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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/alzheimers-risk-genes-tied-to-subtle-boost-in-social-engagement-before-symptoms-appear/" 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;">Alzheimer’s risk genes tied to subtle boost in social engagement before symptoms appear</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Sep 16th 2025, 10:00</div>
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<p><p>An analysis of the U.K. Biobank data found that a higher genetic risk for Alzheimer’s disease was associated with lower social isolation and greater satisfaction with family relationships. This led the study authors to suggest that very early, subtle changes preceding the onset of Alzheimer’s disease may be linked to stronger family and social connections. The paper was published in the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwaf122"><em>American Journal of Epidemiology</em></a>.</p>
<p>Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder and the most common cause of dementia in older adults. It develops when abnormal protein deposits, primarily amyloid plaques and tau tangles, accumulate in the brain, leading to neuronal death and brain tissue loss.</p>
<p>The disease typically begins in brain regions involved in memory, such as the hippocampus, and gradually spreads to other areas. One of the earliest signs is increasing forgetfulness, especially of recent events, while long-term memories may remain intact during the early stages. As the disease progresses, it affects language, problem-solving, and judgment, making daily tasks more difficult. Personality and mood changes often emerge, with some individuals becoming anxious, depressed, or irritable.</p>
<p>Over time, orientation to time and place deteriorates, and individuals may become disoriented even in familiar environments. Social relationships can be strained as communication abilities decline and independence diminishes. In the advanced stages, people with Alzheimer’s may lose the ability to recognize loved ones, control movement, or perform basic self-care. While there is currently no cure, some treatments may temporarily slow the disease’s progression and improve quality of life.</p>
<p>Study author Scott C. Zimmerman and his colleagues aimed to estimate the effect of genetic risk for Alzheimer’s disease on self-reported measures of social connectedness. They also examined whether these associations changed with age. While prior studies have suggested that social connectedness might protect against Alzheimer’s disease, the authors of this study explored the possibility of reverse causation — that early, preclinical symptoms of Alzheimer’s might influence a person’s social behaviors and relationships.</p>
<p>The researchers analyzed data from the U.K. Biobank, a large cohort study with genetic, physical, and health data collected from over 500,000 individuals across the United Kingdom. They included participants aged 40 and older with available genetic data, resulting in a sample of 487,194 participants. The average age of participants was approximately 56 to 57 years.</p>
<p>The researchers used genetic data to calculate an Alzheimer’s disease genetic risk score, which was based on 26 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). These are small genetic variations involving a change in a single DNA base pair, and they are common markers used in genetic research. The genetic risk score provides an estimate of an individual’s inherited likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s disease based on these known genetic variants.</p>
<p>Importantly, this score represents only a risk estimate. A person with a high genetic risk score may never develop Alzheimer’s, while someone with a low score might still be diagnosed with the disease. The score does not indicate current disease status or future certainty of diagnosis.</p>
<p>The researchers also assessed five self-reported measures of social connectedness: social isolation, loneliness, emotional support, satisfaction with relationships (both family and friendships), and engagement in diverse social activities.</p>
<p>The results showed that individuals with higher genetic risk scores were less likely to be socially isolated, and this association became stronger with increasing age. Those with higher genetic risk also tended to report greater satisfaction with family relationships, though this association weakened as participants aged. Additionally, higher genetic risk was associated with participation in a broader range of social activities. However, there were no significant associations between genetic risk and loneliness, friendship satisfaction, or perceived emotional support.</p>
<p>“Overall, we did not find evidence that higher risk of AD [Alzheimer’s disease] is associated with reduced social connectedness. Instead, preclinical AD symptoms may lead to stronger family relationships and lower social isolation,” the study authors concluded.</p>
<p>The study offers new insight into how genetic predisposition to Alzheimer’s disease may relate to social behaviors in middle-aged and older adults. However, the authors note that participants in the U.K. Biobank are generally healthier than the broader U.K. population, which may limit the generalizability of the findings. Results could differ in more representative samples or in non-U.K. populations.</p>
<p>The paper, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwaf122">The Association of Alzheimer’s Disease Genetic Risk with Social Connectedness in Middle- And Older-Ages</a>,” was authored by Scott C Zimmerman, Ruijia Chen, Mary Thoma, Lucia Pacca, Jillian Hebert, Alicia Riley, Min Hee Kim, Annie Pederson, Yulin Yang, Peter Buto, Willa D Brenowitz, M Maria Glymour, Ashwin Kotwal, and Jacqueline M. Torres.</p></p>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/people-with-adhd-traits-tend-to-take-bigger-financial-risks-but-see-lower-returns-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;">People with ADHD traits tend to take bigger financial risks but see lower returns, study finds</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Sep 16th 2025, 08:00</div>
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<p><p>People who show signs of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder tend to take greater financial risks when trading online, but these decisions may come at a cost. A new study published in <em><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-17467-3" target="_blank">Scientific Reports</a></em> suggests that individuals with higher levels of inattention and impulsivity tend to exhibit riskier trading behavior and experience lower investment returns. The findings raise questions about how psychological traits might affect real-world financial decision-making, especially in environments that encourage fast-paced or speculative trading.</p>
<p>The study was motivated by growing evidence that attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder is linked not only to academic or social difficulties, but also to serious financial challenges in adulthood. Adults with this condition are more likely to report impulsive spending, difficulty saving money, and a higher reliance on debt. Previous research has associated ADHD with a stronger preference for immediate rewards, lower income levels, and less stable employment histories. These patterns suggest that ADHD traits, even when subclinical, may interfere with long-term financial planning and self-regulation.</p>
<p>While earlier studies have focused on diagnosed individuals, this new research aimed to assess how a broader spectrum of ADHD traits might be related to financial behavior, especially in high-risk contexts like online trading. Financial risk tolerance, a person’s willingness to take investment risks, tends to be influenced by factors like age, income, and gender. But little is known about how psychological traits such as inattention and impulsivity might also shape a person’s approach to investing. This study aimed to fill that gap by looking at how ADHD traits relate to trading patterns and portfolio outcomes.</p>
<p>“In our outpatient clinic at the University Hospital Bonn, I noticed that many patients with ADHD shared negative experiences with financial decision making, especially in stock trading,” said study author Max Witry. “Some reported losing large amounts of money due to loss of control and even addictive patterns. This inspired us to investigate further, and we conducted a survey through Getquin, a social media platform where traders communicate.”</p>
