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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/a-severed-brain-reveals-an-astonishing-power-to-reroute-communication/" 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 severed brain reveals an astonishing power to reroute communication</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Oct 31st 2025, 10:00</div>
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<p><p>A new study reveals the human brain’s remarkable ability to maintain communication between its two hemispheres even when the primary connection is almost entirely severed. Researchers discovered that a tiny fraction of remaining nerve fibers is sufficient to sustain near-normal levels of integrated brain function, a finding published in the <em><a href="https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2520190122" target="_blank">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a></em>. This observation challenges long-held ideas about how the brain is wired and suggests an immense potential for reorganization after injury.</p>
<p>The brain’s left and right hemispheres are linked by the corpus callosum, a massive bundle of about 200 million nerve fibers that acts as a superhighway for information. For decades, scientists have operated under the assumption that this structure has a map-like organization, where specific fibers connect corresponding regions in each hemisphere to perform specialized tasks. Based on this model, damage to a part of the corpus callosum should result in specific, predictable communication breakdowns between the brain halves.</p>
<p>To test this idea, researchers turned to a unique group of individuals known as split-brain patients. These patients have undergone a rare surgical procedure called a callosotomy, where the corpus callosum is intentionally cut to treat severe, otherwise untreatable epilepsy. This procedure provides a distinct opportunity to observe how the brain functions when its main inter-hemispheric pathway is disrupted. Because the surgery is no longer common, data from adult patients using modern neuroimaging techniques has been scarce, leaving a gap in understanding how this profound structural change affects the brain’s functional networks.</p>
<p>The international research team studied six adult patients who had undergone the callosotomy procedure. Four of the patients had a complete transection, meaning the entire corpus callosum was severed. Two other patients had partial transections. One had about 62 percent of the structure intact, while another, patient BT, had approximately 90 percent of his corpus callosum removed, leaving only a small segment of fibers, about one centimeter wide, at the very back of the structure.</p>
<p>To assess the functional consequences, the researchers first performed simple bedside behavioral tests. The four patients with complete cuts exhibited classic “disconnection syndromes,” where one hemisphere appeared unable to share information with the other. For example, they could not verbally name an object placed in their left hand without looking at it, because the sensation from the left hand is processed by the right hemisphere, while language is typically managed by the left. The two hemispheres were acting independently. </p>
<p>In contrast, both patients with partial cuts showed no signs of disconnection. Patient BT, despite having only a tiny bridge of fibers remaining, could perform these tasks successfully, indicating robust communication was occurring between his hemispheres.</p>
<p>To look directly at brain activity, the team used resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging, or fMRI. This technique measures changes in blood flow throughout the brain, allowing scientists to identify which regions are active and working together. When two regions show synchronized activity over time, they are considered to be functionally connected. The researchers compared the brain activity of the six patients to a benchmark dataset from 100 healthy adults.</p>
<p>In the four patients with a completely severed corpus callosum, the researchers saw a dramatic reduction in functional connectivity between the two hemispheres. The brain’s large-scale networks, which normally span both sides of the brain, appeared highly “lateralized,” meaning their activity was largely confined to either the left or the right hemisphere. It was as if each side of the brain was operating in its own bubble, with very little coordination between them.</p>
<p>The findings from the two partially separated patients were strikingly different. Their patterns of interhemispheric functional connectivity looked nearly identical to those of the healthy control group. Even in patient BT, the small remnant of posterior fibers was enough to support widespread, brain-wide functional integration. His brain networks for attention, sensory processing, and higher-order thought all showed normal levels of bilateral coordination. This result directly contradicts the classical model, which would have predicted that only the brain regions directly connected by those few remaining fibers, likely related to vision, would show preserved communication.</p>
<p>The researchers also analyzed the brain’s dynamic activity, looking at how moment-to-moment fluctuations are synchronized across the brain. In healthy individuals, the overall rhythm of activity in the left hemisphere is tightly coupled with the rhythm in the right hemisphere. In the patients with complete cuts, these rhythms were desynchronized, as if each hemisphere was marching to the beat of its own drum. </p>
<p>Yet again, the two patients with partial cuts showed a strong, healthy synchronization between their hemispheres, suggesting the small bundle of fibers was sufficient to coordinate the brain’s global dynamics. Patient BT’s brain had apparently reorganized its functional networks over the six years since his surgery to make optimal use of this minimal structural connection.</p>
<p>The study is limited by its small number of participants, a common challenge in research involving rare medical conditions. Because the callosotomy procedure is seldom performed today, finding adult patients for study is difficult. While the differences observed between the groups were pronounced, larger studies would be needed to fully characterize the range of outcomes and the ways in which brains reorganize over different timescales following surgery.</p>
<p>Future research could focus on tracking patients over many years to map the process of neural reorganization in greater detail. Such work may help uncover the principles that govern the brain’s plasticity and its ability to adapt to profound structural changes. The findings open new avenues for rehabilitation research, suggesting that therapies could aim to leverage even minimal remaining pathways to help restore function after brain injury. The results indicate that the relationship between the brain’s physical structure and its functional capacity is far more flexible and complex than previously understood.</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2520190122" target="_blank">Full interhemispheric integration sustained by a fraction of posterior callosal fibers</a>,” was authored by Tyler Santander, Selin Bekir, Theresa Paul, Jessica M. Simonson, Valerie M. Wiemer, Henri Etel Skinner, Johanna L. Hopf, Anna Rada, Friedrich G. Woermann, Thilo Kalbhenn, Barry Giesbrecht, Christian G. Bien, Olaf Sporns, Michael S. Gazzaniga, Lukas J. Volz, and Michael B. Miller.</p></p>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/public-montessori-preschool-yields-improved-reading-and-cognition-at-a-lower-cost/" 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;">Public Montessori preschool yields improved reading and cognition at a lower cost</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Oct 31st 2025, 08:00</div>
