Function over form
According to research in Technology, Mind, and Behavior, people may perceive robots attempting to engage with people and displaying human-like emotions as capable of “thinking” and behaving “intentionally”—that is, in a manner beyond their programming. In the first two of three studies conducted with participants in Italy, researchers remotely controlled a gregarious humanlike robot, the iCub, as it watched videos with 81 participants. Researchers programmed the iCub to respond with sounds and facial expressions of sadness, awe, or happiness. In the third study, 41 participants watched videos with the iCub programmed to behave more machinelike, responding to the videos with beeps and repetitive movements. The researchers found that the participants who watched videos with the humanlike robot were more likely to rate the robot’s actions as intentional rather than programmed. This result demonstrates that humanlike behavior is needed above and beyond humanlike appearance to make people believe a robot is capable of thoughts and emotions. DOI: 10.1037/tmb0000072opens in new window
Hate laws and suicide attempts
Research in Psychology, Public Policy, and Law reveals that fewer youth attempt suicide in states with hate crime laws that protect LGBTQ individuals. Researchers analyzed health-related responses of more than 83,000 students in the United States surveyed between 2015 and 2018. They found that suicide attempt rates were significantly higher for students who identified as gay or lesbian (25.7%), bisexual (27.1%), or questioning (18.5%) than among their heterosexual counterparts (6.3%). Suicide attempts during the study period decreased by 1.2% for all students in states with hate crime laws protecting sexual and gender minorities, translating into an overall decrease of 16% in annual suicide attempts in those states. There was no decrease in student suicide attempts in states that enacted hate crime laws that excluded sexual minorities as a protected class. DOI: 10.1037/law0000360opens in new window
If the algorithm said it
People find gender discrimination more acceptable when it occurs because of an algorithm rather than direct human involvement, according to research in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General. Across three studies, researchers presented various scenarios to 1,526 participants in the United States and found they were less morally outraged by discriminatory hiring practices directed by an algorithm than by a human. Additional studies with 2,405 participants in the United States, Canada, and Norway revealed several findings. Companies were criticized when their screening algorithm generated low gender equality but were not praised when the algorithm produced high gender equality. More outrage occurred when algorithm-generated gender discrimination sprung from male programmers at a company known for sexist practices. Also, people were more likely to attribute prejudiced motivation when algorithms were anthropomorphized, and people found companies less legally liable for algorithm-directed versus human-directed discrimination. Finally, knowledge about artificial intelligence did not influence ratings of discrimination. DOI: 10.1037/xge0001250opens in new window
ADHD medication effects
A study in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology indicates that medication for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has no detectable impact on how much children with ADHD learn in the classroom, but it does impact their classroom behavior. Researchers evaluated 173 children in the United States between the ages of 7 and 12 with ADHD who were participating in a therapeutic summer camp. Over eight weeks, children engaged in two daily half-hour instruction sessions in vocabulary as well as in science and social studies. Each child was randomly given a stimulant medication during either the first or second instructional session, and a placebo during the other. Children learned the same amount of science, social studies, and vocabulary content whether they took the medication or the placebo. Medication did, however, help children complete a higher percentage of in-class assignments and improve their classroom behavior. When taking medication, children completed 37% more arithmetic problems and committed 53% fewer classroom rule violations. DOI: 10.1037/ccp0000725opens in new window
Misinformation easier to process
Research in Humanities and Social Sciences Communications suggests that misinformation requires less cognitive effort to process and appeals more to emotions than information from reliable sources. A researcher classified 92,112 misinformation news articles into several categories: clickbait, conspiracy theories, fake news, hate speech, junk science, and rumors. The researcher then compared stories in these categories with factual news, measuring the cognitive effort needed to process the content (grammar and lexical complexity) and emotional evocation (sentiment analysis and appeal to morality). The results indicate that factual information is 15% more lexically diverse than fake news, making the misinformation easier to process. In addition, fake news is, on average, 18 times more negative than factual news, while hate speech is 30 times more negative than real news. Finally, fake news and hate speech appealed to moral values 37% and 50% more, respectively, than factual content. DOI: 10.1057/s41599-022-01174-9opens in new window
Hallucinogens and depression
People reporting past-year use of certain hallucinogens experienced some combination of depression and suicidality, while past-year ecstasy use was associated with less depression and suicidality, according to research in Addictive Behaviors. Researchers examined data from a representative sample of 241,675 people in the United States. They evaluated whether past-year use of specific psychoactive drugs—LSD, DMT, salvia divinorum, ecstasy, and ketamine—was associated with past-year serious psychological distress (SPD), major depressive episode (MDE), and suicidality. They found LSD use was associated with an increased likelihood of MDE and suicidal thinking. Similar associations were observed between salvia divinorum use and suicidal thinking and between DMT use and suicidal planning. In contrast, ecstasy use was linked to a decreased likelihood of SPD, MDE, and suicidal thinking. DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2022.107343opens in new window
