYWdlIjoicHJvZmlsZSIsInByZXZpb3VzUGFnZSI6InByb2ZpbGUiLCJwb3NpdGlvbiI6InBhZ2VDb250ZW50In19">Japanese people</a> seem to experience much stronger effects than British people in this kind of illusion.</p>
<p>This may also depend on environment. Japanese people typically live in urban environments. In crowded urban scenes, being able to keep track of objects relative to other objects is important. This requires more attention to context. Members of the <a href="https://srcd.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/cdev.12511">nomadic Himba tribe</a> in the almost uninhabited Namibian desert do not seem to be fooled by the illusion at all.</p>
<p>Gender, developmental, neurodevelopmental and cultural differences are all well established when it comes to optical illusions. However, what scientists did not know until now is whether people can learn to see illusions less intensely.</p>
<p>A hint came from our previous work comparing mathematical and social scientists’ judgements of illusions (we work in universities, so we sometimes study our colleagues). Social scientists, such as psychologists, <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1068/p5946">see illusions</a> more strongly.</p>
<p>Researchers like us have to take many factors into account. Perhaps this makes us more sensitive to context even in the way we see things. But also, it could be that your visual style affects what you choose to study. One of us (Martin) went to university to study physics, but left with a psychology degree. As it happens, his illusion perception is much stronger than normal.</p>
<h2>Training your illusion skills</h2>
<p>Despite all these individual differences, researchers have always thought that you have no choice over whether you see the illusion. Our recent research challenges this idea.</p>
<p>Radiologists need to be able to rapidly spot important information in medical scans. Doing this often means they have to ignore surrounding detail.</p>
<p>Radiologists train extensively, so does this make them better at seeing through illusions? <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-88178-y">We found it does</a>. We studied 44 radiologists, compared to over 100 psychology and medical students.</p>
<p>Below is one of our images. The orange circle on the left is 6% smaller than the one on the right. Most people in the study saw it as larger.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-227382" src="https://www.psypost.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/file-20250313-62-81838h-1024x512.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="512" srcset="https://www.psypost.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/file-20250313-62-81838h-1024x512.jpg 1024w, https://www.psypost.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/file-20250313-62-81838h-300x150.jpg 300w, https://www.psypost.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/file-20250313-62-81838h-768x384.jpg 768w, https://www.psypost.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/file-20250313-62-81838h-360x180.jpg 360w, https://www.psypost.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/file-20250313-62-81838h-750x375.jpg 750w, https://www.psypost.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/file-20250313-62-81838h-1140x570.jpg 1140w, https://www.psypost.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/file-20250313-62-81838h.avif 1508w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px"></p>
<p>Here is another image. Most non-radiologists still saw the left one as bigger. Yet, it is 10% smaller. Most radiologists got this one right.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-227383" src="https://www.psypost.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/file-20250313-62-si71qv-1024x512.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="512" srcset="https://www.psypost.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/file-20250313-62-si71qv-1024x512.jpg 1024w, https://www.psypost.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/file-20250313-62-si71qv-300x150.jpg 300w, https://www.psypost.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/file-20250313-62-si71qv-768x384.jpg 768w, https://www.psypost.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/file-20250313-62-si71qv-360x180.jpg 360w, https://www.psypost.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/file-20250313-62-si71qv-750x375.jpg 750w, https://www.psypost.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/file-20250313-62-si71qv-1140x570.jpg 1140w, https://www.psypost.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/file-20250313-62-si71qv.avif 1508w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px"></p>
<p>It was not until the difference was nearly 18%, as shown in the image below, that most non-radiologists saw through the illusion.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-227384" src="https://www.psypost.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/file-20250313-74-f2r13v-1024x512.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="512" srcset="https://www.psypost.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/file-20250313-74-f2r13v-1024x512.jpg 1024w, https://www.psypost.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/file-20250313-74-f2r13v-300x150.jpg 300w, https://www.psypost.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/file-20250313-74-f2r13v-768x384.jpg 768w, https://www.psypost.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/file-20250313-74-f2r13v-360x180.jpg 360w, https://www.psypost.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/file-20250313-74-f2r13v-750x375.jpg 750w, https://www.psypost.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/file-20250313-74-f2r13v-1140x570.jpg 1140w, https://www.psypost.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/file-20250313-74-f2r13v.avif 1508w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px"></p>
