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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/negativity-drives-engagement-on-political-tiktok/" 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;">Negativity drives engagement on political TikTok</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Oct 14th 2025, 10:00</div>
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<p><p>A new study published in <em><a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2025.108808" target="_blank">Computers in Human Behavior</a></em> suggests that political videos on TikTok that criticize opposing political parties and use emotionally charged or uncivil language tend to generate higher levels of engagement. These patterns appear across both liberal-leaning and conservative-leaning accounts, though with some notable differences in how each group responds.</p>
<p>Short-form video platforms like TikTok have become key venues for political messaging, particularly among younger users. Traditional news outlets, political influencers, and grassroots organizations increasingly use the platform to share perspectives, raise awareness, and mobilize supporters.</p>
<p>Although many studies have examined political engagement on platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, there has been limited research on what drives user responses to political content on TikTok. Prior research has often relied on small samples or focused on specific political actors. The current study aimed to address these gaps by examining a much larger dataset and exploring how content features and account characteristics shape audience behavior on TikTok.</p>
<p>The researchers also sought to differentiate between types of engagement. They distinguished between internal actions, such as liking and commenting, and external actions like sharing, which signal a willingness to spread content beyond one’s personal viewing.</p>
<p>“I’ve been studying TikTok as a news and civic space since 2022. Over time, I noticed how news influencers and news organizations were using the platform to share information and shape public conversations. That really sparked my curiosity,” said study author <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=mtfhEIMAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao" target="_blank">Zicheng Cheng</a>, an assistant professor in the School of Journalism at <a href="https://journalism.arizona.edu/person/zicheng-cheng" target="_blank">the University of Arizona</a>.</p>
<p>“I am interested in digging into these questions further: what kind of news or news-like content is being created on TikTok, and how do people respond or engage with it? Overall, my research explores how audiences interact with political and news content on TikTok and what those interactions mean for society and democracy. I approach these questions using a variety of methods, from computational content analysis and interviews to experiments.”</p>
<p>In the current study, the researchers analyzed more than 578,000 TikTok videos posted between 2019 and 2023 by nearly 10,000 elite accounts (defined as those with more than 10,000 followers). These accounts included a wide range of political actors, from news organizations and politicians to individual influencers and activist groups. The researchers used machine learning, topic modeling, and large language models to analyze the text, audio, and visual components of each video. They also assessed sentiment, civility, and content type.</p>
<p>One of the most consistent findings was that videos that criticized an opposing political party received the most engagement. This includes higher rates of likes, comments, and shares. Across the dataset, roughly one-third of videos featured such content, and it was the strongest predictor of engagement for both liberal and conservative accounts.</p>
<p>Videos that praised one’s own party also tended to increase likes and comments, although they had little effect on sharing. In contrast, videos that criticized one’s own political group sparked more conversation through comments and were more likely to be shared, but were not particularly well-liked. Notably, there were virtually no videos in the dataset that praised opposing parties, suggesting this type of cross-partisan messaging is extremely rare on TikTok.</p>
<p>The researchers also examined emotional features of the videos. Content with negative sentiment was more engaging overall, especially when it came to comments and shares. This pattern aligns with existing psychological research suggesting that people are more drawn to negative information. However, there were some differences across political lines. While liberals generally responded strongly to negative sentiment, conservatives were somewhat more likely to like content with a positive tone.</p>
<p>Videos that included uncivil language (such as personal attacks or insults) were also more engaging than those that used polite or neutral language. This trend held across both liberal and conservative audiences. According to the study, civility was one of the strongest predictors of commenting and sharing behavior. The researchers suggest this may reflect how confrontational or emotionally charged content captures attention and provokes stronger responses.</p>
<p>“We found that negativity drives engagement on political TikTok,” Cheng told PsyPost. “Videos that criticize the other political side, also known as out-party critique, consistently attract the most likes, comments, and shares. TikTok videos using uncivil language also tend to perform better, regardless of political leaning.”</p>
<p>Another feature that encouraged interaction was when creators explicitly asked viewers to like, comment, or share the video. These direct prompts were relatively common and consistently predicted higher engagement.</p>
<p>In terms of who posted the videos, individual influencers and activist groups tended to generate more likes and comments than legacy media outlets or politicians. Influencers likely benefit from the perception of authenticity and personal connection, which fits well with TikTok’s informal, creator-driven culture. Activist groups also saw relatively strong performance, particularly in terms of comments and shares.</p>
<p>Political figures, by contrast, generally saw lower engagement—except when it came to shares. Their videos were shared more often than other categories, suggesting they may serve as reference points or signals for supporters to spread messages to their broader networks.</p>
<p>“Interestingly, news outlets, whether legacy media or digital-native media, struggle to gain the same level of engagement as influencer accounts,” Cheng said. “Political videos from individual influencers tend to grab the audience’s attention much more than those from news outlets.”</p>