Shopping on a caffeine high
Shoppers spend more money and buy more items after imbibing a caffeinated beverage, suggests research in the Journal of Marketing. In the first of four studies, researchers set up an espresso station at a large chain store in France. Ninety-six shoppers were given espresso with caffeine, while an equal number were given decaf. Participants shared their receipts upon leaving the store and answered questions about how excited, alert, and sleepy they felt while shopping. The results showed that caffeinated shoppers felt more excited and alert than decaf drinkers. They also bought 30% more items and spent 50% more overall. The second study, performed at a different retail location in France, showed that 145 caffeinated participants were more likely to buy “high hedonic” items such as buttery or rich foods, but not more utilitarian purchases. The first and second studies were replicated in the field in Spain and in a lab setting, respectively, with 90 and 209 participants, respectively. DOI: 10.1177/00222429221109247opens in new window
Autism diagnosis on rise
The prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) among children and adolescents in the United States was 3.14% in 2019 and 2020 overall, up from 2.24% in 2014, according to a study in JAMA Pediatrics. Researchers analyzed data from the 2019 and 2020 editions of a nationally representative study and found that 410 of 12,554 children and adolescents between the ages of 3 and 17 years were given a diagnosis of ASD, with a higher prevalence in boys than in girls. The researchers also saw a higher incidence in low-income families, possibly because these families are less able to avoid environmental exposures linked to ASD and have fewer resources to take steps to curb its severity early on. DOI: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2022.1846opens in new window
ECT for mania
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) may be an effective treatment for more than 5 in 6 people experiencing mania, according to a study in JAMA Network Open. Researchers examined data from a nationwide study in Sweden of 571 patients with mania, with or without psychotic symptoms, admitted to a hospital and administered ECT between 2012 and 2019. They found that 482 (84.4%) responded to the treatment, with 28% of responders achieving remission. Severe illness was a top predictive factor of patient response to ECT; those deemed extremely ill responded at a rate of 92%. Additionally, patients who underwent multiple ECT treatments in a series were more likely to have a clinical response, with nine or more treatments yielding the highest response rate. Clinical factors predictive of a patient not responding to ECT included comorbid anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Finally, being on an antipsychotic, antidepressant, anxiolytic, or central stimulant had no impact on clinical response to ECT. DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.18330opens in new window
VR arms feel real
According to research in Scientific Reports, people trained to use an additional set of arms in virtual reality (VR) feel as if the extra limbs are part of their own body. Researchers outfitted participants with a head-mounted display through which they saw a first-person view of their own arms and two additional virtual robotic arms. The participants then performed tasks using only the virtual robotic arms, which they controlled by moving their toes and through which they received tactile feedback. Once accustomed to the virtual system, participants reported feeling as though the virtual robotic arms belonged to them and were not merely extensions of their own arms and feet. The researchers also found that the participants’ “peripersonal space,” or the area people perceive as their personal space, extended to include the area around the virtual robotic arms. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-13981-wopens in new window
Too quick or not at all
According to research in Sexual and Relationship Therapy, highly narcissistic men are more likely to experience difficulty reaching orgasm, but also report more premature ejaculation. Researchers surveyed 1,297 men in the United States about their sexual and relationship histories during the previous 12 to 24 months and any sexual dysfunctions. The researchers then categorized the participants as low, medium, or high in sexual narcissism. Men higher in sexual narcissism reported greater likelihood of having a sexual partner, more frequent masturbation and partnered sex, a greater interest in sex, lower sexual satisfaction, and lower overall relationship satisfaction. They were also more likely to prefer masturbation over partnered sex. Men higher in sexual narcissism also reported a greater tendency toward premature ejaculation and greater difficulty reaching orgasm during partnered sex. DOI: 10.1080/14681994.2022.2073345opens in new window
Acupuncture reduces tension headaches
Research in Neurology indicates that acupuncture can reduce the frequency of chronic tension-type headaches (CTTH). Researchers recruited 218 participants who had, on average, experienced CTTH for 130 months and had 21.5 episodes per month at baseline. Researchers randomly assigned participants to either true acupuncture or superficial acupuncture. Both groups received 20 half-hour sessions over eight weeks. More than two-thirds (68.2%) of participants receiving real acupuncture reported half as many headache days at week 16, compared with 48.1% who had faux acupuncture. The overall effect lasted for at least eight months. At week 32, the response rate was 68.2% in the true acupuncture group and 50% in the superficial acupuncture group. DOI: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000200670opens in new window
Are robot coworkers bad for you?