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<p><p>The debate over the most effective models for early childhood education is a longstanding one. While the benefits of preschool are widely accepted, researchers have observed that the academic advantages gained in many programs tend to diminish by the time children finish kindergarten, a phenomenon often called “fade-out.” Some studies have even pointed to potential negative long-term outcomes from certain public preschool programs, intensifying the search for approaches that provide lasting benefits.</p>
<p>This situation prompted researchers to rigorously examine the Montessori method, a well-established educational model that has been in practice for over a century. Their new large-scale study found that children offered a spot in a public Montessori preschool showed better outcomes in reading, memory, executive function, and social understanding by the end of kindergarten. </p>
<p>The research also revealed that this educational model costs public school districts substantially less over three years compared to traditional programs. The findings were published in the <em><a href="https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2506130122" target="_blank">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a></em>.</p>
<p>The Montessori method is an educational approach developed over a century ago by Maria Montessori. Its classrooms typically feature a mix of ages, such as three- to six-year-olds, learning together. The environment is structured around child-led discovery, where students choose their own activities from a curated set of specialized, hands-on materials. The teacher acts more as a guide for individual and small-group lessons rather than a lecturer to the entire class.</p>
<p>The Montessori model, which has been implemented in thousands of schools globally, had not previously been evaluated in a rigorous, national randomized controlled trial. This study was designed to provide high-quality evidence on its impact in a public school setting.</p>
<p>“There have been a few small randomized controlled trials of public Montessori outcomes, but they were limited to 1-2 schools, leaving open the question of whether the more positive results were due to something about those schools aside from the Montessori programming,” said study author <a href="https://www.montessori-science.org/" target="_blank">Angeline Lillard</a>, the Commonwealth Professor of Psychology at the University of Virginia.</p>
<p>“This national study gets around that by using 24 different schools, which each had 3-16 Montessori Primary (3-6) classrooms. In addition, the two prior randomized controlled trials that had trained Montessori teachers (making them more valid) compromised the randomized controlled trial in certain ways, including not using intention-to-treat designs that are preferred by some.” </p>
<p>To conduct the research, the research team took advantage of the admissions lotteries at 24 oversubscribed public Montessori schools across the United States. When a school has more applicants than available seats, a random lottery gives each applicant an equal chance of admission. This process creates a natural experiment, allowing for a direct comparison between the children who were offered a spot (the treatment group) and those who were not (the control group). Nearly 600 children and their families consented to participate.</p>
<p>The children were tracked from the start of preschool at age three through the end of their kindergarten year. Researchers administered a range of assessments at the beginning of the study and again each spring to measure academic skills, memory, and social-emotional development. The primary analysis was a conservative type called an “intention-to-treat” analysis, which measures the effect of simply being offered a spot in a Montessori program, regardless of whether the child actually attended or for how long.</p>
<p>The results showed no significant differences between the two groups after the first or second year of preschool. But by the end of kindergarten, a distinct pattern of advantages had emerged for the children who had been offered a Montessori spot. This group demonstrated significantly higher scores on a standardized test of early reading skills. They also performed better on a test of executive function, which involves skills like planning, self-control, and following rules.</p>
<p>The Montessori group also showed stronger short-term memory, as measured by their ability to recall a sequence of numbers. Their social understanding, or “theory of mind,” was also more advanced, suggesting a greater capacity to comprehend others’ thoughts, feelings, and beliefs. The estimated effects for these outcomes were considered medium to large for this type of educational research. </p>
<p>The study found no significant group differences in vocabulary or a math assessment, although the results for math trended in a positive direction for the Montessori group.</p>
<p>In a secondary analysis, the researchers estimated the effects only for the children who complied with their lottery assignment, meaning those who won and attended Montessori compared to those who lost and did not. As expected, the positive effects on reading, executive function, memory, and social understanding were even larger in this analysis.</p>
<p>“For example, a child who scored at the 50th percentile in reading in a traditional school would have been at the 62nd percentile had they won the lottery to attend Montessori; had they won <em>and</em> attended Montessori, they would have scored at the 71st percentile,” Lillard told PsyPost.</p>
<p>Alongside the child assessments, the researchers performed a detailed cost analysis. They followed a method known as the “ingredients approach,” which accounts for all the resources required to run a program. This included teacher salaries and training, classroom materials, and facility space for both Montessori and traditional public preschool classrooms. One-time costs, such as the specialized Montessori materials and extensive teacher training, were amortized over their expected 25-year lifespan.</p>
<p>The analysis produced a surprising finding. Over the three-year period from ages three to six, public Montessori programs were estimated to cost districts $13,127 less per child than traditional programs. The main source of this cost savings was the higher child-to-teacher ratio in Montessori classrooms for three- and four-year-olds. This is an intentional feature of the Montessori model, designed to encourage peer learning and independence. These savings more than offset the higher upfront costs for teacher training and materials.</p>
<p>“I thought Montessori would cost the same, once one amortized the cost of teacher training and materials,” Lillard said. “Instead, we calculated that (due to intentionally higher ratios at 3 and 4, which predicted higher classroom quality in Montessori) Montessori cost less.”</p>
<p>“Even when including a large, diverse array of schools, public Montessori had better outcomes. These finding were robust to many different approaches to the data. And, the cost analysis showed these outcomes were obtained at significantly lower cost than was spent on traditional PK3 through kindergarten programs in public schools.” </p>
<p>But as with all research, there are limitations. The research included only families who applied to a Montessori school lottery, so the findings might not be generalizable to the broader population. The consent rate to participate in the study was relatively low, at about 21 percent of families who were contacted. Families who won a lottery spot were also more likely to consent than those who lost, which could potentially introduce bias into the results.</p>