<p>The study also analyzed specific political issues. Topics like racial justice, student debt, child welfare, and the January 6 Capitol attack were among the most engaging overall. However, some topics showed distinct ideological patterns. Liberal accounts saw more engagement on racial justice and COVID-19 transparency, while conservative accounts engaged more with abortion rights and climate policy.</p>
<p>“We found that videos addressing specific political issues tend to generate higher engagement than those that didn’t address any concrete topics,” Cheng explained. “This suggests that substantive political content can still capture attention on a platform often known for entertainment.”</p>
<p>The researchers also found that conservative users were less likely to share videos about divisive topics, even when they liked or commented on them. </p>
<p>“Another interesting pattern came from conservative accounts,” Cheng told PsyPost. “We noticed that while conservatives frequently like and comment on videos about abortion and racial justice, they are much less likely to share them outside of TikTok. It’s possible that sharing represents a more public endorsement, and some users may hesitate to broadcast their views on such sensitive topics to a broader social network.”</p>
<p>Finally, the study found that liberal audiences tend to be more responsive overall to content features than conservative audiences. This includes stronger reactions to emotional tone, issue framing, and content with calls to action or justification.</p>
<p>“Overall, our findings suggest that political conversations on TikTok are often driven by emotional and confrontational content, which has important implications for how people experience politics and information online,” Cheng said.</p>
<p>While the study provides new insight into political engagement on TikTok, the authors note some limitations. Engagement metrics such as likes, comments, and shares do not necessarily indicate agreement or approval. Users may interact for various reasons, including irony or opposition, and these motives cannot be easily inferred from quantitative data alone.</p>
<p>“Our engagement metrics (number of likes, comments, and shares) mainly capture surface-level interactions,” Cheng noted. “That means, these numbers don’t necessarily fully reveal people’s deeper attitudes or beliefs. Future research could build on this by examining the content of comments more closely. For example, whether users are showing support, disagreement, or offering more nuanced perspectives.”</p>
<p>Despite these limitations, the findings offer a detailed and large-scale look at political communication on TikTok. They suggest that emotionally charged, partisan content continues to attract the most attention, raising questions about the platform’s role in shaping political discourse. The Political Content Engagement Model introduced in this study provides a framework for future research and a potential guide for communicators navigating the evolving landscape of digital politics.</p>
<p>“We plan to continue studying how people express and engage with politics on TikTok, particularly after the 2024 U.S. presidential election,” Cheng explained. “Future studies will take a closer look at the content within these news or news-like videos. One interesting direction is to examine whether political information shared on the platform is factual or contains misinformation or disinformation, and whether audiences are able to distinguish false information from factual content on TikTok.”</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2025.108808" target="_blank">Political Content Engagement Model: A large-scale analysis of TikTok political video content features and audience engagement</a>,” was authored by Zicheng Cheng and Yanlin Li.</p></p>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/lower-iq-in-youth-predicts-higher-alcoholism-risk-in-adulthood/" 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;">Lower IQ in youth predicts higher alcoholism risk in adulthood</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Oct 14th 2025, 08:00</div>
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<p><p>A large-scale study published in <em><a href="https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2025.2689" target="_blank">JAMA Psychiatry</a></em> suggests that lower intelligence scores in late adolescence are linked to a higher risk of developing alcohol use disorder later in life. The research, which combined data from Sweden, the United States, Finland, and other countries, also provides evidence for a possible genetic pathway connecting cognitive performance to alcohol-related problems. However, the strength and direction of this association appear to vary depending on the social and cultural environment.</p>
<p>Alcohol use disorder, like many mental health conditions, runs in families. Estimates suggest that genetics account for about half the risk of developing the disorder. Despite this, most genetic variants identified so far explain only a small share of that risk. While some genetic research has highlighted the role of impulsivity and alcohol metabolism, researchers remain uncertain about how broader cognitive traits, like intelligence, may factor into alcohol misuse.</p>
<p>Lower intelligence test scores are often found in individuals with alcohol problems, but the direction of this relationship is unclear. It is possible that lower cognitive ability increases vulnerability to alcohol use disorder. But it’s also possible that alcohol itself impairs thinking over time. This study aimed to clarify whether lower cognitive performance predicts the risk of alcohol use disorder and whether this connection is shaped by genetics or by environmental factors like education and socioeconomic background.</p>
<p>“I have been active in the field of addiction for decades, and taken for granted that low socioeconomic status – poverty – contributes to the risk for developing addiction, as a causal factor. I am a clinician and a neuroscientist, not an epidemiologist, and did not pay attention to how SES is measured in the epidemiological studies,” explained study author <a href="https://liu.se/en/employee/marhe41" target="_blank">Markus Heilig</a>, a professor, Wallenberg Clinical Scholar, and director of <a href="https://liu.se/en/research/csan" target="_blank">the Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience</a> at Linköping University.</p>
<p>“I then was invited to collaborate with one of the co-authors on the current paper, Jurgen Rehm, who is one of the leading epidemiologists in this area. In the course of the collaboration, I realized that SES is typically measured as educational attainment. It is well established that educational attainment is highly correlated with IQ.” </p>