<p>The study was conducted using an online survey completed by 945 active online traders, mostly from Germany. The researchers recruited participants through financial platforms such as Getquin, online investment forums, and ADHD-related websites. The median age of participants was 34, and about three-quarters were male. Most had above-average income and education levels, and many reported substantial personal assets. This sample reflected a financially engaged and relatively high-income group of traders.</p>
<p>To assess ADHD traits, participants completed a self-report questionnaire based on diagnostic criteria from the American Psychiatric Association. While the study did not involve clinical diagnosis, it classified participants as “ADHD-positive” if they endorsed a high number of symptoms linked to inattention or hyperactivity, especially if these symptoms reportedly began in childhood and caused impairment in daily life. About 5.7 percent of participants met these criteria.</p>
<p>The survey also included standardized measures of financial risk tolerance. These measures captured how likely someone was to take financial risks in speculative settings, gambling-like situations, and long-term investments. Other questions examined the participants’ actual trading behavior, including how frequently they traded, what kinds of assets they invested in, how often they checked their portfolios, and how well their investments had performed.</p>
<p>The researchers found several notable patterns in the data. First, participants with higher ADHD trait scores were more likely to score high on measures of financial risk tolerance, particularly in the area of speculative risk-taking. This suggests that people with traits such as inattention or impulsivity may be more drawn to short-term, high-variance investments, which often carry higher levels of uncertainty and potential loss.</p>
<p>Second, ADHD traits were associated with lower actual portfolio returns. In other words, the same individuals who showed a stronger appetite for financial risk also tended to see weaker outcomes from their investment strategies. This connection was statistically modest but consistent across several analyses.</p>
<p>When the researchers conducted regression analyses to look at specific predictors of ADHD traits, they found that more frequent trading, greater speculative risk-taking, and more optimistic expectations about investment returns were all linked to higher ADHD trait scores. On the other hand, individuals who reported stronger performance in their investment portfolios and who scored higher on investment knowledge and emotional control were less likely to report ADHD traits.</p>
<p>The data also pointed to some surprising findings. While impulsivity is often thought to drive risk-taking behavior, the researchers found that inattention was more strongly linked to financial risk tolerance. The researchers suggest that inattention may interfere with a person’s ability to follow through on strategic plans or to filter out distractions, which could lead to impulsive or ill-timed investment decisions. </p>
<p>“You don’t necessarily need a formal ADHD diagnosis for ADHD-related traits to affect financial decision making,” Witry told PsyPost. “Interestingly, we found that inattention—rather than impulsivity—was more strongly linked to financial risk-taking and poorer portfolio outcomes. This may seem counterintuitive, but inattention can lead to mistakes and difficulties in executing strategies, which may be more harmful than expected.”</p>
<p>There were also notable gender differences. Men reported higher financial risk tolerance and stronger investment returns overall. But among women in the sample, ADHD traits were linked to lower financial risk tolerance and poorer outcomes. This suggests that ADHD traits may influence financial behavior in different ways depending on gender, possibly due to differences in how men and women approach trading or respond to financial stress.</p>
<p>As with all research, there are limitations. Because the research used a cross-sectional design, it cannot show cause and effect. Longitudinal studies that follow individuals over time will be needed to better understand these relationships. Another limitation is that the study relied on self-report questionnaires rather than clinical assessments. While the tools used were based on validated diagnostic criteria, they cannot replace a full evaluation by a trained professional. </p>
<p>“The cross-sectional design of our study means we cannot draw conclusions about causality, and future studies are needed,” Witry said.</p>
<p>Despite these limitations, the findings suggest that ADHD traits may have meaningful consequences for financial decision-making, especially in fast-paced or high-risk environments like online trading. Traits such as inattention and impulsivity may increase susceptibility to behavioral biases, such as overconfidence, loss aversion, or chasing short-term gains.</p>
<p>The researchers plan to build on these findings with future studies that include controlled simulations. “Our next step is to compare individuals with a confirmed ADHD diagnosis to control participants in a laboratory setting,” Witry explained. “They will complete questionnaires and participate in stock trading simulations, which will allow us to better understand the mechanisms at play.”</p>
<p>“It’s important for physicians and psychotherapists to be aware of the potential risks related to financial decision making in ADHD. Raising awareness and taking preventive measures could be a first step in helping those affected.”</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-17467-3" target="_blank">ADHD traits and financial decision making in stock trading</a>,” was authored by Max Witry, Marcel Schulze, Niclas Braun, Henrik Rohner, Johannes Weller, Philipp Müller, Alexandra Philipsen, and Markus Kölle.</p></p>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/the-way-you-blink-reveals-how-music-is-shaping-your-attention-new-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;">The way you blink reveals how music is shaping your attention, new study finds</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Sep 16th 2025, 06:00</div>
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<p><p>A new study published in <em><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-12200-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Scientific Reports</a></em> provides evidence that blinking acts as a subtle but meaningful marker of attention and can become synchronized with the dynamic features of music. This synchronization appears to shape how attention functions. The findings suggest that music not only affects attention during listening but may also influence how people prepare for and respond to cognitively demanding tasks once the music stops.</p>
<p>The new study was conducted by Schea Fissel Brannick, an associate professor in the Speech-Language Pathology Program at Midwestern University and principal investigator of <a href="https://www.translationaladaptedgroup.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Translational Adapted Group (TAG) Lab</a>, and Arianna N. LaCroix, an assistant professor in the Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences at Purdue University and director of the <a href="https://hhs.purdue.edu/abclab/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Aphasia Brain Injury Communication and Cognition (ABC) Lab</a>. Their shared research interests center on cognitive rehabilitation and the role of attention in language recovery, particularly in populations affected by stroke.</p>
<p>“This study grew out of our interest in supporting persons with aphasia—a language disorder that can also affect attention after a stroke. However, some attentional functions also decline as we age, even in the absence of stroke/neurological injury,” the researchers told PsyPost.</p>
<p>“So in general, I think there’s a lot of interest in how we might strengthen or ‘tune’ attention in the growing populations of aging adults, many who are at risk for stroke and aphasia. As a first step, or proof-of-concept, we designed this study to evaluate music as a potential way to strength/tune attention in aging adults without neurological problems, with the hope to extend our findings to stroke survivors with aphasia.”</p>