<p>Radiologists are not entirely immune to the illusion, but are much less susceptible. We also looked at radiologists just beginning training. Their illusion perception was no better than normal. It seems radiologists’ superior perception is a result of their extensive training.</p>
<p>According to <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01620">current theories of expertise</a>, this shouldn’t happen. Becoming an expert in chess, for example, makes you better at chess but not anything else. But our findings suggest that becoming an expert in medical image analysis also makes you better at seeing through some optical illusions.</p>
<p>There is plenty left to find out. Perhaps the most intriguing possibility is that training on optical illusions can improve radiologists’ skills at their own work.</p>
<p>So, how can you learn to see through illusions? Simple. Just five years of medical school, then seven more of radiology training and this skill can be yours too.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/251984/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/people-in-this-career-are-better-at-seeing-through-optical-illusions-251984">original article</a>.</em></p></p>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/new-research-links-antidepressant-effects-of-escitalopram-to-endocannabinoid-system-changes/" 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;">New research links antidepressant effects of escitalopram to endocannabinoid system changes</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">May 12th 2025, 16:00</div>
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<p><p>New research published in <em><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0306452225000016" target="_blank">Neuroscience</a></em> provides insight into how chronic treatment with escitalopram, a commonly prescribed antidepressant, can reverse anxiety- and despair-like behaviors in adolescent rats that experienced early life stress. The study also suggests that these behavioral improvements may be linked to changes in the brain’s endocannabinoid system, a neuromodulatory network involved in stress regulation and emotional processing.</p>
<p>Escitalopram belongs to a class of antidepressants known as serotonin reuptake inhibitors and is one of the few medications approved for use in adolescents. However, its precise effects on the developing brain remain under investigation. In this new study, researchers examined how the drug influenced behavior and brain chemistry in male rats that had undergone maternal separation—a widely used animal model of early life adversity that mimics aspects of childhood neglect.</p>
<p>The research team focused on the endocannabinoid system, which includes cannabinoid receptors (like CB1), endocannabinoid molecules such as anandamide, and enzymes that regulate their synthesis and breakdown. This system plays a major role in emotional regulation, stress responses, and mood, and is considered a potential target for new treatments for depression and anxiety.</p>
<p>Because depression and anxiety are increasingly common in young people—and current treatments often show limited effectiveness—researchers are eager to identify new biological systems that might help guide more effective therapies. The endocannabinoid system is of particular interest, as it appears to be altered by early life stress and may interact with antidepressant treatment.</p>
<p>In this study, rat pups were separated from their mothers for six hours each day between postnatal day 2 and day 15. This period corresponds to a vulnerable developmental window and has been shown to disrupt the stress response system and emotional regulation later in life. After weaning, the male rats were divided into four groups: some were exposed to maternal separation while others were not, and within both groups, half received daily injections of escitalopram during adolescence (from day 35 to 55), while the others received a saline solution.</p>
<p>To assess behavioral effects, the researchers used three tests during late adolescence: the elevated plus maze (which measures anxiety-related behavior), the open field test (which also assesses anxiety and exploratory behavior), and the forced swim test (a standard method for assessing behavioral despair or depressive-like behavior in animals). After testing, brain tissue was analyzed to measure changes in the expression of genes and proteins involved in the endocannabinoid system.</p>
<p>The behavioral tests showed that rats exposed to early life stress displayed signs of anxiety and despair. In the elevated plus maze, these rats spent less time in the open arms—an indicator of higher anxiety. They also showed shorter grooming times and less exploration in the open field test, and a shorter latency to immobility in the forced swim test, which suggests a higher vulnerability to behavioral despair.</p>