<p>“In fact, in many studies, it is used as a proxy for IQ. IQ, in turn, is known to be highly heritable, upwards 80%. So it was clear that when we thought we looked at the relationship between SES and addiction risk, we might in fact indirectly be looking at an influence of IQ.”</p>
<p>To explore this question, researchers used several different methods. First, they examined a cohort of over 570,000 Swedish men who were assessed for IQ at age 18 during mandatory military conscription between 1969 and 1984. These intelligence scores were grouped into low, medium, and high categories. The men were then followed for several decades, with data on alcohol-related diagnoses and deaths gathered from national health and population registers.</p>
<p>The researchers found that men with lower IQ scores at age 18 were significantly more likely to be diagnosed with alcohol use disorder later in life. Specifically, those in the low IQ group had a 64 percent higher risk compared to those with average scores. Even after adjusting for factors such as parental substance use, attention-related or emotional disorders, and childhood living conditions, the elevated risk remained at 43 percent. Those with high IQ scores had a 40 percent lower risk.</p>
<p>“At about 50% elevated risk for someone 15 IQ points down from the population average or less, I guess this is a moderately sized risk factor – lesser than early life traumatization, greater than a lot of other things we worry and talk about,” Heilig told PsyPost.</p>
<p>Sibling comparisons further supported this pattern. In families with two or more brothers, the one with the lower IQ score had a greater chance of developing alcohol use disorder, even when growing up in the same household environment. These findings suggest that individual differences in cognitive ability may shape vulnerability to alcohol-related problems, beyond shared family background.</p>
<p>The study also looked at whether education might explain some of the link between intelligence and alcohol use disorder. Educational attainment did appear to play a role, but only accounted for about 14 percent of the association. Other factors like depression and attention problems had much smaller effects.</p>
<p>To test whether the association was likely to be causal rather than due to confounding, the researchers also performed genetic analyses. Using large datasets from genome-wide studies, they examined whether genetic variants associated with cognitive performance were also related to alcohol use disorder. They used a method called Mendelian randomization, which leverages the random inheritance of genes to estimate causal relationships.</p>
<p>These genetic analyses showed that people with a higher genetic likelihood for strong cognitive performance were less likely to develop alcohol use disorder. The effect was consistent across different analytical models and replicated in separate Finnish data. However, the strength and direction of the effect varied depending on the social context. In a sample that combined data from the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia, the impact of cognitive performance on alcohol disorder risk was largely explained by educational attainment. In the Finnish data, education appeared to buffer the effects of lower cognitive ability rather than mediate them.</p>
<p>In a final step, the researchers tested whether individuals with a genetic profile linked to better cognitive performance were less likely to be diagnosed with alcohol use disorder in a U.S. sample. They found that people with the highest scores on this genetic profile had about a 35 percent lower chance of receiving an alcohol use disorder diagnosis compared to those with average genetic scores.</p>
<p>Heilig said the consistency of the findings was a surprise: “We’re looking at a very complex web of factors, that operate over decades of life. Yet, every way we looked – a cohort of sibling pairs assessed at age 18, as well as two very different kinds of very complicated genetic analyses in multiple population from the United States and Europe, the same result always came out.”</p>
<p>“We need to identify kids at risk, who are failing in school early, and help them avert the risk,” Heilig said. “They need special ed to develop a level of theoretical skills, but also alternative tracks that do not heavily emphasize those, but rather allow them to develop marketable skills using other strengths they may have. And that these kids need not only these measures, that focus on education, but also specific preventive measures when it comes to the risks of using alcohol and drugs.” </p>
<p>“And, finally, if addiction nevertheless develops, treatment measures need to be adapted to the patient’s capacity – cognitive-behavioral therapy is great if you have the resources to understand and use it, but otherwise sets you up for failure. Which, in its own terrible way, is a teachable experience in itself.”</p>
<p>Although the study used robust methods and multiple large datasets, the authors acknowledge some limitations. The Swedish data included only men, so findings may not generalize to women. Also, the Swedish diagnosis data likely captured only the most severe alcohol problems, possibly underestimating milder forms of the disorder.</p>
<p>In the genetic analyses, the cognitive measures were based on a mix of tests from different studies. This may introduce some inconsistencies in how cognitive ability was defined. Additionally, the genetic studies included mostly individuals of European descent. As a result, the findings may not apply to populations with different genetic backgrounds, and the authors stress the need for more diverse genetic research in the future.</p>
<p>Another challenge in interpreting the results is distinguishing correlation from causation. While Mendelian randomization reduces the risk of certain biases, it cannot rule out all alternative explanations. However, the consistency of the findings across different methods and populations strengthens the case for a genuine connection between cognitive ability and alcohol use disorder risk.</p>
<p>The researchers emphasize that these findings should not be used to stigmatize individuals with lower cognitive performance. Cognitive ability is only one of many traits that can influence risk, and it interacts with a wide range of environmental and social factors. </p>
<p>“Stigma is one of the most destructive phenomena surrounding addiction,” Heilig explained. “There is an obvious risk that our findings, if misinterpreted, could worsen that. I’ve spent a lifetime working to improve the lives of people with addiction, so this concerns me. Remember, people are different in so many various ways. Right now, society happens to emphasize cognitive performance, but that is a rather recent phenomenon. In other times, it has been other things. We need to keep our eyes open for the diversity of human beings, but we also need to have a firm ethical foundation that embraces that diversity. This is no different from other types of diversity of humans.”</p>