<p>The study involved 57 participants between the ages of 50 and 84. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three listening conditions: high dynamic music, low dynamic music, or silence. The high dynamic piece was a fast, emotionally bright violin sonata by Mendelssohn, while the low dynamic piece was a slower, emotionally somber string quartet by Shostakovich. Both pieces were selected based on their acoustic features, including tempo, volume changes, and spectral novelty (which refers to how much the frequency content of the music varies over time).</p>
<p>Before and after the 10-minute listening period, participants completed the Attention Network Test, a task designed to measure three components of attention: alerting (readiness), orienting (shifting focus), and executive control (handling conflicting information). During all phases of the experiment, researchers used high-precision eye-tracking to record blinking behavior, which has been shown in previous research to reflect shifts in attention.</p>
<p>To analyze the data, the researchers used advanced statistical modeling techniques to compare blink probability across the different listening conditions and during specific time windows. They also examined how blinking aligned with changes in the music’s acoustic structure, especially spectral novelty, in order to assess whether attention was entraining, or synchronizing, to the rhythm and complexity of the music.</p>
<p>During the music listening phase, the researchers found that participants showed non-linear patterns of blinking that aligned with the music’s changing acoustic features. Those listening to the high dynamic music tended to blink more in response to rapidly shifting sound patterns, suggesting early-stage coupling between attention and music. This group exhibited small increases in blink probability roughly 400 milliseconds after spikes in spectral novelty.</p>
<p>By contrast, the low dynamic music group showed delayed and reduced blinking during similar moments, with blink suppression occurring about 1.35 seconds after changes in the music. These patterns point to distinct modes of attentional engagement, with high dynamic music prompting more immediate attentional shifts and low dynamic music potentially supporting more sustained focus.</p>
<p>After the listening phase, the groups showed different patterns of blink behavior during the attention test. When measuring the alerting component—how well participants responded to advance warning cues—those who listened to low dynamic music blinked less following double cue trials, which typically signal the start of an upcoming task. This blink suppression suggests heightened readiness to act. In contrast, participants who listened to high dynamic music were more likely to blink in these moments, which may reflect a shift toward internally guided timing rather than external cue monitoring.</p>
<p>The researchers also observed group differences in executive control, measured by participants’ responses to conflicting information. The low dynamic music group blinked more frequently and earlier during these high-conflict trials, suggesting more efficient attentional resetting. Earlier blinking was associated with better performance on the task, although not necessarily with faster response times.</p>
<p>“In the behavioral predecessor to this paper (<a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1029773/full" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dovorany et al., 2023</a>), we were surprised to find that participants were faster on incongruent trials after listening to sad (low-dynamic) music, but not happy (high-dynamic) music,” Fissel and LaCroix explained. “So, in the present study where we analyzed eye blinking in relation to behavioral performance, we were on the lookout for unique eye blinking patterns in the low-dynamic group, but weren’t exactly sure what this might look like.</p>
<p>“Interestingly, participants who listened to Shostakovich (i.e., ‘low-dynamic’ piece), blinked earlier and before execution of their motor responses, which compared to the other groups, were more accurate and slightly faster than the other groups.”</p>
<p>“Converging publications suggest that blink inhibition (i.e., not blinking) constitutes an information processing phase that ends at the onset of a blink, which is timed to avoid missing relevant information,” the researchers continued. “Recently, <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-39500-z" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Callara (2023)</a> and colleagues suggested that in addition to signaling the end of an attentional processing window, the onset of a blink may also serve to compare post blink information to pre blink information; possibly embodying temporal difference learning.”</p>
<p>“While our trial and cue types were unpredictable, the timing of cue/trial onset was kept predictable within our attention network task. This allowed us to capture some universal effects of stimulus-blinking relationships, such as to alerting cues (e.g., double cue, versus no-cue trials). For example, we found that all participants, when expecting a cue but not seeing one (as in the no-cue condition), tended to blink. This result shows that all participants attended to the violation of their prediction, which further appeared to require a brief reset of the attentional system (i.e., the blink), which aligns with some of Callara’s ideas.”</p>
<p>“Overall, those assigned to listen to Shostakovich showed more gradual but sustained synchrony to the dynamics of this piece and after listening, performed better on incongruent trials which were the most attentionally demanding. Their performance was accompanied by a pattern of earlier blinking that tended to align with but precede their motor responses.”</p>
<p>As with any study, there are some limitations. Only two musical pieces were used, which narrows the range of conclusions that can be drawn about how different types of music affect attention. Future research could explore whether other genres, rhythms, or levels of acoustic complexity produce similar effects. It also remains unclear how long these effects last beyond the immediate post-listening period. Longitudinal studies would help determine whether repeated exposure to certain types of music can offer more lasting cognitive benefits.</p>
<p>Still, the findings provide promising early evidence that certain musical characteristics—particularly those found in slower, less complex compositions—can entrain attention in meaningful ways, potentially boosting readiness and executive function in aging adults. The researchers hope to apply this work to clinical populations, such as individuals recovering from stroke or living with aphasia, for whom attentional tuning could play a key role in rehabilitation.</p>
<p>“The idea that attentional synchrony to a specific category of rhythmic inputs, such as the dynamics of the Shostakovich composition, improves attentional efficiency in older adults without neurological problems, is fascinating and one that we hope will be explored further,” Fissel and LaCroix said. “We have lots of outstanding questions about this constellation of findings. Was our older demographic specifically more attuned to the slower more somber music of Shostakovich, making it easier to synchronize with the dynamics of this composition? Or would we see a similar response in a younger demographic?”</p>
<p>“Does earlier blinking on sufficiently challenging trials, implying a shorter processing window, suggest greater response confidence and/or the lack of self-referential processing, as in a state of flow? Or was this group simply more computationally efficient at selectively attending to the target, or conversely perhaps, better at encoding the distractors as irrelevant? We are looking forward to (hopefully) exploring some of these questions in the future.”</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-12200-6">Blinking indexes dynamic attending during and after music listening</a>,” was published July 16, 2025.</p></p>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/new-paper-unpacks-how-trump-uses-strategic-victimhood-to-justify-retaliation/" 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 paper unpacks how Trump uses “strategic victimhood” to justify retaliation</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Sep 15th 2025, 20:00</div>