<p>When treated with escitalopram, however, these stress-exposed rats exhibited marked behavioral improvement. They spent more time in the open arms of the maze, more time in the center of the open field, and showed grooming behaviors closer to those of control rats. Escitalopram also increased the time it took for them to become immobile in the forced swim test, suggesting a reduction in despair-like behavior.</p>
<p>To understand the underlying biological mechanisms, the researchers looked at the expression of three key genes in the endocannabinoid system: Cb1r (which encodes the CB1 receptor), Faah (which encodes the enzyme that breaks down anandamide), and Napepld (which encodes the enzyme that produces anandamide). These genes were examined in the amygdala, hippocampus, hypothalamus, and prefrontal cortex—brain regions involved in mood regulation and stress responses.</p>
<p>They found that escitalopram treatment significantly reduced the expression of these genes in the amygdala and hippocampus, particularly in stress-exposed rats. These changes suggest that escitalopram might modulate the activity of the endocannabinoid system in these regions, potentially contributing to its behavioral effects. However, these changes were observed only at the gene expression level. When the researchers examined the corresponding protein levels, they found no statistically significant differences. This mismatch suggests that while the drug affects gene activity, these changes might not always lead to corresponding shifts in protein production—at least not at the time point measured.</p>
<p>The researchers propose that this discrepancy may be explained by other regulatory mechanisms, such as microRNA activity, which can prevent messenger RNA from being translated into protein. Previous studies have shown that early life stress can alter microRNA expression in the brain, and it is possible that escitalopram does not fully reverse these effects.</p>
<p>The study adds to growing evidence that the endocannabinoid system plays a role in how early life stress shapes brain development and emotional behavior. It also raises the possibility that antidepressants like escitalopram may work, in part, by influencing this system—especially during adolescence, a period marked by major changes in brain connectivity and chemistry.</p>
<p>As with all research, however, there are limitations to note. The study measured gene and protein expression at only one time point, 24 hours after the final escitalopram dose. It’s possible that more dynamic or delayed changes occur that were not captured in this analysis. Additionally, the study focused only on male rats, even though sex differences are known to affect both depression risk and the function of the endocannabinoid system.</p>
<p>Future studies will need to examine the time course of these molecular changes, explore protein activity across multiple time points, and compare results between males and females. Understanding how early life stress reshapes the endocannabinoid system—and how drugs like escitalopram might help recalibrate it—could ultimately lead to more effective and personalized treatments for depression and anxiety in young people.</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroscience.2025.01.001" target="_blank">Escitalopram reverses anxiety-like and despair behavior and affects endocannabinoid-related genes expression in the brain of adolescent male rats subjected to early life stress</a>,” was authored by Jonasz Dragon, Miłosz Gołyszny, Michał Zieliński, Katarzyna Popiołek-Barczyk, Katarzyna Starowicz, and Ewa Obuchowicz.</p></p>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/college-students-still-follow-familiar-relationship-paths-despite-dating-app-era-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;">College students still follow familiar relationship paths despite dating app era, study finds</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">May 12th 2025, 14:00</div>
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<p><p>Despite widespread claims that dating is “broken,” a new study finds that college students’ perceptions of romantic relationship development have remained largely stable over the past decade. In both 2012 and 2022, young adults described a similar sequence of stages—from flirtation to commitment—even as the social landscape has shifted dramatically.</p>
<p>The study, published in the journal <em><a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/pere.12590" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Personal Relationships</a></em>, was led by <a href="https://publish.illinois.edu/ogolskylab/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Brian Ogolsky</a> at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The researchers aimed to understand how college students describe the initiation and progression of romantic relationships, and whether those descriptions have changed in response to cultural and technological shifts. To do this, they conducted two qualitative studies with students ten years apart, using open-ended surveys to map out perceived stages of relationship development.</p>
