Maladaptive daydreaming (MD) is a newly recognized behavioral addiction characterized by excessive absorption in fantasy. Key facts about Maladaptive Daydreaming: It involves compulsive,immersive daydreaming that impairs functioning MD serves as an escape and emotional regulation strategy It shares features with other behavioral addictions like gaming and porn addiction MD can occupy many hours a day …
Resilience is key to coping with life’s stressors, but how it works in the brain is still being unraveled. A new study provides evidence that resilience involves distinct brain processes depending on whether someone is depressed or not. Key Facts: Resilience was linked to frontal lobe brain activity patterns that differed between depressed and non-depressed …
Gambling is a complex behavior influenced by multiple factors in the brain. New research in mice provides insight into the neurobiology underlying key aspects of gambling such as making the initial decision to gamble and persistently chasing losses. Key Facts: Mice exhibit typical gambling behaviors like choosing to gamble more when odds of winning are …
New research shows that when mothers experience famine during pregnancy, it can change babies’ brain development in the womb. This may increase their risk for mental illnesses like schizophrenia and depression later in life. Key Facts: Babies whose mothers experienced famine while pregnant had a higher risk of schizophrenia as adults. For depression, results were …
New research shows that a man’s income has become increasingly important for his chances of getting married in the U.S. over the past century. This suggests men face growing pressure to earn higher pay to attract a wife. Key Facts: A man’s income explained only 2.5% of whether he ever married if born in 1890. …
How does our brain form intentions and make decisions? Do we have free will? A new study takes a fresh look at a classic Libet experiment to uncover new insights. Key Facts: Researchers tested whether people can accurately report when they formed an intention to move. They compared brain activity to the timing people reported …
Researchers have found that living according to your values can improve your well-being. But well-being can also help you live by your values. Key Facts: Acting on personal values can boost well-being the next day. Feeling good can help people act on values the next day. There’s a two-way relationship between values and well-being. Not …
Researchers did the largest analysis ever on how similar spouses and partners are for different traits. They found that partners tend to be positively correlated, meaning they are more alike than random pairs of people. However, how much partners resemble each other differs a lot depending on the trait. Additionally, they saw that couples from …
A new study investigates how certain “dark triad” personality traits relate to people’s happiness and life satisfaction. Key Findings: Narcissism has multiple dimensions – some linked to higher well-being, others to lower. Psychopathy overall relates to lower well-being, but one aspect called boldness predicts greater happiness. Machiavellianism consistently associates with reduced well-being. Age and gender …
Researchers have found that more intelligent narcissists are less likely to exhibit rivalry and aggression. This suggests higher intelligence may help mitigate some of the negative interpersonal behaviors associated with narcissism. Key Facts: Narcissism has two main dimensions – admiration and rivalry. Admiration involves self-promotion, while rivalry involves aggression and devaluation of others. These two …