<p>“Montessori is not a trademarked term, so anyone can call anything Montessori,” Lillard noted. “We required that most teachers be trained by the two organizations with the most rigorous training — AMI or the Association Montessori Internationale, which Dr. Maria Montessori founded to carry on her work, and AMS or the American Montessori Society, which has less rigorous teacher-trainer preparation and is shorter, but is still commendable. Our results might not extend to all schools that call themselves Montessori. In addition, we had low buy-in as we recruited for this study in summer 2021 when COVID-19 was still deeply concerning. We do not know if the results apply to families that did not consent to participation.” </p>
<p>The findings are also limited to the end of kindergarten. Whether the observed advantages for the Montessori group persist, grow, or fade in later elementary grades is a question for future research. The study authors expressed a strong interest in following these children to assess the long-term impacts of their early educational experiences.</p>
<p>“My collaborators at the American Institutes for Research and the University of Pennsylvania and University of Virginia are deeply appreciative of the schools, teachers, and families who participated, and to our funders, the Institute for Educational Sciences, Arnold Ventures, and the Brady Education Foundation,” Lillard added.</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2506130122" target="_blank">A national randomized controlled trial of the impact of public Montessori preschool at the end of kindergarten</a>,” was authored by Angeline S. Lillard, David Loeb, Juliette Berg, Maya Escueta, Karen Manship, Alison Hauser, and Emily D. Daggett.</p></p>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/familial-link-between-adhd-and-crime-risk-is-partly-genetic-study-suggests/" style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing:-1px;margin:0;padding:0 0 2px;font-weight: bold;font-size: 19px;line-height: 20px;color:#222;">Familial link between ADHD and crime risk is partly genetic, study suggests</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Oct 31st 2025, 06:00</div>
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<p><p>A new study has found that individuals with ADHD have a higher risk of being convicted of a crime, and reveals this connection also extends to their family members. The research suggests that shared genetics are a meaningful part of the explanation for this link. Published in <em><a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2025.10.007" target="_blank">Biological Psychology</a></em>, the findings show that the risk of a criminal conviction increases with the degree of genetic relatedness to a relative with ADHD.</p>
<p>The connection between ADHD and an increased likelihood of criminal activity is well-documented. Past research indicates that individuals with ADHD are two to three times more likely to be arrested or convicted of a crime. Scientists have also established that both ADHD and criminality have substantial genetic influences, with heritability estimates around 70-80% for ADHD and approximately 50% for criminal behavior. This overlap led researchers to hypothesize that shared genetic factors might partly explain the association between the two.</p>
<p>While some previous studies hinted at a familial connection, they were often limited to specific types of crime or a small number of relative types. The current research aimed to provide a more complete picture. The investigators sought to understand how the risk for criminal convictions co-aggregates, or clusters, within families across a wide spectrum of relationships, from identical twins to cousins. They also wanted to examine potential differences in these patterns between men and women.</p>
<p>“ADHD is linked to higher rates of crime, but it’s unclear why. We studied families to see whether shared genetic or environmental factors explain this connection, aiming to better understand how early support could reduce risk,” said study author <a href="https://www.oru.se/english/employee/sofi_oskarsson" target="_blank">Sofi Oskarsson</a>, a researcher and senior lecturer in criminology at Örebro University.</p>
<p>To conduct the investigation, researchers utilized Sweden’s comprehensive national population registers. They analyzed data from a cohort of over 1.5 million individuals born in Sweden between 1987 and 2002. ADHD cases were identified through clinical diagnoses or prescriptions for ADHD medication recorded in national health registers. Information on criminal convictions for any crime, violent crime, or non-violent crime was obtained from the National Crime Register, with the analysis beginning from an individual’s 15th birthday, the age of criminal responsibility in Sweden.</p>
<p>The study design allowed researchers to estimate the risk of a criminal conviction for an individual based on whether a relative had ADHD. By comparing these risks across different types of relatives who share varying amounts of genetic material—identical twins (100%), fraternal twins and full siblings (average 50%), half-siblings (average 25%), and cousins (average 12.5%)—the team could infer the potential role of shared genes and environments.</p>
<p>The results first confirmed that individuals with an ADHD diagnosis had a substantially higher risk of being convicted of a crime compared to those without ADHD. The risk was particularly elevated for violent crimes. </p>
<p>The analysis also revealed a significant gender difference: while men with ADHD had higher absolute numbers of convictions, women with ADHD had a greater relative increase in risk compared to women without the disorder. For violent crime, the risk was over eight times higher for women with ADHD, while it was about five times higher for men with ADHD.</p>
<p>“Perhaps not a surprise given what we know today about ADHD, but the stronger associations found among women were very interesting and important,” Oskarsson told PsyPost. “ADHD is not diagnosed as often in females (or is mischaracterized), so the higher relative risk in women suggest that when ADHD is present, it may reflect a more severe or concentrated set of risk factors.”</p>
<p>The central finding of the study was the clear pattern of familial co-aggregation. Having a relative with ADHD was associated with an increased personal risk for a criminal conviction. This risk followed a gradient based on genetic relatedness. </p>
<p>The highest risk was observed in individuals whose identical twin had ADHD, followed by fraternal twins and full siblings. The risk was progressively lower for half-siblings and cousins. This pattern, where the association weakens as genetic similarity decreases, points toward the influence of shared genetic factors.</p>
<p>“Close relatives of people with ADHD were much more likely to have criminal convictions, especially twins, supporting a genetic contribution,” Oskarsson explained. “But the link is not deterministic, most individuals with ADHD or affected relatives are not convicted, emphasizing shared risk, not inevitability.”</p>
<p>The study also found that the stronger relative risk for women was not limited to individuals with ADHD. A similar pattern appeared in some familial relationships, specifically among full siblings and full cousins, where the association between a relative’s ADHD and a woman’s conviction risk was stronger than for men. This suggests that the biological and environmental mechanisms connecting ADHD and crime may operate differently depending on sex.</p>
<p>“People with ADHD are at a higher risk of criminality, but this risk also extend to their relatives,” Oskarsson said. “This pattern suggest that some of the link between ADHD and crime stems from shared genetic and/or environmental factors. Importantly, this does not mean that ADHD causes crime, but that the two share underlying vulnerabilities. Recognizing and addressing ADHD early, especially in families, could reduce downstream risks and improve outcomes.”</p>