<p>Looking ahead, the research team plans to investigate how cognitive traits may influence risk for other life challenges, especially in environments where individuals with lower cognitive performance may face hidden disadvantages. They also hope that these insights will inform more targeted approaches to prevention and treatment of alcohol use disorder, including strategies that account for cognitive strengths and vulnerabilities.</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2025.2689" target="_blank">Measures of General Intelligence and Risk for Alcohol Use Disorder</a>,” was authored by Andrea Johansson Capusan, Christal N. Davis, Emelie Thern, Jürgen Rehm, Joel Gelernter, Henry R Kranzler, and Markus Heilig.</p></p>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/cannabidiol-may-ease-alzheimers-related-brain-inflammation-and-improve-cognition/" 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;">Cannabidiol may ease Alzheimer’s-related brain inflammation and improve cognition</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Oct 14th 2025, 06:00</div>
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<p><p>A new study published in the journal <em><a href="https://doi.org/10.1523/ENEURO.0114-25.2025" target="_blank">eNeuro</a></em> provides evidence that cannabidiol (CBD), a nonpsychoactive compound derived from cannabis, may help reduce brain inflammation associated with Alzheimer’s disease. In a series of experiments using a well-established mouse model of the disease, researchers at Augusta University found that daily inhalation of CBD reduced inflammatory markers in the brain and led to improvements in memory-related behaviors. These findings support the idea that CBD could serve as a potential treatment that targets the immune system’s role in Alzheimer’s.</p>
<p>Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, affecting millions of people worldwide. It causes progressive memory loss, confusion, and eventually a decline in physical function. For decades, researchers have focused on two hallmark features of the disease: amyloid plaques and tau tangles, both of which accumulate in the brain. But many scientists now believe these markers do not fully explain how or why the disease develops.</p>
<p>Emerging theories suggest that chronic immune system dysfunction, particularly in the brain, plays a major role in the progression of Alzheimer’s. In this view, inflammation does not just happen as a consequence of brain damage; it may be a central force driving the disease. Two key pathways in this process are the indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) enzyme and the cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS) signaling pathway. These systems are known to regulate immune responses in the brain and have been implicated in other inflammatory and degenerative conditions.</p>
<p>CBD has attracted attention for its anti-inflammatory properties, and earlier studies have shown that it can reduce some features of Alzheimer’s in animal models. What remained unclear was whether CBD could directly influence the immune pathways thought to be active in the disease. The researchers aimed to investigate whether CBD could regulate IDO and cGAS activity and whether doing so might lead to reduced brain inflammation and improved cognitive function.</p>
<p>“Alzheimer’s disease remains one of the most pressing challenges in medicine, affecting millions of families worldwide, yet there is still no truly effective treatment. For decades, research has centered on amyloid plaques and tau tangles, but the continued lack of success in clinical trials suggests that Alzheimer’s is more complex than just protein buildup,” said study author Babak Baban, a professor and associate dean for research at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University.</p>
<p>“Our team wanted to explore a different angle, one rooted in immune dysregulation and chronic inflammation. We approached Alzheimer’s as an autoinflammatory disease, where the brain’s immune system becomes overactive and self-perpetuating. CBD, known for its powerful anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties, offered a novel tool to test this hypothesis.”</p>
<p>The study used male mice genetically engineered to develop Alzheimer’s-like symptoms. These mice, known as 5xFAD mice, carry human gene mutations that lead to early and aggressive buildup of amyloid plaques in the brain. Starting at nine to twelve months of age, the mice received either a placebo or daily doses of CBD delivered through a modified inhaler for four weeks. This method of administration was chosen because it allows faster absorption into the body compared to oral delivery, providing a more consistent exposure.</p>
<p>To examine the effects of CBD, the researchers collected brain tissue and conducted a series of imaging and immune cell analyses. They focused specifically on the entorhinal cortex, a brain region involved in memory that is often affected early in Alzheimer’s. They also conducted behavioral tests to assess changes in memory and anxiety-like behaviors.</p>
<p>The team used fluorescent staining to track the presence of IDO and cGAS in brain cells, especially microglia and astrocytes. These are the brain’s resident immune cells and are known to become activated in Alzheimer’s. They also used flow cytometry to measure changes in immune cell populations and the levels of signaling molecules known as cytokines, which promote or suppress inflammation. To explore how these findings might relate to behavior, the researchers used open field and novel object recognition tests. These are commonly used to evaluate memory and exploration in animal studies.</p>
<p>After four weeks of treatment, the researchers observed a significant reduction in IDO expression in both microglia and astrocytes of CBD-treated mice compared to controls. This suggests that CBD was able to alter immune cell activity in the brain. Although not statistically significant, there were signs of increased microglial activation and decreased astrocytic activity, patterns that are often considered favorable in the context of Alzheimer’s.</p>
<p>The researchers also found a decrease in cGAS expression in the same brain regions, particularly in cells that were already expressing IDO. This co-occurrence indicates that CBD may influence a shared immune-metabolic pathway involved in chronic inflammation.</p>
<p>“The degree of interaction between the two immune pathways was greater than expected,” Baban told PsyPost. “Both IDO and cGAS were already known to contribute to inflammation independently, but our results show they operate in close coordination. Even more surprising was how effectively CBD could regulate both at once, revealing a unified mechanism of immune control in the brain.”</p>
