Curated scientific intelligence
Not a feed. Developments in psychology and neuroscience, ranked by evidence, connection, and — if you follow topics — relevance to you. Study publication dates and when PaperFren added the explanation are listed separately.
Each development carries an evidence label. What the labels mean
Latest is ordered by when PaperFren added the explanation, not by the study's original publication date.
Sleep · Working memory
Evidence: ContestedPartial and total sleep loss reduced memory accuracy and attention in young adults. A separate study found that one night of total sleep deprivation did not impair healthy older adults' working-memory accuracy or their positivity bias.
Sleep · Memory
Evidence: EmergingIn 8- to 12-year-olds, post-learning sleep reduced forgetting of word pairs and improved list (source) memory versus a waking day. It did not significantly improve combined item-plus-source recall, the measure closest to a bound episode.
Memory · Reconsolidation
Evidence: StrengtheningA visuospatial task reduced later intrusive images of an experimental trauma film only when the memory was first reactivated. Playing the game alone, or reminding people of the film alone, was not enough.
Emotion · Reconsolidation
Evidence: PreliminaryHolding a pen to force a smile during reactivation reduced later negative ratings of a sad story. Factual recall and general mood did not change. The re-test was only two minutes later.
Bilingualism · Executive function
Evidence: ContestedIn university students, 13 executive-function measures showed no bilingual benefit; a few differences favored monolinguals. Tasks that supposedly measure the same construct (for example inhibition) correlated poorly with one another.
Working memory · Learning
Evidence: EmergingAdaptive computerized training improved visuospatial short-term and working-memory scores versus controls, and those gains tracked a shift toward grouping strategies. At least 50% more people in the adaptive group reported grouping after training.
Aging · Sleep · Memory
Evidence: EmergingYoung and older adults recalled word pairs similarly at immediate and 30-minute tests. By day 7, older adults had forgotten more. Within the older group, more reported night awakenings went with worse 7-day recall.