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<p><p>A new paper published in <em><a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/journalmedia6030134" target="_blank">Journalism and Media</a></em> suggests Donald Trump’s frequent claims of victimhood were more than rhetorical flair. The analysis indicates these narratives functioned as strategic tools to justify retributive policies, including sweeping global trade tariffs. The findings offer insight into how emotional appeals can legitimize authoritarian governance.</p>
<p>The author of the new paper, Marianna Patrona of the Hellenic Army Academy, sought to better understand how authoritarian populist leaders like Donald Trump use victimhood as a strategic communication tool—particularly how this rhetoric evolves once such figures gain power. While prior research had explored the emotional and symbolic power of victimhood in political discourse, Patrona saw a need to examine how these claims functioned within broader patterns of political communication and policy legitimation.</p>
<p>To explore this evolving use of victimhood rhetoric, Patrona employed Critical Discourse Analysis, a qualitative method that examines how language shapes and is shaped by social power dynamics. Her dataset included a range of Trump’s public communications from 2020 through early 2025, encompassing campaign rallies, media appearances, social media posts, and official speeches during both his first and second terms in office.</p>
<p>Patrona’s approach focused on identifying patterns in Trump’s language, especially in how he constructed binaries of “victims” and “victimizers.” She paid close attention to the strategic use of emotionally charged terms, repeated metaphors, and speech acts such as promises and threats. Her analysis also examined how victimhood narratives intersected with broader populist themes, including nationalism, anti-elitism, and xenophobia.</p>
<p>A key feature of Patrona’s analysis was her identification of a new communicative pattern that emerged after Trump’s 2024 election victory. This pattern, which she terms “inflicted pain plus retribution,” was used to frame the United States as a long-suffering victim of international exploitation. Trump then used these narratives to announce retaliatory economic measures, such as imposing global trade tariffs.</p>
<p>Patrona’s findings indicate that Trump’s rhetorical style hinges on presenting both himself and the American public as victims of unfair treatment. During his first term, this often took the form of labeling investigations against him as “witch hunts” or “election interference.” These expressions created a moral narrative in which Trump positioned himself as a martyr persecuted by a corrupt system, while simultaneously reinforcing his outsider identity.</p>
<p>In the run-up to and following the 2024 election, Patrona observed a significant shift. Victimhood was no longer just about Trump’s personal grievances or domestic elites. It became nationalized and externalized. Foreign countries, especially those involved in trade with the United States, were framed as exploitative aggressors. Nations like Canada, Mexico, and members of the European Union were described using vivid, emotionally charged language—such as having “raped” or “plundered” American industry.</p>
<p>These accusations were then used to justify economic retaliation. In a highly publicized speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos and other venues, Trump framed trade imbalances as injuries inflicted on the United States. He followed these claims with promises to take action, often using declarative language that signaled immediate and irreversible consequences, such as “we’re going to do something about it” or “they’re going to pay.”</p>
<p>Patrona argues that these statements function as commissive speech acts—language that commits the speaker to a future course of action. In this case, they served to justify executive decisions like the imposition of variable tariffs on nearly all trading partners, actions that disrupted longstanding norms around global trade.</p>
<p>Trump’s speeches also frequently featured a narrative structure with clear emotional cues. He recounted personal threats, such as <a href="https://www.psypost.org/researchers-rushed-to-study-the-aftermath-of-the-trump-shooting-heres-what-they-found/" target="_blank">the assassination attempt</a> at a 2024 campaign rally, as part of a larger story about national suffering and moral courage. This blending of personal and national victimhood allowed Trump to present himself as both a survivor and a savior—someone who not only endured injustice but would also avenge it on behalf of the country.</p>
<p>Patrona’s paper is qualitative in nature and based on a selective corpus of Trump’s public communications. This means the findings are interpretive rather than statistical and should not be taken as representative of all populist leaders or all contexts. The focus on Trump also limits generalizability, although the detailed case study provides a useful framework for analyzing similar rhetorical patterns in other leaders.</p>
<p>Another limitation is the paper’s reliance on publicly available content, which may exclude behind-the-scenes communications or strategy documents that could shed more light on the intentionality behind the rhetoric. Still, the public nature of the material makes it particularly relevant for understanding the relationship between political communication and audience engagement.</p>
<p>Future research could expand on Patrona’s findings by examining how audiences respond to these narratives. Do they accept the framing of foreign nations as aggressors? Are they persuaded by victimhood claims that precede retributive policies? Additionally, comparative studies could investigate whether similar rhetorical strategies are used by other populist leaders in different geopolitical contexts, especially those who have risen to power on platforms of economic nationalism or cultural grievance.</p>
<p>Patrona concludes “that authoritarian victimhood rhetoric is far from innocuous. It is much more than simple packaging, form devoid of content; rather, it both anticipates and puts to work anti-democratic, coercive, and illiberal governance and policies, once authoritarian populists are granted executive power post-electorally.”</p>
<p>The paper, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/journalmedia6030134" target="_blank">From Victim to Avenger: Trump’s Performance of Strategic Victimhood and the Waging of Global Trade War</a>,” was published August 30, 2025.</p></p>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/personalized-brain-stimulation-shows-promise-as-fast-acting-depression-treatment/" 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;">Personalized brain stimulation shows promise as fast-acting depression treatment</a>
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<p><p>A more precise form of noninvasive brain stimulation, tailored to an individual’s brain structure, may offer a faster and more effective path to relief for people with moderate to major depression. A new study from UCLA Health suggests this personalized approach can reduce depressive symptoms in less than two weeks, with a notable portion of participants achieving remission. The findings, published in <em><a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2838763" target="_blank" rel="noopener">JAMA Network Open</a></em>, point toward a potential new therapeutic option that is both well-tolerated and targeted at the specific brain circuits implicated in the disorder.</p>
<p>The researchers embarked on this study to address a persistent challenge in mental healthcare: the limitations of existing treatments for depression. While antidepressant medications and psychotherapies are effective for many, a substantial number of individuals do not respond to them, even after trying multiple options. These standard treatments can also take several weeks or even months to show a benefit and are sometimes accompanied by undesirable side effects, such as weight gain or sleep problems. This gap in care highlights a need for new therapies that are not only effective but also work quickly and have a favorable safety profile.</p>