<p>Flow cytometry analysis revealed that CBD-treated mice had fewer infiltrating macrophages in the brain. These are immune cells that travel from the bloodstream and are often associated with heightened inflammatory responses. CBD also lowered levels of inflammatory cytokines such as interferon-gamma, interleukin-1 beta, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha. At the same time, it increased levels of interleukin-10, an anti-inflammatory molecule. These changes point to a shift from a proinflammatory to a more balanced immune environment.</p>
<p>Behavioral testing provided further support for CBD’s effects. In the open field test, CBD-treated mice spent more time exploring the central area of the arena, which suggests reduced anxiety. In the novel object recognition test, these mice showed a stronger preference for exploring new objects, a sign of improved memory. These behavioral improvements occurred alongside the changes seen in immune markers.</p>
<p>To better understand how CBD might interact with immune-related proteins, the researchers also conducted a bioinformatics analysis. Using a protein interaction database, they identified several targets that CBD may influence. Among them were AKT1, TRPV1, and GPR55, proteins involved in regulating immune responses, metabolism, and cell signaling. These molecules are connected to the IDO and cGAS pathways and may help explain how CBD modulates brain inflammation.</p>
<p>“Although this work is preclinical, the magnitude of both molecular and behavioral improvements was striking,” Baban said. “CBD treatment not only reduced brain inflammation but also improved memory and cognitive performance in our animal models. These findings support the idea that targeting immune pathways could complement or even surpass traditional amyloid-focused therapies.”</p>
<p>The findings suggest that CBD affects more than just symptoms. It appears to influence some of the underlying immune mechanisms associated with Alzheimer’s disease. By modulating pathways like IDO and cGAS, CBD may help restore immune balance in the brain. This fits with a growing perspective in the scientific community that Alzheimer’s may be driven in part by chronic, self-sustaining inflammation.</p>
<p>“The idea that Alzheimer’s might be an autoinflammatory disease is quite new, it began gaining traction only in 2022,” Baban told PsyPost. “Our study is the first to connect two major immune pathways, IDO and cGAS–STING, as key drivers of this inflammation. And importantly, we also show for the first time that inhaled CBD can calm both pathways simultaneously. That dual discovery, linking IDO and cGAS in Alzheimer’s and identifying CBD as a potential therapy, marks a new direction for treating the disease beyond amyloid and tau.”</p>
<p>Still, the study has some limitations. It was conducted in mice, and results from animal models do not always translate directly to humans. Only one dose and duration of CBD was tested, so it remains unclear what the optimal treatment strategy might be. The study also focused on a specific type of immune cell and did not examine all the possible interactions at play. Finally, while the researchers measured the presence of cGAS, they did not assess all the downstream signals it might trigger.</p>
<p>One point the researchers also emphasize is that CBD should not be seen as a cure. Instead, it may offer a way to adjust the immune system’s behavior and potentially slow the course of the disease. </p>
<p>“CBD is not a ‘cure’ for Alzheimer’s, and our findings should not be interpreted that way,” Baban said. “What we’ve demonstrated is a mechanistic foundation, that CBD functions as a precision immune modulator. It doesn’t shut down the immune system; it restores balance. This distinction matters because it shows how CBD could help recalibrate immune activity in a safe and physiologically intelligent way.”</p>
<p>The team is already working to move this line of research toward clinical trials and has submitted an application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to begin testing inhaled CBD in people with Alzheimer’s and other brain disorders. They also plan to explore whether similar immune pathways are active in related diseases like vascular dementia and autoimmune conditions.</p>
<p>“Our next goal is to translate these discoveries into clinical application,” Baban explained. “We currently have an Investigational New Drug (IND) application pending with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to advance inhaled CBD as a therapeutic for brain disorders, including Alzheimer’s and glioblastoma.”</p>
<p>“We are also extending this research into vascular dementia and autoimmune models, as these conditions share similar inflammatory pathways. Ultimately, we hope to redefine neurodegeneration as a disease of immune imbalance, and to build therapies that restore the brain’s homeostasis, not just remove its symptoms.”</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1523/ENEURO.0114-25.2025" target="_blank">Rethinking Alzheimer’s: Harnessing Cannabidiol to Modulate IDO and cGAS Pathways for Neuroinflammation Control</a>,” was authored by Sahar Emami Naeini, Bidhan Bhandari, Breanna Hill, Nayeli Perez-Morales, Hannah M. Rogers, Hesam Khodadadi, Nancy Young, Lívia Maria Maciel, Jack C. Yu, David C. Hess, John C. Morgan, Évila Lopes Salles, Lei P. Wang and Babak Baban.</p></p>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/this-happens-in-your-brain-when-you-change-your-mind-according-to-neuroscience/" 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;">This happens in your brain when you change your mind, according to neuroscience</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Oct 13th 2025, 16:00</div>
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<p><p>After the contestant chooses, say, option B, the host reveals one of the remaining choices (say C) does not contain the prize. In the final step, the contestant is asked whether they want to change their mind and select the remaining option A or stick with their original choice, B.</p>
<p>Dubbed the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monty_Hall_problem">Monty Hall problem</a> after an American game show host, this famous puzzle has entertained mathematicians for decades. But it can also tell us something about how the human mind and brain function.</p>
<p>Why do some people choose to change their minds while others stick with their first choice? What would you do and what might your choice reveal about your mind?</p>
<h2>Choosing when to change</h2>
<p>Research on changes of mind uses the concept of “metacognition” to explain when and how mind changes occur. Broadly speaking, metacognition refers to psychological and biological processes that inform us about how well we are doing the task.</p>