Although working alongside robots results in fewer physical injuries, Americans with robot coworkers are more likely to experience negative mental health effects, while Germans in similar work conditions suffer almost no ill effects, according to research in Labour Economics. Researchers analyzed data on workplace injuries in the United States, finding that physical injuries were reduced by 1.2% in regions with one standard deviation increase in exposure to robots at work. But drug- or alcohol-related deaths increased by 9.6%, and the number of poor mental health days increased by 14.9%. In Germany, the same increase in robot exposure led to a 4% reduction in physical job intensity and a 5% dip in disability, with no negative mental health effects. The researchers speculate that Germany’s more worker-friendly labor laws mean its workers may feel less competitive pressure in the presence of robots than their American counterparts. DOI: 10.1016/j.labeco.2022.102205opens in new window
Limited wealth OK for most
Most people do not desire unlimited wealth, suggests research in Nature Sustainability. Researchers asked 7,860 individuals from 33 countries spanning six continents how much money they would need to live their ideal lives. In 86% of countries, most people thought they could achieve their ideal life with $10 million or less, and in some countries the number was $1 million or less. However, a minority of people (8%–39% across countries) chose an essentially unlimited amount of money ($100 billion). Limited and unlimited wealth ideals were not related to country differences in economic development, but those whose desire for money was insatiable tended to be younger city dwellers who said they value power, success, and independence, and they lived in collectivistic countries or countries with broad acceptance of inequality. DOI: 10.1038/s41893-022-00902-yopens in new window
PTSD accelerates cognitive decline
A study in JAMA Network Open reveals that middle-age women suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were more likely to experience accelerated cognitive decline. Researchers analyzed data collected between 2008 and 2019 for a longitudinal study of 12,270 female nurses in the United States with a mean age of 61. Nearly 96% of the women were White. A total of 8,218 women (67%) reported experiencing PTSD symptoms, with 5,058 (41%) reporting one to three symptoms, 151 (17%) indicating four to five symptoms, and 60 (8%) noting six to seven symptoms. Individuals with the highest level of PTSD symptoms experienced a significantly worse cognitive decline in learning and working memory over two years, as well as decline in psychomotor speed and attention compared with those with no PTSD symptoms. DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.17698opens in new window
White children treated more for ADHD
Compared with other races and ethnicities, White children may be more likely to be both diagnosed with and given medication for ADHD, according to a study in the Journal of Learning Disabilities. Researchers analyzed data from 1,070 elementary school children in the United States who had displayed above-average behavioral, academic, or executive functioning the year before their initial ADHD diagnoses. About 27% of White children were later diagnosed with ADHD and 20% were prescribed medication. Those numbers were lower for non-White children: 19% and 14%, respectively. Families’ socioeconomic status did not explain these disparities. The researchers hypothesized that White parents are more likely to seek diagnoses and treatments because they are more likely to see ADHD as a health condition—as opposed to poor behavior stemming from bad parenting—than parents of other races and ethnicities. DOI: 10.1177/00222194221099675opens in new window
Zoom stifles creativity
Research in Nature suggests that in-person teams generate more ideas than remote teams working on the same problems, and in-person-generated ideas tend to be more original. In one study, researchers in the United States found that 150 two-person teams working together in the same room generated 15% to 20% more ideas than their virtual counterparts. Eye-gaze data captured during both types of meetings indicated virtual meetings narrowed participants’ visual scope, which the researchers suggested constrained cognitive processes underlying idea generation. In a second study involving 1,490 engineers at a multinational corporation spread across five countries in Europe and Asia, in-person teams again came up with about 15% more ideas, and those ideas received higher ratings for originality. However, when it came time to select which ideas to pursue, the researchers found no evidence that videoconferencing groups were less effective than in-person groups. DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-04643-yopens in new window