<p>Scientific understanding of depression has evolved to view it not just as a chemical imbalance but as a condition involving disruptions in large-scale brain networks. Brain imaging studies have identified patterns of altered activity in circuits that manage emotional processing and self-related thoughts. Specifically, a network known as the frontoparietal network, which includes a region called the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), often shows reduced activity on the left side of the brain. At the same time, networks associated with internal thoughts and emotional responses can become overactive.</p>
<p>A treatment called transcranial direct current stimulation, or tDCS, was developed to address this imbalance. It uses scalp electrodes to deliver a weak electrical current to nudge brain activity back toward a healthier state. However, conventional tDCS uses large electrodes that deliver a diffuse, unfocused current, which may not precisely stimulate the intended DLPFC target.</p>
<p>The researchers theorized that a newer, more focused method called high-definition tDCS (HD-tDCS), which uses a cluster of smaller electrodes, could be more effective by delivering a more concentrated electrical field to the exact target. Combined with personalization using MRI scans to pinpoint the target location for each participant, the team hypothesized that this approach would yield better clinical results.</p>
<p>To test this hypothesis, the scientists designed a randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled clinical trial, which is considered a high standard for medical research. They recruited 71 adults between the ages of 18 and 65 who were currently experiencing a moderate to severe major depressive episode. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two groups. One group received the active, personalized HD-tDCS treatment. The other group received a sham, or placebo, treatment.</p>
<p>The “double-blind” aspect meant that neither the participants nor the researchers administering the treatment knew who was receiving the active or sham stimulation until the study concluded. This design helps prevent expectations from influencing the results.</p>
<p>Each participant underwent an MRI scan at the beginning of the study. This scan was used to create a 3D model of their brain, allowing the researchers to identify the exact coordinates of the left DLPFC target for each individual. For every treatment session, a specialized neuronavigation system guided the placement of the five small electrodes on the scalp to ensure precision.</p>
<p>The treatment course consisted of 12 daily sessions, each lasting 20 minutes, administered over consecutive workdays. The active group received a constant 2-milliamp current aimed at exciting the hypoactive left DLPFC. The sham group experienced a brief ramp-up and ramp-down of the current at the beginning and end of the session, creating a tingling sensation similar to the real treatment, but received only a negligible current for the remainder of the 20 minutes. The severity of participants’ depression was measured before, during, and after the treatment course using the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD), a standard clinical assessment.</p>
<p>The results of the trial showed a clear benefit for the active treatment group. Participants who received the personalized HD-tDCS experienced a significantly greater reduction in their depression scores compared to those who received the sham stimulation. This improvement was not only statistically significant but also appeared rapidly. A noticeable difference between the two groups was already evident at the study’s midpoint, after just six treatment sessions. By the end of the 12 sessions, the average reduction in depression scores was substantially larger in the active group.</p>
<p>Beyond the general improvement in mood, the researchers looked at specific clinical milestones. They found that the rate of remission, defined as a reduction of symptoms to a point where a person is considered no longer clinically depressed, was significantly higher in the active treatment group. Nearly 40 percent of participants receiving personalized HD-tDCS achieved remission, compared to just over 13 percent in the sham group.</p>
<p>The rate of response, defined as at least a 50 percent reduction in symptoms, was also higher in the active group (42 percent versus 27 percent), although this particular difference did not reach statistical significance. An exploratory analysis also revealed that the treatment significantly improved anxiety symptoms, which frequently accompany depression. The intervention was well tolerated, with participants reporting only mild side effects like temporary skin redness or itching at the electrode sites.</p>
<p>Although the findings are promising, the researchers identified several limitations to their study. The trial was not designed to examine how HD-tDCS might interact with antidepressant medications, which many participants were taking. It is possible that the treatment’s effects could differ in people who are not on medication. The study’s follow-up period was also relatively short, and it did not include maintenance or “booster” sessions. While the benefits in the active group appeared stable at two and four weeks post-treatment, longer trials with maintenance protocols are needed to determine the durability of the positive effects.</p>
<p>Future research could also work to optimize the treatment protocol, perhaps by extending the number of sessions, as participants’ mood scores were still improving at the end of the 12-day course. Finally, a direct head-to-head comparison with conventional, less-focused tDCS would be necessary to definitively establish the superiority of the high-definition, personalized method. Such studies could confirm whether the enhanced precision is the key factor behind the promising results. Additional work could also explore the potential of this therapy for treating anxiety disorders, given the observed reduction in anxiety symptoms.</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2838763" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Personalized High-Definition Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation for the Treatment of Depression: A Randomized Clinical Trial</a>,” was authored by Mayank A. Jog, Viviane Norris, Paloma Pfeiffer, Brandon Taraku, Suzanne Kozikowski, Jacquelyn Schneider, Michael Boucher, Marco Iacoboni, Roger Woods, and Katherine Narr.</p></p>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/a-new-window-into-alzheimers-brain-inflammation-marker-detected-years-before-symptoms-appear/" 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;">A new window into Alzheimer’s: Brain inflammation marker detected years before symptoms appear</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Sep 15th 2025, 16:00</div>
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<p><p>Scientists may have identified a way to detect the earliest biological signs of Alzheimer’s disease, long before the onset of memory loss and cognitive decline. A new study published in <em><a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00401-025-02912-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Acta Neuropathologica</a></em> reveals that a protein indicating brain inflammation appears in a specific brain region at the same time as the first pathological hallmarks of the disease. This discovery could pave the way for earlier diagnoses and new therapeutic strategies aimed at halting the neurodegenerative disorder in its initial stages.</p>
<p>Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive brain disorder that gradually destroys memory, thinking skills, and eventually, the ability to carry out simple tasks. For decades, research has focused on two key features of the disease: the buildup of sticky protein clumps called amyloid-beta plaques outside of nerve cells, and the formation of tangled tau proteins inside them. Another significant component of the disease is neuroinflammation, a persistent inflammatory response in the brain.</p>
<p>This inflammation is largely driven by the brain’s resident immune cells, known as microglia. While neuroinflammation is known to be an early event in Alzheimer’s, the precise timing, location, and cellular details of its onset have remained unclear. Researchers conducted this study to create a detailed timeline of these early changes, hoping to identify a reliable biomarker that could signal the disease’s presence at its most nascent phase.</p>
