Effects of Prenatal Famine on Brain Development: Epigenetics & Mental Illness Risk

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 …

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Mutual Relationship: Living by Values vs. Well-Being & Happiness

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 …

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Opposites Don’t Attract? Similarities Among Partners for Traits

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 …

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Dark Triad Personality Traits & Happiness: How Narcissism, Psychopathy, Machiavellianism Impact Wellbeing

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 …

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Links Between Narcissism, Intelligence, & Rivalry

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 …

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