<p>As with any study, the researchers acknowledge some limitations. The study’s reliance on official medical records may primarily capture more severe cases of ADHD, and conviction data does not account for all criminal behavior. Because the data comes from Sweden, a country with universal healthcare, the findings may not be directly generalizable to countries with different social or legal systems. The authors also note that the large number of statistical comparisons means the overall consistency of the patterns is more important than any single result.</p>
<p>Future research could explore these associations in different cultural and national contexts to see if the patterns hold. Further investigation is also needed to identify the specific genetic and environmental pathways that contribute to the shared risk between ADHD and criminal convictions. These findings could help inform risk assessment and prevention efforts, but the authors caution that such knowledge must be applied carefully to avoid stigmatization.</p>
<p>“I want to know more about why ADHD and criminality are connected, which symptoms or circumstances matter most, and whether early support for individuals and families can help break that link,” Oskarsson added. “This study underscores the importance of viewing ADHD within a broader family and societal context. Early support for ADHD doesn’t just help the individual, it can have ripple effects that extend across families and communities.”</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2025.10.007" target="_blank">The Familial Co-Aggregation of ADHD and Criminal Convictions: A Register-Based Cohort Study</a>,” was authored by Sofi Oskarsson, Ralf Kuja-Halkola, Anneli Andersson, Catherine Tuvblad, Isabell Brikell, Brian D’Onofrio, Zheng Chang, and Henrik Larsson.</p></p>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/a-newsrooms-political-makeup-affects-public-trust-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;">A newsroom’s political makeup affects public trust, 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 30th 2025, 20:00</div>
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<p><p>A new study suggests that revealing the political affiliations of a newsroom’s journalists can influence public trust and engagement. The research, published in <em><a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/00936502251341081" target="_blank">Communication Research</a></em>, found that people report higher trust in news outlets they perceive as politically balanced or those that provide no political information about their staff, compared to outlets dominated by one party.</p>
<p>The motivation for this research stems from the steady decline of public trust in the news media within the United States. Scholars and journalists alike have been exploring ways to rebuild this confidence, with a particular focus on the concept of journalistic transparency. The idea is that by being more open about how news is gathered and produced, outlets can signal their honesty and integrity to the public. This openness can serve as a mental shortcut, or heuristic, that helps people decide whether a source is credible. </p>
<p>The researchers wanted to test a specific and rarely examined form of transparency: disclosing the collective political leanings of the journalists working at a news outlet. They sought to understand if this information would help or hinder trust and whether people’s own political identities would shape their reactions.</p>
<p>To investigate this question, the researchers conducted a series of three online experiments. In each experiment, participants were shown a brief description of a news outlet. They were then randomly assigned to see different versions of a graphic that displayed the political composition of that outlet’s newsroom. After viewing the description and graphic, participants answered questions designed to measure their trust in the outlet, their intention to use it for news in the future, and their intention to actively avoid it.</p>
<p>The first experiment focused on political ideology. Participants were shown information about a real news program, The National Desk, and were assigned to one of four conditions. One group received no information about the journalists’ politics, serving as a control. A second group was told the newsroom was perfectly balanced with an equal number of liberal and conservative journalists. The third and fourth groups were told the newsroom had a large majority of either liberal journalists or conservative journalists. </p>
<p>The results showed that participants had significantly higher trust in the outlet when it was presented as balanced or when no political information was provided. Correspondingly, they reported a greater willingness to use these outlets and a lower intention to avoid them. There was no meaningful difference in trust between the balanced outlet and the one with no political information disclosed.</p>
<p>This initial experiment also revealed a powerful pattern related to partisanship. Democrats and Republicans both expressed much lower trust in the outlet that was dominated by the opposing ideology. For example, Democrats rated the conservative-majority newsroom as far less trustworthy, while Republicans felt the same way about the liberal-majority newsroom. This points to a strong “out-group bias,” where people are quick to distrust a source associated with a political group they oppose. </p>
<p>However, the study did not find evidence of an “in-group favoritism.” Democrats did not trust the liberal-majority outlet any more than the balanced or unaffiliated one, and Republicans showed a similar lack of preference for the conservative-majority outlet.</p>
<p>The second experiment extended these ideas by focusing on party affiliation rather than general ideology. The design was similar, but this time the breakdown included Democrats, Republicans, and Independents. A fifth condition was added to test perceptions of a newsroom with a majority of Independent journalists. </p>
<p>The findings from this experiment closely mirrored the first. People reported the most trust in the outlets that were politically balanced, had a majority of Independents, or provided no partisan information at all. The outlets with a clear Democratic or Republican majority were trusted significantly less. Again, the pattern of out-group dislike was strong among both Democrats and Republicans, with no accompanying favoritism for their own party’s newsroom.</p>
<p>The third and final experiment was designed to confirm that these effects were not tied to the specific name of the news program used in the first two studies. The researchers replicated the second experiment’s design but used a fictional news organization called the Independent News Network, a name pre-tested to be seen as neutral. </p>
<p>The results were consistent for a third time. This replication strengthens the conclusion that it is the information about the political composition of the newsroom, not a pre-existing perception of an outlet’s brand, that drives these judgments about trust. The studies also consistently showed that trust acted as the key mechanism. When people perceived an outlet as less trustworthy because of its partisan slant, that decrease in trust directly led to their intentions to avoid the outlet and not use it in the future.</p>
<p>The researchers note some limitations to their work. The studies presented a hypothetical situation, as news organizations do not typically publicize the partisan breakdown of their staff, which means the experiments may not perfectly reflect real-world behavior. The study also measured general perceptions of an outlet without providing participants with any specific news articles, and people’s reactions might change depending on the topic of the news. </p>
