Psychology Trivia
Bite-sized trivia from psychology, sleep, memory, and behavioral research.
- Childhood Adversity Linked to Two Distinct Brain Networks
Quick fact: Childhood adversity is linked to altered activity in two specific brain regions—the amygdala and insula—each anchoring distinct neural networks.
- FOUR Score Edges Out Glasgow Coma Scale in ICU Assessments
Did you know? A newer consciousness assessment tool slightly outperforms the widely-used Glasgow Coma Scale in ICU and emergency settings.
- Sleep Quality Linked to Heart Disease Through Multiple Pathways
Quick fact: Poor sleep and sleep disorders like insomnia and sleep apnea are linked to cardiovascular disease through a complex web of biological mechanisms.
- Unrepresented Older Adults Face Medical Decision Challenges
Surprising finding: Older adults without family, friends, or legal surrogates to make medical decisions when they lack capacity are now termed "unrepresented" rather than "unbefriended."
- Sleep, Brain Immune Cells, and Cannabis-Like Molecules Interact
Did you know? Your brain's natural cannabis-like molecules help coordinate sleep, immune responses, and the cleanup cells that maintain brain health.
- Mind-Body Exercises Linked to Better Cognition in Brain Decline
Surprising finding: Traditional practices like tai chi and yoga are linked to measurable cognitive improvements in people with neurodegenerative diseases.
- Digital Safety Tech Tackles Hazards in High-Risk Industries
Surprising finding: A review of 48 studies reveals four main categories of digital safety systems now being used to protect workers in hazardous occupations.
- Parents Prefer Paracetamol Over Ibuprofen for Children's Fever
Surprising finding: When managing children's fever, nearly two-thirds of parents reach for paracetamol over ibuprofen.
- Positive Airway Pressure Improves Sleep Quality in Breathing Disorders
Did you know? Positive airway pressure therapy improves multiple aspects of sleep architecture in patients with chronic breathing problems.
- Gap Between Miscarriage Care Guidelines and Patient Experience
Surprising finding: Despite existing practice recommendations for miscarriage care, patients frequently report negative experiences when receiving treatment.
- Most Cognitive Tests Fall Short for Predicting Driving Ability
Quick fact: Only 1 out of 56 cognitive assessment tools met both scientific validity and practical usability standards for predicting older adults' driving performance.
- DECIDE Framework Maps Six Phases of Child-Led Goal Setting
Quick fact: Only 50 studies have examined how children with disabilities can lead their own therapy goals, yet none tested these tools specifically for kids reporting on themselves.
- Early Hearing Loss Alters Behavior and Brain in Animal Studies
Did you know? A review of 33 animal studies found that early hearing loss consistently impaired memory and learning, but had surprisingly mixed effects on social behavior—sometimes negative, sometimes neutral, or even occasionally positive.
- Online Crohn's Surgery Info Often Falls Short
Did you know? Most patients with Crohn's disease undergo at least one bowel resection in their lifetime, yet online information about this common surgery is often incomplete or too complex.
- Modern Teaching Methods Boost Medical Training in China
Quick fact: Combining problem-based learning with WeChat improved Chinese medical residents' test scores and satisfaction more than traditional lectures.
- Three-Quarters of Surgery Patients Experience Postoperative Thirst
Quick fact: About 77% of surgical patients experience thirst after their procedures, making it one of the most common post-surgery discomforts.
- Brain Timing Studies Reveal How We Control Mental Flexibility
Did you know? Scientists are using timing tasks to uncover how the brain flexibly controls and calibrates neural activity across different timescales.
- Future Care Planning Extends Beyond Advance Directives
Surprising finding: Future care planning goes beyond traditional advance directives by including patients who can no longer make their own decisions.
- Exercise, Sleep, and Mindfulness Linked to Better Diet Quality
Did you know? Getting enough sleep and practicing mindfulness are linked to eating a healthier diet, not just through willpower but through lifestyle factors that influence food choices.
- Success Patterns Revealed Across Science, Business, and Arts
Did you know? Big data analyses reveal regular patterns in how people, ideas, and products become successful across diverse fields—but also expose troubling biases that challenge the idea that success is purely based on merit.