<p>In a sense, metacognition is that inner voice telling us we are either on track or that we should try harder.</p>
<p>Intuitively, changes of mind may be triggered by low confidence in our initial choice. Yet, when my colleagues and I <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2022.02.004">reviewed the research</a> on changes of mind about a range of different kinds of decisions, we found many studies showing people change their minds less often than you might think. This was surprising, given how often we feel uncertain about our choices.</p>
<p>On the other hand, when people do choose to change their mind, it is often <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/cercor/bhae179">for the better</a>. This ability to accurately gauge whether to change your mind is referred to as metacognitive sensitivity.</p>
<p>Our research has found people often <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-025-07646-3">make better decisions</a> about whether to change their minds when they are put under time pressure.</p>
<p>Understanding more about how we decide to change our minds may lead to ways to train our minds to make better choices.</p>
<h2>Our brains show when we will change our minds</h2>
<p>Another interesting question about changes of mind is <em>when</em> do people choose to change their minds. The answer to this question might seem obvious, as people can change their minds only after they have made the first choice.</p>
<p>To find out more about this process, we measured people’s brain activity before they even made their initial choice in a laboratory task that involved answering questions about moving images on a screen. We successfully <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/cercor/bhae179">predicted</a> changes of mind seconds <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-025-07646-3">before</a> they took place.</p>
<p>These findings suggest brain activity that predicts changes of mind could be harnessed to improve the quality of the initial choices, without needing a change of mind later. Training based on this brain activity may help people in sensitive professions such as health or defence make better choices.</p>
<h2>Why don’t we change our minds more often?</h2>
<p>Research on metacognition has provided robust evidence that changes of mind tend to improve choice outcomes. So why are people so reluctant to change their minds?</p>
<p>There are at least two possible reasons. First, deciding to change your mind is typically a result of making extra cognitive effort to analyse the quality of the initial choices. Not every decision requires that effort, and most everyday choices can be good enough rather than perfect.</p>
<p>For example, choosing a wrong brand of orange-flavoured soft drink will probably not significantly impact our wellbeing. In fact, consumer research shows buyers tend to report higher product satisfaction when offered fewer choices, a phenomenon called “<a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/9780470939338.ch6">the paradox of choice</a>”. This suggests having more choices and, therefore, greater opportunity to change one’s mind may be more cognitively effortful.</p>
<p>Second, frequent changes of mind may signal personality traits that are not socially desirable. Meaningful and fulfilling interpersonal relationships rely on the ability to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brainres.2005.12.126">predict and rely on</a> another person’s actions.</p>
<p>Erratic and frequent changes of mind could negatively impact relationships and people may avoid doing this to improve their social integration.</p>
<h2>The future of changing your mind</h2>
<p>The science of changes of mind is an exciting field of research, developing at a fast pace.</p>
<p>Future developments in the field might focus on identifying specific brain activity markers of subsequent correct changes of mind. If reliable and valid markers are found, they could be harnessed to help people become experts on when they should change their minds to achieve better professional and social outcomes.</p>
<p>Oh, and coming back to the Monty Hall problem: if you ever do find yourself offered this choice by a game show host, you should definitely change your mind. In this scenario, for mathematical reasons, switching away from your first pick will <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-monty-hall-problem-going-with-your-gut-will-get-your-goat-14195">double your chances of winning</a>.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img decoding="async" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/263907/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/what-actually-happens-in-your-brain-when-you-change-your-mind-263907">original article</a>.</em></p></p>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/vegetarians-tend-to-value-achievement-and-power-more-than-meat-eaters-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;">Vegetarians tend to value achievement and power more than meat-eaters, study finds</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Oct 13th 2025, 14:00</div>
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<p><p>New research indicates that the fundamental values of vegetarians differ from those of non-vegetarians in consistent ways, suggesting that choosing a vegetarian diet is an expression of independence. The study, published in the scientific journal <em>PLOS One</em>, found that across American and Polish populations, vegetarians tended to prioritize values related to personal achievement and stimulation while placing less emphasis on tradition and conformity.</p>
<p>The study was conducted by researcher John B. Nezlek of SWPS University and the College of William & Mary. The rationale for the investigation stemmed from a gap in the existing scientific literature. While many studies have examined specific attitudes related to vegetarianism, such as concerns for animal welfare or the environment, less research has focused on how this dietary choice connects to a broader, more fundamental set of basic human values. The researcher noted that these basic values are abstract ideals that are thought to guide a wide range of a person’s attitudes and behaviors.</p>
<p>Nezlek also pointed out that previous studies often treated meat consumption on a simple continuum from high to low. He argued that this approach overlooks the reality that vegetarianism is a distinct social identity. People who simply reduce their meat intake are not the same as those who adopt a vegetarian identity. The present study was designed to specifically compare individuals who identify as vegetarians with those who do not, treating these as separate groups to better understand the underlying value systems that might distinguish them.</p>
