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Journal of Personality and Social Psychology

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People may overlook unlikely events in financial forecasts, and more scientific findings

Highlights of recent research from psychology and related fields.
October 2026
Monitor on Psychology

Conversations are powerful. Here are ways to embrace the awkward and deepen relationships.

Psychologists are studying how high-quality discussions can improve our mood, deepen our relationships, and resolve conflicts.
September 2026
Article

Friends may influence prejudice toward outgroups, and more scientific findings

Summaries of research from psychology and related fields.
July 2026
Research in Brief

Volunteering and other kind acts help the helper, too

Research shows that people who volunteer or perform other acts of kindness are happier, less depressed, and less lonely than others.
July 2026
Monitor on Psychology

In Brief: Ethical reasoning may curb desire to share ‘fake news’ and more scientific findings

Summaries of research from psychology and related fields.
June 2026
Research in Brief

Think that conversation will be boring? Science says think again

Research shows that conversations we expect to be boring are often more enjoyable and meaningful than predicted, highlighting how small talk can foster connection and well-being.
April 2026
Press Release

Shared positive emotions, stress relief, experiencing awe, and more scientific findings

Among other things, research finds that spending time with a partner may boost a person’s emotional and physiological states, young children connect praise being given with the work being praised, and watching videos with inspirational stories may have stress-relieving effects on par with listening to guided meditations.
March 2026
Research in Brief

When you stumble, laughter beats embarrassment

Research finds that laughing at yourself after a minor, harmless mistake makes others see you as more warm, competent, and authentic than showing embarrassment.
February 2026
Press Release

How to calm political violence, according to psychologists

Understanding drivers behind acts help prevent or mitigate destructive consequences.
January 2026
Monitor on Psychology

In Brief: Sense of purpose in life may preserve cognitive function, and more scientific findings

Summaries of research from psychology and related fields.
January 2026
Research in Brief

To connect across politics, try saying what you oppose

Research shows that framing political views in terms of what you oppose—rather than what you support—can make others more receptive and foster better dialogue across divides.
December 2025
Press Release

Research in brief

What people share at work—and how it’s received—matters more than most people think. Plus many more research highlights.
November 2025
Research in Brief

Sharing positive emotions with a partner is good for health

Sharing joyful moments with a partner may help older adults lower stress hormone levels and improve overall health, according to research published by APA.
October 2025
Press Release

Research in brief

People considered good tend to be happier, and acting in line with one’s values may boost sense of life satisfaction and purpose. Plus many more research highlights.
October 2025
Research in Brief

Political polar opposites may be more alike than they think

Research published by APA finds that politically extreme liberals and conservatives process political information in strikingly similar ways, suggesting extremity—not ideology—drives shared brain responses.
August 2025
Press Release

Perception bias, volunteering vs. family care, loneliness

People often misperceive the values and beliefs of those with whom they are close and assume they see things the same way. Plus many more research highlights.
July 2025
Research in Brief

Rebuilding a full life after walking away from organized religion

Many Americans leave religion. Here’s how psychologists are helping them cope with distress and form new beliefs to build meaningful lives.
June 2025
Monitor on Psychology

Why we trust people who grew up with less

People are more likely to trust those who grew up with less money than those from privileged backgrounds, according to new psychological research on how childhood socioeconomic status shapes perceptions of trustworthiness.
May 2025
Press Release

The implicit association test: Shining a light on hidden beliefs

A surprising test result in 1995 sparked a global shift in how we understand unconscious attitudes.
May 2025
Breakthrough Psychological Science

What the psychology of conflict zones can teach us about incivility

Lessons from international peacebuilding can help heal the American political divide.
March 2025
Monitor on Psychology

Narcissists more likely to feel ostracized

Research suggests that narcissists are more likely to feel ostracized due to both actual social rejection and their heightened sensitivity to ambiguous social cues, creating a cycle where exclusion and narcissistic traits reinforce each other.
February 2025
Press Release

Optimism can boost saving, especially for lower-income individuals

Optimism boosts savings, with the strongest impact on lower-income individuals, highlighting its potential as a key psychological resource for financial security.
January 2025
Press Release

Aging stereotypes, language development, empathy, politics, and more research

Younger and older people alike experience stereotype threat—the concern about being reduced to a negative stereotype—at work.
January 2025
Research in Brief

Unpaid caregiving is undervalued by society

Research highlights that Americans value volunteering for strangers more than unpaid caregiving for family and friends, despite the essential societal contributions both forms of help provide.
October 2024
Press Release

The impact of election stress: Is political anxiety harming your health?

