Signs of Self-awareness Seen in Babies as Young as Four Months

According to new research from the University of Birmingham, babies as young as four months old can understand how their bodies interact with the environment around them. The findings shed new light on how self-awareness develops. Birmingham BabyLab experts showed babies a moving ball on a screen that moved towards or away from them. While their…

Music Helps Shape Memory Structure Through Emotional Dynamics

Time is a continuous stream, yet our memories are split into discrete episodes, each of which becomes a part of our own narrative. The role of emotions in memory formation is a puzzle that science has only lately begun to explore. UCLA scientists have now shown that the shifting emotions evoked by music aid in…

Relatedness in Self-Determination Theory

The organismic dialectical perspective is a key component within Self-Determination Theory (SDT). This perspective emphasizes the integral relationship between individuals and their social environment, particularly in terms of psychological needs, such as competence, autonomy, and relatedness. At the core of the organismic dialectical perspective lies the concept of basic psychological needs. These needs are viewed as universal and…

What is Self-Determination Theory? Examples and Differences

Self-Determination Theory (SDT) is a psychological framework that seeks to understand human motivation. Developed by Edward L. Deci and Richard M. Ryan, it focuses on the concepts of autonomy, competence, and relatedness as essential components for fostering intrinsic motivation. SDT comprises several different mini-theories and perspectives, which together provide a comprehensive understanding of human behavior…

Adolescent Brain Biomarkers May Predict Future Psychological Issues

Researchers describe new methods for precisely locating potential biomarkers in teenage brains that are capable of accurately forecasting cognitive growth and mental health problems. Their new study is the first large-scale analysis of its kind, in which researchers analyzed functional network connectivity (FNC) across scans and identified associations with a variety of health measures in…

Electroconvulsive Therapy Benefits Stem From Aperiodic Activity Boost

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), formerly known as electroshock therapy, involves producing a brief seizure in the brain with regulated doses of electricity. While ECT is extremely helpful for certain mental diseases, particularly depression, the reasons for its effectiveness have long perplexed psychiatrists and neuroscientists. University of California, San Diego researchers may now have the solution. Aperiodic…

Taurine Levels in the Hippocampus 20% Lower in Depressed Women

A Korean study team has established, for the first time, a link between depression and taurine concentrations in the hippocampus, the part of the brain responsible for memory and learning functions. This discovery presents a chance to emphasize the role and significance of taurine in future depression prevention, diagnosis, and therapy. Using ultra-high magnetic field…

People with Autism Feel Loneliness More Severly Than Neurotypicals

Autistic people are up to four times more likely to experience loneliness than non-autistic people. Despite enduring stereotypes that autistic people lack the desire for meaningful social connections, new research from my colleagues and I unveils the profound distress they experience due to loneliness. It also shows the unexpected role that differences in the ways…

Delayed Sleep Phase Disorder Comorbidities

Delayed sleep phase disorder (DSPD), also known as delayed sleep phase syndrome and delayed sleep-wake phase disorder, is the delay of a person’s circadian rhythm in comparison to societal norms. Elliot D. Weitzman and coworkers from Montefiore Medical Center initially formally identified it in 1981. It is responsible for 7-13% of persistent insomnia complaints. Among…