<p>To explore these differences, the researcher analyzed data from three separate studies involving adults from general populations. One study was conducted in the United States, and two were conducted in Poland. To ensure a large enough group for meaningful comparison, vegetarians were intentionally oversampled in the American study, which included 514 vegetarians and 540 non-vegetarians. A similar oversampling method was used in one of the Polish studies, which comprised 301 vegetarians and 335 non-vegetarians. The second Polish study drew from a more general sample, resulting in 68 vegetarians and 1943 non-vegetarians.</p>
<p>In all three studies, participants were first asked to describe their dietary habits. They chose from a list of options such as vegan, lacto-ovo-vegetarian, pescatarian, omnivore, and others. For the main analysis, individuals who identified as vegan, plant-based, lacto-vegetarian, or lacto-ovo-vegetarian were classified as vegetarians. All other participants, including pescatarians, semi-vegetarians, and omnivores, were grouped as non-vegetarians.</p>
<p>Participants then completed a version of Schwartz’s Portrait Value Questionnaire, a widely used tool in psychology for measuring basic human values. This questionnaire presents descriptions of different people and asks respondents how similar that person is to them. The responses are used to measure the importance of ten basic values: Universalism, Benevolence, Tradition, Conformity, Security, Power, Achievement, Hedonism, Stimulation, and Self-direction. The researcher performed statistical analyses to compare the value scores between vegetarians and non-vegetarians, while also accounting for potential differences related to gender.</p>
<p>Across all three studies in both countries, a consistent pattern of differences emerged. Vegetarians consistently placed less importance on the values of Benevolence, which relates to preserving the welfare of people in one’s close circle, and Security, which concerns safety and stability in society and relationships. The value of Conformity, which involves restraining actions that might upset or violate social expectations, was also less important for vegetarians in all studies, though this difference was only marginally significant in the American sample.</p>
<p>Similarly, vegetarians in all three studies endorsed Tradition values less strongly than non-vegetarians. This value emphasizes respect for and commitment to cultural or religious customs and ideas. While this pattern was clear in both Polish studies, the difference did not reach statistical significance in the American study.</p>
<p>In the opposite direction, several values were consistently more important to vegetarians. Across the American and Polish samples, vegetarians placed a higher priority on Stimulation, a value reflecting a desire for excitement, novelty, and challenge in life. They also endorsed Achievement values more strongly, which center on personal success through demonstrating competence according to social standards. Likewise, vegetarians consistently rated Power, a value related to social status, prestige, and control over people and resources, as more important than non-vegetarians did.</p>
<p>Only one value showed a different pattern depending on the country. In the United States, Self-direction, which prioritizes independent thought and action, was more important for non-vegetarians than for vegetarians. In Poland, the opposite was true, with vegetarians placing a higher importance on Self-direction than non-vegetarians. The reasons for this cultural divergence were not immediately clear from the data. The researcher also found very few instances where the differences in values between vegetarians and non-vegetarians were affected by a participant’s gender.</p>
<p>These findings suggest that following a vegetarian diet may be a manifestation of a value system that prioritizes individuality and a willingness to stand apart from the majority. By choosing a diet that is not the norm in most Western societies, vegetarians may be expressing a commitment to personal beliefs over social convention. This interpretation contrasts with some common gender-based stereotypes that might associate vegetarianism with more stereotypically feminine traits like benevolence and harmony. The results here suggest that, in terms of basic values, vegetarians may actually be more aligned with principles of achievement and personal drive.</p>
<p>The study did have some limitations. Because the data were collected at a single point in time, it is not possible to determine whether holding certain values leads a person to become a vegetarian, or if the act of becoming a vegetarian changes a person’s values over time. The research was also confined to the United States and Poland, so the findings may not apply to other cultures where vegetarianism has different historical and social meanings. Future research could explore these questions with studies that follow people over time or that include more diverse cultural groups.</p>
<p>Additionally, the study’s exploratory analyses of different types of diets, such as comparing vegans to other vegetarians or occasional omnivores to full omnivores, did not reveal consistent patterns. This suggests that the primary distinction in values may lie between those who eat animal flesh and those who do not. However, the researcher noted that these explorations were not the main goal of the study and that more focused research is needed to understand the values of people who reduce meat consumption without becoming fully vegetarian. The results provide a new path for understanding the psychology of dietary choices, connecting them to the deep-seated principles that guide people’s lives.</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0323202" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rethinking vegetarianism: Differences between vegetarians and non-vegetarians in the endorsement of basic human values</a>,” was published May 28, 2025.</p></p>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/common-viruses-may-directly-affect-mental-health-risk/" 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;">Common viruses may directly affect mental health risk</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Oct 13th 2025, 12:00</div>
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<p><p>A new study has uncovered evidence suggesting that common viral infections may have a direct causal role in altering the risk for several major psychiatric disorders. The research found that while some viruses appear to increase the risk for conditions like major depression, others were surprisingly associated with a decreased risk for disorders such as anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and schizophrenia. These findings were published in the scientific journal <em><a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbih.2025.101104" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Brain, Behavior, & Immunity – Health</a></em>.</p>