<p>To achieve this, the research team used a comprehensive approach, tracking the disease’s progression in a well-established mouse model of Alzheimer’s. The mice, known as 5XFAD mice, are genetically engineered to develop an aggressive, early-onset form of the disease that mirrors some aspects of inherited Alzheimer’s in humans. The scientists studied both male and female mice at multiple life stages: 1.5, 3, 7, and 12 months of age. This life-course analysis allowed them to map out the sequence of pathological events, from the molecular level to observable behavioral changes.</p>
<p>The investigation began by establishing when cognitive symptoms appeared. Using a spatial learning test called the Barnes maze, the researchers found that female 5XFAD mice began showing significant memory deficits at 7 months of age, while males showed deficits at 12 months. This confirmed that any biological changes occurring before these time points could be considered pre-symptomatic.</p>
<p>Next, the team examined the brains of the mice for the telltale amyloid-beta plaques. They discovered that the very first plaques appeared at just 1.5 months of age, and they did so in a specific brain region called the subiculum, an area associated with the hippocampus and involved in memory. In concert with this, blood tests revealed that a serum ratio of two amyloid-beta peptides, a known indicator of early plaque formation, was also elevated at 1.5 months.</p>
<p>In contrast, another blood biomarker called neurofilament light chain, which signals neuron damage, did not rise until much later, around 7 months of age. This timeline showed that amyloid pathology begins months before cognitive symptoms emerge and well before widespread nerve cell damage occurs.</p>
<p>The central focus of the study was a protein called Translocator protein 18 kDa, or TSPO. This protein is present at low levels in a healthy brain but increases significantly when brain cells are under stress or during inflammation, making it a key indicator of neuroinflammation. Using a technique called quantitative autoradiography, which measures protein levels in brain slices, the researchers measured TSPO across different brain regions and ages.</p>
<p>TSPO levels first increased at 1.5 months of age, at the same time and in the exact same brain region, the subiculum, where the first amyloid plaques appeared. As the mice aged and plaques spread to other areas like the hippocampus and cortex, TSPO levels rose in those regions as well. This finding directly linked the onset of neuroinflammation to the initial formation of amyloid pathology, long before any cognitive impairment was detectable.</p>
<p>Having established this connection, the researchers sought to identify which brain cells were responsible for producing the excess TSPO. Using an advanced imaging technique called quadruple-label immunofluorescence confocal microscopy, they were able to simultaneously visualize amyloid plaques, TSPO, microglia, and a second type of brain support cell called astrocytes.</p>
<p>The analysis revealed that the surge in TSPO was almost exclusively located in microglia. While astrocytes also became activated as the disease progressed, they did not show an increase in TSPO. Going a step further, the analysis showed that the microglia with the highest concentrations of TSPO were those in direct physical contact with amyloid plaques. Microglia located farther away from plaques showed much lower TSPO levels. This indicates that the TSPO signal seen in brain scans is not just a general sign of inflammation but specifically reflects the activity of immune cells engaging with amyloid pathology.</p>
<p>To determine if these findings in mice were relevant to humans, the team performed a similar analysis on postmortem brain tissue from people who had an aggressive, early-onset form of Alzheimer’s caused by a specific genetic mutation (PSEN1-E280A). This form of the disease has a rapid progression similar to that seen in the 5XFAD mice. The human brain tissue analysis confirmed the mouse findings.</p>
<p>TSPO levels were significantly elevated in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients compared to healthy controls. The increased TSPO was again localized to microglia, and the microglia containing the most TSPO were those clustered around amyloid plaques. This confirmation provides strong evidence that the mechanisms observed in the mouse model are applicable to human disease.</p>
<p>The study does have some limitations. The analysis of human tissue was conducted on a small number of samples, all of which were from male subjects. Future work should include a larger and more diverse group of human samples. Additionally, both the mouse model and the human cases studied represent early-onset, genetically driven forms of Alzheimer’s, which account for a small fraction of all cases. Research is needed to see if these findings hold true for the more common, late-onset sporadic form of the disease.</p>
<p>The researchers are already beginning to address these questions by studying mouse models that lack the TSPO protein and by expanding their work to include late-onset Alzheimer’s cases. The ultimate goal is to translate these findings into clinical applications that can help patients before irreversible brain damage occurs.</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s00401-025-02912-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Amyloid-β plaque-associated microglia drive TSPO upregulation in Alzheimer’s disease</a>,” was authored by Daniel A. Martinez-Perez, Jennifer L. McGlothan, Alexander N. Rodichkin, Karam Abilmouna, Zoran Bursac, Francisco Lopera, Carlos Andres Villegas-Lanau, and Tomás R. Guilarte.</p></p>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/new-evidence-suggests-brains-opioid-system-helps-mediate-ketamines-antidepressant-effects/" 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 evidence suggests brain’s opioid system helps mediate ketamine’s antidepressant effects</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Sep 15th 2025, 14:00</div>
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<p><p>A new study published in <em><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-025-03800-w" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nature Medicine</a></em> provides more evidence that ketamine’s rapid antidepressant effects may be partially dependent on the brain’s opioid system. The researchers found that blocking opioid receptors with the drug naltrexone reduced both the brain’s glutamate response and the clinical antidepressant effects typically seen after ketamine infusion. These findings offer new insights into how ketamine works and could help guide more personalized treatments for depression in the future.</p>
<p>Ketamine is best known as a fast-acting antidepressant that can relieve symptoms within hours, even for people who have not responded to traditional medications. It has become a focus of major interest in psychiatry due to its ability to improve mood rapidly, especially in severe and treatment-resistant depression. But exactly how ketamine works remains an open question.</p>
<p>Most research has focused on ketamine’s ability to influence glutamate, the brain’s main excitatory neurotransmitter. Ketamine blocks certain receptors that usually inhibit brain activity. By doing so, it triggers a burst of glutamate release that is thought to spark changes in neural circuits related to mood regulation. These effects include increased synaptic plasticity and the growth of new connections between neurons.</p>
<p>However, some researchers have begun to question whether the glutamate pathway tells the whole story. Preclinical studies have suggested that the body’s opioid system—normally associated with pain relief and pleasure—might also play a role. For example, <a href="https://www.psypost.org/brains-opioid-system-plays-a-key-role-in-ketamines-antidepressant-effects-study-finds/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">animal studies have shown</a> that ketamine’s antidepressant-like effects are reduced when opioid receptors are blocked. Clinical studies have been limited but hint in a similar direction.</p>
<p>This new study was designed to test whether the opioid system helps shape the brain’s glutamate response to ketamine, and whether this interaction matters for mood improvement.</p>