<p>The research was grounded in the idea that early relationships are not just important milestones in development, but also predictors of later relationship quality and well-being. Romantic experiences during emerging adulthood—particularly on college campuses—can influence long-term mental health, life satisfaction, and personal growth. Yet despite the explosion of digital dating platforms, changes in communication styles, and evolving attitudes toward marriage, it remained unclear whether young adults’ internal models of relationships had shifted as well.</p>
<p>“There is a lot of ‘clickbait’ on the internet about contemporary dating, so we wanted to see what students are really talking about. Dating is an important topic because the patterns we form in early relationships persist and help inform future relationships,” said Ogolsky, a professor and director of Graduate Programs.</p>
<p>To explore this, the research team collected data from two separate samples of college students enrolled at the same large Midwestern university. In the first study, conducted in 2012, 126 students aged 18 to 29 completed an online survey where they were asked to label and describe the typical phases of a romantic relationship. A second study, conducted from 2021 to 2022, used the same core question with 133 students, but included updated language to account for the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants described the stages they believed relationships typically follow, with no limit on the number or type of stages they could include.</p>
<p>The researchers used a qualitative coding approach to identify patterns in how participants described relationship development. Despite being a decade apart, both samples revealed a consistent set of four overarching stages: Flirtationship, Relationship Potential, In a Relationship, and Commitment or Bust.</p>
<p>The first stage, Flirtationship, included the initial attraction and early interactions—whether in-person or through digital platforms. This phase was marked by getting to know someone through communication, playful flirtation, and sometimes starting from a foundation of friendship. Notably, while some participants mentioned texting or social media, technology did not dominate their descriptions. In both samples, this stage centered on testing the waters and looking for signs of mutual interest.</p>
<p>The second stage, labeled Relationship Potential, involved more frequent and intentional time together, such as going on dates and spending quality time. This was the phase where emotional bonding began, but the relationship was not yet exclusive or “official.” Participants described this period as one of exploration, where they assessed compatibility and deepened their connection.</p>
<p>Stage three, In a Relationship, marked the point at which participants reported establishing exclusivity and applying labels such as boyfriend or girlfriend. This stage also included greater emotional and physical intimacy, as well as signs of long-term commitment. Interestingly, some notable differences emerged between the two samples in this stage. For example, participants in the 2012 study were more likely to mention engagement, while those in the 2022 study more often described moving in together. Additionally, the 2022 participants referred to integrating partners into broader social networks, rather than just introducing them to family—perhaps reflecting changing notions of what constitutes a “serious” relationship.</p>
<p>The final stage, Commitment or Bust, reflected a critical turning point where the future of the relationship was evaluated. Participants described either moving toward marriage or long-term commitment, or facing conflicts and deciding to break up. Conflict, disillusionment, and relationship obstacles were commonly mentioned in this stage, often as triggers for this final reckoning. The researchers noted that many students viewed this phase as a crossroads, where they must decide whether the relationship was truly built to last.</p>
<p>Although the same four stages appeared across both studies, the researchers found evidence that the number of distinct phases students reported has increased slightly over time. Students in 2022 described more nuanced and extended sequences, and were more likely to include mentions of conflict, cohabitation, and ambiguity about long-term outcomes. This shift may reflect broader social changes, such as the postponement of marriage, rising cohabitation rates, and more diverse views on romantic relationships.</p>
<p>Importantly, the study challenges the idea that digital technology has completely upended dating norms. While mobile apps and online communication are certainly part of the picture, the fundamental sequence students described—flirtation, dating, exclusivity, and either commitment or separation—has remained relatively consistent. The researchers suggest that young people may not see technology as radically reshaping their relationships, but rather as one of many tools used in familiar ways.</p>
<p>“The stability over time was surprising, as was the infrequency of mentions of technology,” Ogolsky told PsyPost.</p>
