Author: dispatchtimes news

A new European study identifies four distinct dimensions of free speech tolerance and links permissive attitudes to stronger beliefs in conspiracy theories and lower trust in societal institutions. The research, conducted by scholars from the University of Maribor in Slovenia, was published in Personality and Individual Differences and involved data from 563 adults across Europe. Traditionally, support for freedom of expression has been treated as a single overarching attitude. The new approach, however, distinguishes four categories of speech tolerance: offensive speech, disagreement, heterodox or unconventional ideas, and socially divisive speech that could threaten social cohesion. Led by Nejc Plohl, with…

A Basel-led study on very low doses of LSD has found that while participants reported perceptual changes such as colours appearing more saturated and the world seeming blurrier and more dynamic, the drug did not measurably alter the visual contrast surround suppression illusion that underpins how the surrounding scene affects perception. The research was published in Neuroscience of Consciousness. Surround suppression is a well-known feature of the visual cortex, where the brain’s processing of a central pattern is influenced by the surrounding visual context. A classic example is that a striped centre looks fainter when surrounded by a bold, high-contrast…

A study analysing data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study has found that preteens living in neighbourhoods with higher levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) or ozone show slower neurocognitive maturation over two years than demographically similar peers in low-pollution areas. The findings, published in Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, are led by Omid Kardan of the University of Michigan and include colleagues Chacriya Sereeyothin, Kathryn E. Schertz, Mike Angstadt, Alexander S. Weigard, Marc G. Berman, Mary M. Heitzeg and Monica D. Rosenberg. Adolescence is a period of rapid brain development during which the ability to maintain attention, process relevant…

A new rat study published in Nature Communications finds that three classic psychedelics—psilocybin, LSD and 2C-B—produce distinct patterns of brain energy use immediately after dosing and again a week later. The research challenges the idea that these drugs can be treated as interchangeable, though the authors emphasise that any implications for treating mental health conditions remain speculative. All three drugs are classed as serotonergic psychedelics because they bind to the serotonin 2A receptor, a protein on brain cell surfaces linked to the altered states these substances induce. Yet their chemical structures differ, and they interact with other brain receptors in…

A new study led by Yuhao Tian of Shenyang Normal University and Xiaochen Zhang of the Shanghai Institute of Visual Arts examines how listening to digital jazz on streaming platforms shapes emotional regulation and physiological responses. The research, conducted among adults in Guangdong Province, China, suggests that this genre prompts measurable changes in brain activity and bodily arousal associated with psychological relaxation, and it has been published in Acta Psychologica. In psychology, emotional regulation refers to how people manage their feelings, whether by reframing a stressful situation or by avoiding suppression of emotions. The study situates digital jazz within this…

A short burst of happiness may nudge people to adopt more inclusive attitudes than a moment of awe, according to a new study in the International Journal of Psychology. Led by Jens Agerström of Linnaeus University, the research tested how fleeting emotional states influence openness to social diversity in a sample of 3,196 adults recruited online through Prolific. Awe is described as an emotional response triggered by perceiving something vast and extraordinary that unsettles ordinary thinking, such as a star-filled sky or a dramatic mountain range. It tends to shift attention away from the self and frame the surrounding world…

A major new study published in Behavioral Sciences sheds light on how problematic smartphone use shapes adolescent development over three years. The research tracked 1,116 Korean teenagers from age 14 to 16, revealing that when digital habits displace time from study to screen-based entertainment, learning control and academic self-management suffer. Crucially, the study suggests that high academic stress and heavy smartphone use are concurrent vulnerabilities rather than a direct cause-and-effect relationship. Lead researcher Joungmin Kim of Soonchunhyang University designed the study to test two complementary ideas about how digital habits influence growing teens. One is a stress-activation theory, which argues…

A small study on a drug-free trance technique suggests that auto-induced cognitive trance can dramatically alter how people experience their minds and bodies, producing fewer self-focused thoughts, blurred bodily boundaries and a pronounced sense of oneness, with participants reporting higher inner peace than during a routine meal. The findings, drawn from 17 trained practitioners and published in a neuroscience-focused journal, emphasise that the effects are experiential and do not imply therapy or lasting change. Auto-induced cognitive trance is described by researchers as a learnable, drug-free state of heightened sensory immersion, with spontaneous body movements and vivid mental imagery. Practitioners enter…

A new study published in Political Research Quarterly finds that Americans interpret major political events through a deeply polarised lens, with hostility toward the opposing party shaping whether protests are seen as legitimate or dangerous. The research is by Rongbo Jin of The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, and Spencer Lindsay of the University of Arizona, examining how preexisting political attitudes structure views of two highly contentious moments: the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests and the January 6 attack on the United States Capitol. The authors stress that the two events are not morally equivalent. The Black Lives Matter…

A large randomized trial found that genotype-guided prescribing of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) for depression did not improve symptoms after three months, compared with usual care. However, among participants whose genetic profiles suggested a different medication or dose, remission at six months was higher in the genotype-guided group (48%) than in the usual-care group (39%). The study was published in JAMA Network Open. Depression is a prevalent mental health condition characterised by persistent low mood and loss of interest, with rising rates across adults, adolescents, and younger people. The disorder’s treatment largely relies on SSRIs, which can take several…