<p>“Ketamine is a fast-acting antidepressant, including for people who have not responded to other treatments, but the brain mechanisms behind these rapid effects are not fully understood. Most work has focused on glutamatergic signalling; however emerging evidence suggests the brain’s opioid system may also contribute. We set out to test whether blocking opioid receptors would alter ketamine’s acute glutamatergic and clinical effects in individuals with depression,” said study author Luke Jelen, a clinical lecturer in psychiatry at King’s College London.</p>
<p>The study involved 26 adults with moderate to severe depression who had not responded well to at least one prior antidepressant treatment. Each participant took part in two sessions, spaced several weeks apart.</p>
<p>In both sessions, participants received an intravenous infusion of ketamine while lying in an MRI scanner. In one session, they received a placebo pill before the infusion. In the other, they were given a 50 milligram dose of naltrexone—an opioid receptor blocker used to treat opioid and alcohol use disorders. The study was double-blind, meaning neither the participants nor the researchers knew which pill was given during each session.</p>
<p>The researchers used a technique called functional magnetic resonance spectroscopy to monitor real-time changes in glutamatergic activity in a part of the brain called the anterior cingulate cortex. This region has been linked to mood regulation and is often studied in depression research. The researchers also assessed depression symptoms before and after each session using several rating scales, including the clinician-rated Montgomery–Åsberg Depression Rating Scale.</p>
<p>When participants received ketamine after the placebo pill, their brains showed the expected increase in glutamatergic activity. This was measured as an increase in the ratio of glutamate and glutamine to a reference metabolite called total N-acetylaspartate. Participants also experienced a substantial improvement in depressive symptoms the day after the infusion.</p>
<p>However, when participants were pretreated with naltrexone, the picture changed. The increase in brain glutamatergic activity during the ketamine infusion was significantly reduced. At the same time, the antidepressant effect of ketamine—while still present—was blunted. On the primary depression scale, scores improved less than in the placebo condition, and the effect size was moderate. In contrast, self-reported measures of mood and pleasure did not show a statistically significant difference between the two conditions.</p>
<p>These findings suggest that ketamine’s rapid effects on mood may rely, at least in part, on a dynamic interaction between the brain’s glutamate and opioid systems. One possibility is that blocking the opioid system reduces the amount of glutamate released, or interferes with how glutamate supports the brain’s ability to adapt and reorganize in response to treatment.</p>
<p>The imaging data pointed to changes in brain chemistry that occurred within the first half hour of the ketamine infusion, a time window that aligns with prior research showing peak changes in glutamate levels. While this study focused on a single dose of racemic ketamine, other research has suggested that the S-enantiomer of ketamine, which has higher affinity for opioid receptors, may play a stronger role in the drug’s antidepressant effects.</p>
<p>“In 26 adults with major depressive disorder, taking 50 mg oral naltrexone (opioid antagonist) before a standard ketamine infusion (0.5 mg/kg over 40 min) reduced both the acute ketamine-induced increase in glutamatergic activity in the anterior cingulate (a brain region involved in mood regulation) and the next-day improvement on a clinician-rated depression scale,” Jelen told PsyPost. “This suggests the opioid system helps mediate ketamine’s acute antidepressant response.”</p>
<p>“Importantly, ketamine is not classified as an opioid and does not bind to opioid receptors with high affinity like morphine or heroin. Instead, these findings point to a dynamic interaction between glutamatergic and opioid systems which may work together to support ketamine’s rapid action.”</p>
<p>The authors caution that their study was small and focused on brain chemistry rather than long-term treatment outcomes. Because of its crossover design, each participant served as their own control, but the number of participants was still limited. While the reduction in glutamate activity and mood improvement was statistically significant when naltrexone was used, the findings should be replicated in larger and more diverse samples.</p>
<p>Another open question is whether these effects differ between males and females. Although the study was not designed to test sex differences, exploratory analyses suggested that the interaction between ketamine and the opioid system may be more pronounced in male participants.</p>
<p>“We observed a possible sex-related effect: the naltrexone-related dampening of glutamatergic activity appeared more pronounced in males than females,” Jelen said. “This analysis was exploratory and the study was not powered to test sex differences, so it requires confirmation, although it aligns with some preclinical reports.”</p>
<p>In the long run, this line of research may help identify who is most likely to benefit from ketamine treatment and under what conditions. If certain people rely more on the opioid system for the antidepressant effects of ketamine, clinicians may need to account for this when planning treatment. For example, people taking opioid blockers like naltrexone or those with altered opioid signaling might experience weaker benefits.</p>
<p>“Next, we need a larger well-powered trial that includes a placebo-infusion arm, adds PET imaging to quantify opioid-receptor engagement, and pre-specifies sex-stratified analyses,” Jelen explained. “Examining repeated dosing and longer follow-up will show whether these acute effects translate to clinical outcomes. Ultimately, understanding ketamine’s mechanisms should help us personalize treatment- identifying who benefits, under what conditions, and how to do so safely.”</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-025-03800-w" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Effect of naltrexone pretreatment on ketamine-induced glutamatergic activity and symptoms of depression: a randomized crossover study</a>,” was authored by Luke A. Jelen, David J. Lythgoe, James M. Stone, Allan H. Young, and Mitul A. Mehta.</p></p>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/new-study-links-cognitive-style-to-health-misinformation-detection/" 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 study links cognitive style to health misinformation detection</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Sep 15th 2025, 12:00</div>
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<p><p>A new study published in <em><a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0315259" target="_blank" rel="noopener">PLOS One</a></em> sheds light on how people respond to health-related disinformation on social media. The research suggests that people who enjoy thinking critically and analytically tend to be better at identifying false or misleading content. Political affiliation also played a role in some cases, with liberals tending to perform better than conservatives at evaluating politically charged posts. But across the board, the trait known as “need for cognition” was the strongest predictor of successfully spotting disinformation.</p>
<p>The study was motivated by ongoing concern about the spread of false health information online. In recent years, social media platforms have enabled widespread exposure to disinformation, including dangerous claims about vaccines, alternative cures, and public health guidance. While misinformation can be shared innocently, disinformation refers to content that is intentionally deceptive.</p>
<p>Acting on false health claims can have serious consequences, such as avoiding effective treatments or embracing harmful remedies. During the COVID-19 pandemic, disinformation campaigns contributed to poor health decisions, with some estimates linking these beliefs to thousands of preventable deaths.</p>
<p>Against this backdrop, researchers have become increasingly interested in why some people fall for disinformation while others do not. Past studies have pointed to a range of factors, including political beliefs, cognitive style, and personality traits. This new study aimed to determine whether the need for cognition or political affiliation was a more consistent predictor of a person’s ability to detect false claims about health.</p>