<p>But there were some signs of evolution in how relationships were conceptualized. For instance, students in the later study were more likely to refer to conversations about whether to define the relationship, rather than assuming a natural progression. They also described more flexible outcomes, with fewer references to engagement or marriage as the default endpoint. These subtle changes indicate that while the general structure of relationships remains familiar, the pathways people take through them are becoming more diverse.</p>
<p>“There is a lot of consistency in patterns of dating over the years with some variety in the language college students use to describe phases,” Ogolsky said. “We also see shifts in trends related to who daters talk to about their relationships and how they think about the future (e.g., cohabitation, marriage, or something else).”</p>
<p>The researchers noted some limitations. Both samples came from the same university, limiting the generalizability of the findings. Participants were mostly white and heterosexual, meaning that the study may not fully capture the experiences of more diverse or non-traditional relationship types. The open-ended nature of the survey also meant that some nuances may have been missed, and different coders worked on the two studies, which could introduce bias in interpretation.</p>
<p>Future research could explore how these perceived stages relate to actual behaviors or outcomes in relationships, and whether similar patterns emerge in more diverse populations. The researchers also suggest that better understanding how young people think about their relationships—especially in an era of rapid social change—can help improve relationship education and support services on college campuses.</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/pere.12590" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Progression of College Student Romantic Relationship Development: Stability and Change Over 10 Years</a>,” was authored by Brian G. Ogolsky, Kiersten Dobson, Matthew Rivas-Koehl, Ghada Kawas, and Jennifer L. Hardesty</p></p>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/women-who-misrepresent-themselves-on-dating-apps-more-likely-to-consider-cosmetic-surgery/" 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;">Women who misrepresent themselves on dating apps more likely to consider cosmetic surgery</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">May 12th 2025, 12:00</div>
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<p><p>A new study published in <em><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0747563225000159" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Computers in Human Behavior</a></em> has found that women who use dating apps are more likely to express positive attitudes toward cosmetic surgery — and this link is stronger among women who present themselves deceptively online. The research suggests that the image-driven nature of dating apps may be influencing how women feel about their appearance and the lengths they are willing to go to change it.</p>
<p>The researchers conducted this study to better understand how the rise of dating app use affects women’s self-perception, particularly in relation to body image and appearance-enhancing behaviors. As dating apps become a primary way for people to form romantic or sexual connections, they often emphasize visual presentation above all else. This may lead users, especially women, to feel pressure to look a certain way — both online and in real life.</p>
<p>While earlier research has examined how social media platforms like Instagram influence self-image and cosmetic surgery attitudes, relatively little was known about how dating apps specifically affect these outcomes. The authors aimed to fill this gap by exploring how frequently women use dating apps, how they present themselves on those platforms, and whether these factors are linked to their acceptance of cosmetic surgery.</p>
<p>“I was inspired to explore this topic through personal experiences and conversations with friends who expressed dissatisfaction with their appearance—particularly in online spaces—and increasing interest in cosmetic procedures. The growing prevalence of dating apps and curated online self-presentation also sparked curiosity around how these factors might influence body image and openness to cosmetic surgery,” said study author Naomi Burkhardt, a provisional psychologist at the University of South Australia.</p>
<p>The study included 308 adult women, ranging in age from 18 to 72, with an average age of 25. About half of the participants had used a dating app in the past two years. Participants were recruited both online and through university campuses in South Australia. They were asked to complete a set of questionnaires assessing their dating app use, self-presentation style, attitudes toward cosmetic surgery, and whether they had ever undergone cosmetic procedures.</p>
<p>Participants indicated how frequently they used dating apps and identified which apps they used most often. The most common platforms were Tinder, Bumble, and Hinge. The researchers also measured self-presentation styles using validated scales, distinguishing between “real” self-presentation — where individuals portray themselves authentically — and “deceptive” self-presentation, which involves intentionally presenting false or exaggerated information. Attitudes toward cosmetic surgery were assessed using a widely used 15-item scale measuring how positively participants felt about undergoing procedures to improve their appearance.</p>