<p>Future research could explore whether these findings hold when applied to well-known media brands, which people already have strong opinions about. It could also examine how people react to specific news stories when they are aware of the political leanings of the newsroom that produced them.</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/00936502251341081" target="_blank">In Diversity We Trust? Examining the Effect of Political Newsroom Diversity on Media Trust, Use, and Avoidance</a>,” was authored by Eliana DuBosar, Jay D. Hmielowski, and Muhammad Ehab Rasul.</p></p>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/researchers-identify-a-peculiar-tendency-among-insecure-narcissists/" 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;">Researchers identify a peculiar tendency among insecure narcissists</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Oct 30th 2025, 18:00</div>
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<p><p>A new study published in the journal <em><a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2020-11895-001" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts</a></em> suggests that individuals with a combination of high narcissism and psychological insecurity are more likely to be “cultural omnivores,” consuming both highbrow and lowbrow art forms. This behavior appears to be a strategy to satisfy two distinct psychological needs: signaling social status and projecting a sense of personal integrity.</p>
<p>Narcissism is often understood as a personality trait characterized by a grandiose sense of self, a persistent need for admiration, and a focus on one’s own importance. While this may project an image of supreme confidence, psychological research has shown that narcissism can exist alongside deep-seated feelings of insecurity, such as low self-esteem or a sense that one is not living as their “true self.” It is this particular combination of traits that interested the researchers.</p>
<p>Traditionally, cultural taste was seen through the lens of social class. Sociologists argued that elites used their preference for “highbrow” culture, like classical music and fine art, to distinguish themselves from other social classes. In recent decades, however, this pattern has shifted. Observers have noted the rise of the “cultural omnivore,” an individual who appreciates both high-status cultural products and more popular, “lowbrow” forms like pop music or street art.</p>
<p>The study’s authors proposed that this modern trend might be explained not just by social class, but by specific personality dynamics. They hypothesized that people high in narcissism but low in self-security might use cultural consumption as a tool. Liking highbrow culture could serve their need to signal superior status, while an appreciation for lowbrow culture, often seen as more authentic, could help soothe their inner feelings of inauthenticity.</p>
<p>To investigate this idea, the researchers conducted two separate studies. In the first experiment, they surveyed 178 university students. Participants completed questionnaires designed to measure their levels of narcissism and self-esteem. They were then asked to rate how likely they would be to participate in a variety of cultural activities.</p>
<p>Some of these activities were classified as highbrow, including attending a classical symphony or visiting art galleries. Others were categorized as lowbrow, such as going to pop concerts or viewing graffiti and street art. The researchers analyzed the data to see if there was a connection between the participants’ personality scores and their cultural intentions.</p>
<p>The findings revealed a distinct pattern. For individuals who scored high on the narcissism scale, having lower self-esteem was associated with a stronger intention to participate in highbrow cultural activities. A similar relationship appeared for lowbrow culture. The participants with high narcissism and low self-esteem also expressed a greater interest in lowbrow activities.</p>
<p>This confirmed that the insecure narcissist profile was linked to being a cultural omnivore, showing an appetite for both ends of the cultural spectrum. The analysis also suggested that this behavior was connected to a general motivation for “distinction seeking,” or a desire to establish a unique and notable identity through their choices. This relationship held even when the researchers accounted for other factors, like a person’s openness to new experiences or their own perception of their social status.</p>
<p>The second study was designed to explore the specific motivations behind these dual preferences. The researchers wanted to confirm if status seeking was driving the interest in highbrow culture, while a need for integrity was behind the preference for lowbrow culture. This experiment involved 144 university students and used a slightly different approach.</p>
<p>Instead of measuring general self-esteem, the researchers measured a more specific form of insecurity known as self-alienation, which is the feeling of being out of touch with one’s true self. They also focused on a particular aspect of narcissism related to superiority and arrogance. Participants were then randomly assigned to read a biography of a fictional artist.</p>
<p>One version of the biography presented the artist as highbrow, noting that her paintings were exhibited in major museums around the world. The other version framed her as lowbrow, explaining that her work was given to family and friends before being discovered by an art dealer in her hometown. After reading one of the biographies, participants rated their interest in seeing the artist’s work. They also answered questions about their current motivations, including their desire to signal status and their need to project self-integrity.</p>
<p>The results of this experiment provided clearer support for the researchers’ hypothesis. Among participants who read about the highbrow artist, those with the insecure narcissist profile showed greater interest in her work. This increased interest was statistically linked to a heightened desire for status at that moment. Consuming high-status art appeared to satisfy their need to be seen as having high status.</p>
<p>For the participants who read about the lowbrow artist, a different motivation was at play. In this case, the insecure narcissist group’s interest in the art was connected to their desire to signal self-integrity. The perceived authenticity of the lowbrow artist seemed to offer a way for these individuals to bolster their own shaky sense of self. The two studies together paint a nuanced picture of how personality can shape cultural tastes.</p>
<p>This research provides a new psychological perspective on a phenomenon that has largely been studied through a sociological framework. It suggests that for some people, the choice of what art to consume is not merely a matter of taste but a complex strategy for managing their identity and internal insecurities.</p>
<p>The authors note that their findings are based on statistical associations, and future research could explore these mechanisms further. For instance, an experiment could temporarily change a person’s feelings of security to see if it directly affects their cultural preferences. Researchers could also examine whether this pattern of behavior extends to other domains, such as luxury consumption, social media use, or even charitable giving.</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/aca0000303" target="_blank" rel="noopener">How Insecure Narcissists Become Cultural Omnivores: Consuming Highbrow Culture for Status Seeking and Lowbrow Culture for Integrity Signaling</a>,” was authored by Hanna Shin and Nara Youn.</p></p>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/new-study-shows-that-a-robots-feedback-can-shape-human-relationships/" 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 shows that a robot’s feedback can shape human relationships</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Oct 30th 2025, 16:00</div>
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<p><p>A new study has found that a robot’s feedback during a collaborative task can influence the feeling of closeness between the human participants. The research, published in <em><a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2025.108807" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Computers in Human Behavior</a></em>, indicates that this effect changes depending on the robot’s appearance and how it communicates.</p>