Psychological science shows that politics can harm our physical and mental health, but the positive aspects of political engagement can lead to greater well-being.
October 2024
Monitor on Psychology

Boredom, loneliness, victim blaming, brain size, and more scientific research

Highlights of peer-reviewed studies in psychology and related fields.
September 2024
Research in Brief

In Brief: Sustaining attention, self-assurance with age, and more scientific studies

Highlights of peer-reviewed studies in psychology and related fields.
July 2024
Research in Brief

Sandra Murray, PhD, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology

Murray, incoming editor-in-chief of Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, plans to bring new submission guidelines in hopes of recalibrating people’s mindsets about JSJP: IRGP.
June 2024
Editor Spotlight

In brief: Sharing secrets, misinformation in academic publications, and more scientific studies

Highlights of peer-reviewed studies in psychology and related fields
June 2024
Research in Brief

Why do we overindulge?

Discover how distractions during everyday pleasures may lead to overconsumption, as research from APA reveals the impact of hedonic compensation on satisfaction and desire for further gratification.
May 2024
Press Release

Getting out of the political echo chamber

Discover the effectiveness of balanced pragmatism and intellectual humility in fostering respectful political discourse and bridging ideological divides.
May 2024
Press Release

People who use willpower alone to achieve goals, resist temptation, deemed more trustworthy

People using willpower over external commitment strategies are perceived as more trustworthy, finds research published by APA, shedding light on the social perceptions of self-control methods.
April 2024
Press Release

In brief: Anger is sometimes a gift, the power of suppressing unwanted thoughts, and more research

The latest peer-reviewed studies within psychology and related fields
March 2024
Research in Brief

Just say no to that invitation

People often overestimate the social consequences of saying no, according to research.
December 2023
Press Release

When keeping secrets could brighten your day

Though people often want to share good news as soon as they learn it, a study published by the American Psychological Association has found that keeping good news a secret before telling someone else could make people feel more energized and alive.
November 2023
Press Release

Conversations are essential to our well-being. Psychologists are exploring the science of why they’re so powerful

Research suggests that asking questions that show you are listening can be one of the best ways to make a conversation click.
November 2023
Monitor on Psychology

Want to achieve your goals? Get angry

While often perceived as a negative emotion, anger can also be a powerful motivator for people to achieve challenging goals in their lives.
October 2023
Press Release

Take the money now or later? Financial scarcity doesn’t lead to poor decision making

When people feel that their resources are scarce—that they don’t have enough money or time to meet their needs—they often make decisions that favor short-term gains over long-term benefits.
September 2023
Press Release

Dolores Albarracín, PhD, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology: Attitudes and Social Cognition

Albarracín, editor-in-chief of Journal of Personality and Social Psychology: Attitudes and Social Cognition, plans for the journal to continue its tradition of serving as a platform for multistudy articles that heavily rely on experimental methods to enhance the understanding of attitudinal and social cognitive processes.
August 2023
Editor Spotlight

The science of friendship

American culture prioritizes romance, but psychological science is exploring the human need for platonic relationship sand the specific ways in which they bolster well-being.
June 2023
Monitor on Psychology

In brief: The effects of workplace stress on spouses, mania skews sense of smell, and more research

The latest peer-reviewed studies within psychology and related fields.
June 2023
Research in Brief

Some people may be attracted to others over minimal similarities

We are often attracted to others with whom we share an interest, but that attraction may be based on an erroneous belief that such shared interests reflect a deeper and more fundamental similarity—we share an essence.
April 2023
Press Release

How bystanders can shut down microaggressions

Psychologists studying intergroup relations and perspective-taking offer their advice.
April 2023
Monitor on Psychology

Personality, satisfaction linked throughout adult lifespan

Certain personality traits are associated with satisfaction in life, and despite the changes people may experience in social roles and responsibilities over the course of their adult lives, that association is stable regardless of age.
March 2023
Press Release

In brief: Roots of fanaticism, potential downsides of an ADHD diagnosis, and more research

The latest peer-reviewed studies within psychology and related fields.
March 2023
Monitor on Psychology

Stereotyping veterans as heroes may limit their future careers

While much of the American public venerates people who enlist in the military, constantly referring to all veterans as ‘heroes’ may direct them into lower-paying careers associated with selflessness.
January 2023
Press Release

Politics seep into daily life, negatively affecting mental health

The stress of following daily political news can negatively affect people’s mental health and well-being, but disengaging has ramifications, too.
January 2023
Press Release

In brief: Climate change apathy, cooperation on the decline, and more research

The latest peer-reviewed studies within psychology and related fields.
January 2023
Research in Brief

In negotiations, hoodwinking others has a cost, study finds

Lying to another person to get the better of them in a financial negotiation might win you more money, but you are likely to end up feeling guilty and less satisfied with the deal than if you had been honest.
December 2022
Press Release

These psychologists want to put societal problems at the center of research. Here’s why

A growing contingent of public psychologists across the field is advocating for a paradigm shift toward putting social problems at the center of psychology research.
November 2022
Monitor on Psychology

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