<p>“In 2022, I conducted two studies about detecting disinformation in health-related social media posts. The studies featured student participants, and I wanted to extend the work to a larger, general population,” said study author Joey F. George, distinguished professor emeritus at Iowa State University.</p>
<p>“At the same time, there was a debate in the literature about the key factors that affected detection success, specifically need for cognition and political affiliation. I wanted to add to this debate by comparing the roles of need for cognition and political affiliation in disinformation detection, using a large U.S.-based sample.”</p>
<p>To explore this question, the researcher recruited 508 American adults through a survey panel. The participants were shown 10 different social media posts, each making a claim related to health. Some posts were accurate, while others contained false or misleading information. Sixty percent of the posts were considered disinformation. After viewing each post, participants were asked to judge whether it was honest or dishonest and explain the reasoning behind their decision by selecting from a list of possible justifications.</p>
<p>George also collected background data on each participant, including political affiliation, education, income, and gender. In addition, participants completed a short questionnaire to assess their level of need for cognition. This trait refers to how much a person enjoys and engages in analytical thinking. People high in need for cognition tend to prefer complex problems and deliberate reasoning, while those low in this trait may rely more on intuition or surface-level cues.</p>
<p>Each participant was randomly assigned to view one of two versions of the survey, with each version containing a different mix of 10 posts. The posts covered a range of topics, including COVID-19 treatments, vaccines, dieting strategies, and alternative cures. Some featured content from government agencies like the Food and Drug Administration, while others cited public figures or anonymous sources.</p>
<p>Participants were generally able to identify false health claims with moderate success. On average, they correctly identified disinformation about two-thirds of the time. This is better than chance and also higher than typical success rates found in deception detection studies.</p>
<p>“I was surprised that detection success rates were as high as they were, as the consensus finding in the deception literature is that people successfully detect deception only about 54% of the time,” George told PsyPost.</p>
<p>However, the results also revealed significant variation depending on cognitive style and political leanings.</p>
<p>The most consistent predictor of success across the entire dataset was need for cognition. Participants who scored higher on this trait were significantly better at identifying which posts were false. This pattern held true regardless of the participant’s political affiliation, age, education, or gender. Statistical tests showed that people with a high need for cognition had success rates around 70 percent, while those with a lower need for cognition performed closer to 60 percent.</p>
<p>Political affiliation also played a role, but only in certain situations. For half of the posts, neither political identity nor cognitive style made much difference in how people responded. In the remaining cases, need for cognition was the key factor for most of the posts, while political affiliation was a factor for only a few. The posts that were most strongly influenced by political beliefs tended to involve topics related to COVID-19, especially claims made by political figures or warnings issued by federal agencies.</p>
<p>“I found that both need for cognition and political affiliation were important to detecting disinformation in social media posts about health, but their importance varied by post,” George explained. “In 35% of the posts, those with a higher need for cognition were better at detecting disinformation. Politics played no role. In 15% of the posts, those with conservative politics were worse at detection. These were political posts about COVID-19 vaccines, hydroxychloroquine, and ivermectin. Need for cognition played no role. For the rest of the posts, neither factor was important.”</p>
<p>For example, one post falsely claimed that giving children the COVID-19 vaccine amounted to a government experiment, citing former Housing Secretary Ben Carson. Conservatives were more likely to believe this claim, while liberals were more likely to reject it. In contrast, when shown legitimate warnings from the Food and Drug Administration about the dangers of unapproved COVID-19 treatments like ivermectin or hydroxychloroquine, conservatives were more likely to dismiss the warnings as false.</p>
<p>These results indicate that partisanship may influence how people interpret politically charged health information, especially when it involves trusted figures or controversial treatments. But when the posts did not touch on political hot-button issues, political identity had little to no effect. In contrast, a higher need for cognition was consistently linked with better performance in detecting false information across a range of topics.</p>
<p>“I was not surprised that political affiliation seemed to get in the way of successful detection for conservative participants, but I was surprised that neither political affiliation nor need for cognition mattered at all for half of the posts I used,” George said.</p>
<p>Participants who were better at identifying false claims often cited specific reasons for their judgments. These included noticing that the post made unsubstantiated claims, that the source lacked credentials, or that it came from an unknown or random person. In contrast, participants who mistakenly identified false content as true often based their trust on the presence of a familiar photo or the perceived credibility of a well-known figure, even when the claim itself lacked evidence.</p>
<p>The findings provide support for the idea that encouraging people to think more analytically could help combat disinformation. Since the need for cognition is related to how much someone enjoys thinking critically, it may be possible to foster this trait through education, critical thinking exercises, or other forms of cognitive engagement. While political beliefs are less easily changed, cognitive habits may be more malleable over time.</p>
<p>“Overall, participants successfully detected disinformation two-thirds of the time,” George told PsyPost. “The major takeaway is that people seem to do pretty well at detecting disinformation about health, but how well they do depends on the post they are evaluating and on their own personalities and beliefs.”</p>
<p>Like all research, this study has some limitations. The sample was restricted to American adults who were members of an online research panel, which may not fully represent the broader population. The posts used in the study were drawn from a specific period in late 2022, and many focused on the COVID-19 pandemic. As public attention shifts to other health issues, the kinds of disinformation circulating online are likely to evolve.</p>
<p>Future studies could expand this research by including participants from other countries and cultural backgrounds. They could also develop new sets of posts that reflect current health concerns and misinformation trends. Another promising direction would be to explore how people with chronic health conditions engage with health-related content, as they may be more vulnerable to disinformation or more motivated to seek accurate information.</p>
<p>George has retired and is not planning additional research projects. However, the findings offer clear avenues for future work by other researchers, including potential interventions aimed at boosting cognitive engagement or exploring how artificial intelligence might help flag deceptive content in real time.</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0315259" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Political affiliation or need for cognition? It depends on the post: Comparing key factors related to detecting health disinformation in the U.S.</a>,” was published August 26, 2025.</p></p>
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<p><strong>Forwarded by:<br />
Michael Reeder LCPC<br />
Baltimore, MD</strong></p>
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