<p>As robots become more integrated into workplaces and homes, they are often designed to assist with decision-making. While much research has focused on how robots affect the quality of a group’s decisions, less is known about how a robot’s presence might alter the personal relationships between the humans on the team. The researchers sought to understand this dynamic by exploring how a robot’s agreement or disagreement impacts the sense of interpersonal connection people feel.</p>
<p>“Given the rise of large language models in recent years, we believe robots of different forms will soon be equipped with non-scripted verbal language to help people make decisions in various contexts. We conducted our research to call for careful consideration and control over the precise behaviors robots should use to provide feedback in the future,” said study author <a href="https://tinghanlin.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ting-Han Lin</a>, a computer science PhD student at the University of Chicago.</p>
<p>The investigation centered on two established psychological ideas. One, known as Balance Theory, suggests that people feel more positive toward one another when they are treated similarly by a third party, even if that treatment is negative. The other concept, the Influence of Negative Affect, proposes that a negative tone or criticism can damage the general atmosphere of an interaction and harm relationships.</p>
<p>To test these ideas, the researchers conducted two separate experiments, each involving pairs of participants who did not know each other. In both experiments, the pairs worked together to answer a series of eight personal questions, such as “What is the most important factor contributing to a life well-lived?” For each question, participants first gave their own individual answers before discussing and agreeing on a joint response.</p>
<p>A robot was present to mediate the task. After each person gave their initial answer, the robot would provide feedback. This feedback varied in two ways. First was its positivity, meaning the robot would either agree or disagree with the person’s statement. Second was its treatment of the pair, meaning the robot would either treat both people equally (agreeing with both or disagreeing with both) or unequally (agreeing with one and disagreeing with the other).</p>
<p>The first experiment involved 172 participants interacting with a highly human-like robot named NAO. This robot could speak, use gestures like nodding or shaking its head, and employed artificial intelligence to summarize a person’s response before giving its feedback. Its verbal disagreements were designed to grow in intensity, beginning with mild phrases and ending with statements like, “I am fundamentally opposed with your viewpoint.”</p>
<p>The results from this experiment showed that the positivity of the robot’s feedback had a strong effect on the participants’ relationship. When the NAO robot gave positive feedback, the two human participants reported feeling closer to each other. When the robot consistently gave negative feedback, the participants felt more distant from one another.</p>
<p>“A robot’s feedback to two people in a decision-making task can shape their closeness,” Lin told PsyPost.</p>
<p>This outcome supports the theory regarding the influence of negative affect. The robot’s consistent negativity seemed to create a less pleasant social environment, which in turn reduced the feeling of connection between the two people. The robot’s treatment of the pair, whether equal or unequal, did not appear to be the primary factor shaping their closeness in this context. Participants also rated the human-like robot as warmer and more competent when it was positive, though they found it more discomforting when it treated them unequally.</p>
<p>The second experiment involved 150 participants and a robot with a very low degree of human-like features. This robot resembled a simple, articulated lamp and could not speak. It communicated its feedback exclusively through minimal gestures, such as nodding for agreement or shaking its head from side to side for disagreement.</p>
<p>With this less-human robot, the findings were quite different. The main factor influencing interpersonal closeness was the robot’s treatment of the pair. When the robot treated both participants equally, they reported feeling closer to each other, regardless of whether the feedback was positive or negative. Unequal treatment, where the robot agreed with one person and disagreed with the other, led to a greater sense of distance between them.</p>
<p>This result aligns well with Balance Theory. The shared experience of being treated the same by the robot, either through mutual agreement or mutual disagreement, seemed to create a bond. The researchers also noted a surprising finding. When the lamp-like robot disagreed with both participants, they felt even closer than when it agreed with both, suggesting that the robot became a “common enemy” that united them.</p>
<p>“Heider’s Balance Theory dominates when a low anthropomorphism robot is present,” Lin said.</p>
<p>The researchers propose that the different outcomes are likely due to the intensity of the feedback delivered by each robot. The human-like NAO robot’s use of personalized speech and strong verbal disagreement was potent enough to create a negative atmosphere that overshadowed other social dynamics. Its criticism was taken more seriously, and its negativity was powerful enough to harm the human-human connection.</p>
<p>“The influence of negative affect prevails when a high anthropomorphism robot exists,” Lin said.</p>
<p>In contrast, the simple, non-verbal gestures of the lamp-like robot were not as intense. Because its disagreement was less personal and less powerful, it did not poison the overall interaction. This allowed the more subtle effects of balanced versus imbalanced treatment to become the main influence on the participants’ relationship. Interviews with participants supported this idea, as people interacting with the machine-like robot often noted that they did not take its opinions as seriously.</p>
<p>Across both experiments, the robot’s feedback did not significantly alter how the final joint decisions were made. Participants tended to incorporate each other’s ideas fairly evenly, regardless of the robot’s expressed opinion. This suggests the robot’s influence was more on the social and emotional level than on the practical outcome of the decision-making task.</p>
<p>The study has some limitations, including the fact that the two experiments were conducted in different countries with different participant populations. The first experiment used a diverse group of museum visitors in the United States, while the second involved university students in Israel. Future research could explore these dynamics in more varied contexts.</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2025.108807" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The impact of a robot’s agreement (or disagreement) on human-human interpersonal closeness in a two-person decision-making task</a>,” was authored by Ting-Han Lin, Yuval Rubin Kopelman, Madeline Busse, Sarah Sebo, and Hadas Erel.</p></p>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/new-research-explores-the-science-behind-common-sexual-behaviors/" style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing:-1px;margin:0;padding:0 0 2px;font-weight: bold;font-size: 19px;line-height: 20px;color:#222;">New research explores the biopsychology of common sexual behaviors</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Oct 30th 2025, 14:00</div>