<p>Scientists have long observed that people with serious mental illnesses often have higher rates of viral infections. This has led to questions about whether the infections contribute to the mental health conditions, or if other factors, like lifestyle or healthcare access, might explain the connection. Traditional observational studies struggle to separate correlation from causation because many unmeasured variables can influence both virus exposure and mental health.</p>
<p>A research team led by Jian-Wei Huang at Sun Yat-Sen University sought to overcome this challenge by using a genetic approach to investigate if a predisposition to certain viral infections could directly cause specific psychiatric disorders.</p>
<p>To untangle this complex relationship, the scientists employed a sophisticated statistical method known as Mendelian randomization. This technique uses genetic variations as a proxy for an exposure, in this case, a viral infection. The logic is that since genes are randomly assigned at birth, they are not influenced by lifestyle or environmental confounders that typically complicate health research. If a genetic variant that increases a person’s susceptibility to a particular virus is also consistently linked to a higher or lower risk of a psychiatric disorder, it provides stronger evidence for a causal connection between the virus and the disorder.</p>
<p>The researchers analyzed large-scale genetic data from pooled databases of individuals with European ancestry, primarily drawing from the FinnGen project, which includes genomic information for over 410,000 participants. They examined genetic markers associated with susceptibility to twelve different viruses, including hepatitis B virus, human immunodeficiency virus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, human papillomavirus, and Epstein-Barr virus. They then tested for causal links between these viruses and five psychiatric conditions: generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, schizophrenia, major depressive disorder, and manic episodes.</p>
<p>The analysis revealed several significant and, in some cases, unexpected connections. The results indicated that a genetic predisposition to hepatitis B virus infection was causally linked to a reduced risk of generalized anxiety disorder. The odds of developing the disorder were about 6 percent lower for individuals with a genetic liability for this infection. This suggests a potentially protective effect of the virus or the immune response it triggers.</p>
<p>Similarly, some viruses appeared to lower the risk of obsessive-compulsive disorder. A genetic predisposition to human immunodeficiency virus was associated with a 16 percent reduced risk of the disorder. A genetic liability for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, the virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, was linked to an even greater risk reduction of 22 percent for obsessive-compulsive disorder.</p>
<p>The study authors note this genetic finding contrasts with some observational reports of increased psychiatric symptoms after a COVID-19 infection, suggesting that any acquired psychological effects may not stem from an underlying genetic vulnerability shared between the virus and the disorder.</p>
<p>Another protective association emerged for schizophrenia. The analysis showed that a genetic liability for human papillomavirus infection was connected to a 16 percent decreased risk of developing schizophrenia. These findings showing protective effects from four different viruses challenge the simple idea that infections are universally detrimental to mental health and point toward a more intricate interaction between the immune system and the brain.</p>
<p>Not all findings were protective. The study also provided genetic evidence supporting a causal link between certain viral infections and an increased risk of major depressive disorder. A genetic predisposition to Epstein-Barr virus, a common herpesvirus known for causing mononucleosis, was associated with a slightly elevated risk of developing major depressive disorder.</p>
<p>A genetic liability for poliovirus infection was also linked to a 3 percent increased risk of the disorder. These results align with previous research suggesting that neuroinflammation triggered by viruses like Epstein-Barr may play a role in the biology of depression. For manic episodes, however, the researchers found no significant causal links with any of the twelve viruses they investigated.</p>
<p>The researchers conducted numerous sensitivity analyses to confirm the robustness of their results. These tests helped rule out the possibility that the genetic variants were influencing the psychiatric disorders through pathways unrelated to the viral infections, a potential issue known as horizontal pleiotropy. The consistency of the findings across different statistical models strengthened the authors’ conclusions about the causal relationships.</p>
<p>The study has some important limitations. The genetic data used in the analysis came exclusively from individuals of European ancestry. As a result, the findings may not be applicable to people from other ethnic backgrounds, where genetic predispositions and environmental factors can differ. The data also did not allow for analyses based on age or sex, which could be significant variables in the relationship between infections and mental health.</p>
<p>Future research will be needed to explore these connections in more diverse populations and to investigate the specific biological mechanisms behind both the risk-increasing and the protective effects. Understanding how an immune response to a virus might shield the brain from certain psychiatric conditions could open new avenues for prevention and treatment.</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbih.2025.101104" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Viral infections and risk of mental illness: A Mendelian randomization study</a>,” Jian-Wei Huang, Yi-Fei Wang, Miao Tang, Qian-Qian Cui, Ying Guo, and Shuang-Qi Gao.</p></p>
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<p><strong>Forwarded by:<br />
Michael Reeder LCPC<br />
Baltimore, MD</strong></p>
<p><strong>This information is taken from free public RSS feeds published by each organization for the purpose of public distribution. Readers are linked back to the article content on each organization's website. This email is an unaffiliated unofficial redistribution of this freely provided content from the publishers. </strong></p>
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