<p>The findings showed that women who used dating apps reported significantly more positive attitudes toward cosmetic surgery compared to women who did not use these apps. They were also more likely to have had at least one cosmetic procedure. About 18% of the total sample reported having undergone some type of cosmetic surgery, with the most common procedures being dermal fillers, anti-wrinkle injections, eyelid surgery, and breast augmentation.</p>
<p>Importantly, the extent to which women engaged in deceptive self-presentation on dating apps predicted their acceptance of cosmetic surgery, even after controlling for age, education, the number of dating apps used, and how frequently they used them. Women who admitted to presenting themselves in ways that were not true to who they are offline were more likely to express favorable views of cosmetic surgery.</p>
<p>Interestingly, it wasn’t simply how often women used dating apps or how many apps they were on that explained their attitudes toward cosmetic surgery. Rather, it was how they used the apps — specifically, whether they presented a version of themselves that was authentic or deceptive — that made the difference. Women who crafted a more idealized or false version of themselves online were more open to the idea of changing their appearance through surgery, possibly to match the image they were projecting.</p>
<p>“We were intrigued to find that certain self-presentation styles had stronger associations with cosmetic surgery acceptance than others, suggesting that it’s not just app usage but how individuals engage with these platforms that matters,” Burkhardt told PsyPost.</p>
<p>These results suggest that dating apps may play a unique role in shaping women’s appearance-related attitudes and behaviors. The need to upload highly curated or edited photos to attract matches might lead some women to become more dissatisfied with their natural appearance, which in turn could increase interest in cosmetic procedures. The study adds to growing evidence that visual-focused platforms can impact self-esteem and body image, especially when users are motivated to seek validation through appearance.</p>
<p>“Our findings suggest that the way individuals present themselves on dating apps may be linked to greater acceptance of cosmetic surgery, particularly when self-presentation is highly curated or appearance-focused,” Burkhardt explained. “This highlights how social and digital environments can shape not only our self-image but also the choices we consider to alter it.”</p>
<p>The authors argue that dating apps could take steps to reduce this pressure by designing features that promote authenticity. For example, requiring users to take live, unfiltered photos for verification or offering more space for personality-based profiles could reduce the emphasis on appearance. They also suggest that body image interventions, such as promoting self-compassion exercises within the app environment, could help mitigate the psychological effects of deceptive self-presentation.</p>
<p>The study is notable for being one of the first to explore how deceptive self-presentation across a range of dating apps—not just Tinder—relates to cosmetic surgery acceptance. However, the authors acknowledge some limitations. The sample consisted only of women, and while this reflects the fact that women are more likely to undergo cosmetic surgery, it limits the ability to draw conclusions about men’s experiences. Future studies could explore gender differences and include a broader spectrum of app users.</p>
<p>The study also relied on self-reported data, which can be affected by social desirability bias. Some participants might have underreported cosmetic procedures or deceptive behavior due to the sensitive nature of the topics.</p>
<p>Despite these limitations, the study provides insight into how dating app behavior intersects with body image concerns and cosmetic surgery attitudes. As online dating becomes increasingly common, understanding the psychological effects of these platforms is essential for both public health and digital policy. The authors emphasize the need for further research to explore whether similar patterns exist in other populations and whether interventions can reduce the pressure to conform to unrealistic beauty standards online.</p>
<p>“While I’m not personally continuing research in this area, my co-authors, John Mongolia and Lauren Conboy, plan to further explore how digital self-presentation and body image interact, and investigate potential interventions or protective factors,” Burkhardt said. “I’m incredibly grateful to my co-authors for their contributions to this work. Our hope is that this research helps raise awareness around the psychological effects of online self-presentation and contributes to a broader conversation about digital wellbeing.”</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2025.108568" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Swipe, style, surgery: Exploring dating app use, self-presentation style, and acceptance of cosmetic surgery</a>,” was authored by Naomi Burkhardt, John Mingoia, and Lauren Conboy.</p></p>
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<p><strong>Forwarded by:<br />
Michael Reeder LCPC<br />
Baltimore, MD</strong></p>
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