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<p><p>Recent research provides new insight into the functions of common sexual behaviors, revealing how they contribute not just to physical pleasure but also to emotional bonding. A trio of studies, two published in the <em>WebLog Journal of Reproductive Medicine</em> and one in the <em>International Journal of Clinical Research and Reports</em>, examines the physiological and psychological dimensions of why men hold their partners’ legs and stimulate their breasts, what men gain from these acts, and how women experience them.</p>
<p>Researchers pursued these lines of inquiry because many frequently practiced sexual behaviors remain scientifically underexplored. While practices like a man holding a woman’s legs or performing oral breast stimulation are common, the specific reasons for their prevalence and their effects on both partners were not fully understood from an integrated perspective. The scientific motivation was to create a more comprehensive picture that combines biology, psychology, and social factors to explain what happens during these intimate moments.</p>
<p>“Human sexual behavior is often discussed socially, but many aspects of it lack meaningful scientific exploration,” said study author Rehan Haider of the University of Karachi. “We noticed a gap connecting physiological responses, evolutionary psychology, and relationship intimacy to why certain tactile behaviors are preferred during intercourse. Our goal was to examine these mechanisms in a respectful, evidence-based manner rather than rely on anecdote or cultural assumptions.”</p>
<p>The first study took a broad, mixed-methods approach to understand why men often hold women’s legs and engage in breast stimulation during intercourse. The researchers combined a review of existing literature with observational studies and self-reported surveys from adult heterosexual couples aged 18 to 50. This allowed them to assemble a model that connected male behaviors with female responses and relational outcomes.</p>
<p>The research team reported that 68 percent of couples practiced leg holding during intercourse. This position was found to facilitate deeper vaginal penetration and improve the alignment of the bodies, which in turn enhanced stimulation of sensitive areas like the clitoris and G-spot. Women in the study correlated this act with higher levels of sexual satisfaction.</p>
<p>The research also affirmed the significance of breast stimulation, noting that manual stimulation occurred in 60 percent of encounters and oral stimulation in 54 percent. This contact activates sensory pathways in the nipple-areolar complex, promoting the release of the hormones oxytocin and prolactin, which are associated with increased sexual arousal and emotional bonding. From a psychological standpoint, these behaviors appeared to reinforce feelings of intimacy, trust, and connection between partners.</p>
<p>“We were surprised by the consistency of emotional feedback among participants, particularly how strongly feelings of closeness and security were linked to these behaviors,” Haider told PsyPost. “It suggests an underestimated psychological component beyond pure physical stimulation.”</p>
<p>“The core message is that sexual touch preferences are not random—many are supported by biological reward pathways, emotional bonding hormones, and evolutionary reproductive strategies. Leg-holding and breast stimulation, for example, can enhance feelings of safety, intimacy, and arousal for both partners. Healthy communication and consent around such behaviors strengthen relational satisfaction.”</p>
<p>A second, complementary study focused specifically on the male experience of performing oral stimulation on a partner’s nipples. The goal was to understand the pleasure and psychological satisfaction men themselves derive from this act. To do this, researchers conducted a cross-sectional survey, recruiting 500 heterosexual men between the ages of 18 and 55. Participants completed a structured and anonymous questionnaire designed to measure the frequency of the behavior, their self-rated level of arousal from it, and its association with feelings of intimacy and overall sexual satisfaction.</p>
<p>The analysis of this survey data revealed a strong positive association between the frequency of performing nipple stimulation and a man’s own sense of sexual fulfillment and relational closeness. The results indicated that men do not engage in this behavior solely for their partner’s benefit. They reported finding the act to be both highly erotic and emotionally gratifying. The researchers propose that the behavior serves a dual function for men, simultaneously enhancing their personal arousal while reinforcing the psychological bond with their partner, likely through mechanisms linked to the hormone oxytocin, which plays a role in social affiliation and trust.</p>
<p>The third study shifted the focus to the female perspective, examining women’s physical and psychological responses to breast and nipple stimulation during penetrative intercourse. This investigation used a clinical and observational design, collecting data from 120 sexually active women aged 21 to 50. The methodology involved structured interviews, clinical feedback from counseling sessions, and the use of validated questionnaires, including the well-established Female Sexual Function Index (`FSFI`), a self-report tool used to assess key dimensions of female sexual function.</p>
<p>This research confirmed that stimulation of the breasts and nipples consistently contributed to a more positive sexual experience for women. Women with higher reported nipple sensitivity showed significantly better scores across the FSFI domains of arousal, orgasm, and satisfaction. Physically, this type of stimulation was associated with enhanced vaginal lubrication and clitoral responsiveness during intercourse.</p>
<p>Psychologically, the researchers found a connection between a woman’s perception of her breasts and her emotional experience. Women who described their breasts as “zones of intimacy” or “trust-enhancing touchpoints” reported a greater sense of emotional connection and reduced anxiety during sex. However, the study also identified that 23 percent of participants experienced discomfort during breast stimulation.</p>
<p>“This research does not imply that these behaviors are necessary or universally preferred,” Haider noted. “It’s also not about objectification. Rather, it focuses on how touch patterns can reinforce mutual trust, pleasure, and bonding when consensual and respectful. Not everyone will experience the same responses, and preferences vary widely. The study highlights trends—not prescriptions—and should be interpreted as an invitation for communication rather than a standard everyone must follow.”</p>
<p>While these studies offer a more detailed understanding of sexual behavior, the researchers acknowledge certain limitations. All three studies relied heavily on self-reported data, which can be influenced by memory recall and social desirability biases. The research was also primarily cross-sectional, capturing a snapshot in time, which can identify associations but cannot establish cause-and-effect relationships. For instance, it is unclear if frequent breast stimulation leads to higher intimacy or if more intimate couples simply engage in the behavior more often.</p>
<p>For future research, scientists suggest incorporating longitudinal designs that follow couples over an extended period to better understand the development of these behavioral patterns and their long-term effects on relationship satisfaction. There is also a need for more cross-cultural comparisons, as sexual scripts and preferences can vary significantly across different societies.</p>
<p>“Future work will explore female perspectives more deeply, neuroendocrine changes during different types of touch, and how cultural factors shape sexual comfort and preference,” Haider said. We’d like to compare findings across age groups and relationship durations as well. Sexual well-being is an important aspect of overall health, but it is rarely discussed scientifically. By approaching these topics with sensitivity and rigor, we hope to normalize evidence-based conversation and encourage couples to communicate openly.”</p>
<p>The studies, “<a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/396416438_WebLog_Journal_of_Reproductive_Medicine_Published_Psychological_and_Physiological_Basis_of_Male_Preference_for_Holding_Women's_Legs_and_Breast_Stimulation_during_Intercourse_OPEN_ACCESS?__cf_chl_tk=N0JoLSBVDiH6Bj.x93sarMCZQLQjGGIgfL5cdP7nYUQ-1761766879-1.0.1.1-2JNZkLsWjnSVRG.aPDo0k76Oyt8sSRzT2L6WQiz47is" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Physiological Basis of Male Preference for Holding Women’s Legs and Breast Stimulation during Intercourse</a>,” “<a href="https://weblogoa.com/articles/wjrm.2025.i1006" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nipple Sucking and Male Sexual Response: Perceived Pleasure and Psychological Satisfaction</a>,” and “<a href="https://www.clinicsearchonline.org/article/womens-physical-and-psychological-responses-during-penetrative-sexual-intercourse-the-role-of-breast-and-nipple-sensitivity" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Women’s Physical and Psychological Responses during Penetrative Sexual Intercourse: The Role of Breast and Nipple Sensitivity</a>” were authored by Rehan Haider, Geetha Kumari Das, and Zameer Ahmed.</p></p>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/older-adults-sleep-better-after-a-hot-tub-bath-particularly-during-winter/" 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;">Older adults sleep better after a hot tub bath, particularly during winter</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Oct 30th 2025, 12:00</div>
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<p><p>A study of older adults in Japan found that taking a hot-tub bath before bed was associated with better sleep quality. Participants not only felt their sleep was better, but objective actigraphy data also confirmed they slept more efficiently on average compared to their peers who did not bathe before bed. This effect was particularly strong during winter. The paper was published in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleh.2025.07.008"><em>Sleep Health: Journal of the National Sleep Foundation</em></a>.</p>
<p>Sleep quality refers to how well a person sleeps, including how long it takes to fall asleep, how often they wake during the night, and how rested they feel upon waking. It is not just the number of hours slept but the depth and continuity of sleep that determine its quality. High-quality sleep involves cycling smoothly through the stages of light, deep, and REM sleep without frequent interruptions.</p>
<p>Poor sleep quality can result from stress, irregular schedules, caffeine, alcohol, or sleep disorders like insomnia or sleep apnea. Good sleep quality supports brain function, learning, and emotional stability. It also plays a key role in physical health, aiding immune function, tissue repair, and hormone balance. Chronic poor sleep increases the risk of heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and depression. People who sleep poorly often experience daytime fatigue, poor concentration, and irritability.</p>
<p>Study author Yoshiaki Tai and his colleagues wanted to explore the effects of hot-tub bathing on sleep quality under real-life conditions, accounting for various factors such as bathing behaviors, environmental influences, and individual characteristics.</p>
<p>Hot-tub bathing is a common evening or nighttime practice in Japan. It involves being immersed in a tub filled with water heated to 40–41°C for 10–30 minutes. The bathtub is usually designed to have a depth that allows the water level to reach the mid-thorax or neck.</p>
<p>The researchers note that previous studies reported that hot-tub bathing before sleep was associated with lower nighttime blood pressure and a lower prevalence of nocturia (waking up from sleep to urinate).</p>
<p>The study included 2,252 older adults from Nara, Japan. Their average age was 69 years, and 64% were women.</p>
<p>Study participants wore an actigraph on the wrist of their non-dominant hand for seven consecutive 24-hour periods. An actigraph is a device that measures movement to estimate an individual’s sleep patterns, activity levels, and circadian rhythms. They also wore a wireless device that logged their skin temperature attached to the actigraph, and another temperature logger on their abdomen (however, the abdominal one was worn for 24 hours only).</p>
<p>Participants completed an assessment of sleep quality (the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index) and kept a diary of their bathing behavior. They recorded whether they took a hot-tub bath, a shower, or did not bathe before bed, as well as the start and end times of bathing and the duration of immersion. For a majority of the participants, this diary was for one day only, but 945 of them recorded it for the full 7-day period.</p>
<p>The study authors used these data to estimate the temperature of the water (using abdominal skin temperature as a surrogate) and the bath-to-bed interval. Baths taken more than 5 hours and 45 minutes before bedtime were classified as not having been taken before bedtime.</p>
<p>The results showed that participants who took a hot-tub bath before going to bed slept better than their peers who did not. Their odds of reporting poor sleep quality were significantly lower than the odds for participants who did not bathe. The odds of poor sleep for participants who took a shower were not significantly different from those who did not bathe.</p>
<p>Higher water temperature during bathing and longer immersion time were associated with more efficient sleep. However, there was a negative interaction between these two factors. If the water temperature went above 41.7°C or immersion lasted longer than 18.3 minutes, further increases were no longer beneficial and were associated with reduced sleep efficiency.</p>
<p>Furthermore, the association between hot-tub bathing and more efficient sleep was strongest and most consistent for participants studied during the winter months. In general, subjective sleep assessments agreed with actigraphy measures, indicating better sleep for participants taking hot-tub baths.</p>
<p>“Hot-tub bathing was associated with better self-reported sleep quality, higher SE [sleep efficiency], and shorter WASO [wake after sleep onset] in real-life settings among community-dwelling older adults. In hot-tub bathing sessions with a duration of immersion < 18.3 minutes and proximal skin temperature during bathing (used as a surrogate for water temperature in the bathtub) < 41.7°C, a longer duration of immersion and higher maximum proximal skin temperature during bathing were positively associated with higher SE [sleep efficiency]. Our results suggest that improvements in SE, WASO [wake after sleep onset], and SOL [sleep onset latency, how long it takes to fall asleep] can be maximized when hot-tub bathing is scheduled 61–120 minutes before bedtime during winter,” the study authors concluded.</p>
<p>The study sheds light on the links between bathing behaviors and sleep quality. However, it should be noted that this was an observational study, and researchers did not direct participants’ bathing behaviors. Because of this, definitive causal inferences cannot be drawn from the results.</p>
<p>The paper, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleh.2025.07.008">Association between before-bedtime hot-tub bathing and sleep quality in real-life settings among community-dwelling older adults,</a>” was authored by Yoshiaki Tai, Kenji Obayashi, Yuki Yamagami, and Keigo Saeki.</p></p>
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<p><strong>Forwarded by:<br />
Michael Reeder LCPC<br />
Baltimore, MD</strong></p>
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