How Do You Know?

Replication Crisis

Writing in the Era of ChatGPT

Alexander Danvers Ph.D. on March 6, 2023

Our fearless blogger faces the abyss. Will ChatGPT render technical writing and popular science communication skills irrelevant?

Our fearless blogger faces the abyss. Will ChatGPT render technical writing and popular science communication skills irrelevant?

Memory

The Pitfalls of Falsified Mental Health Research

Alexander Danvers Ph.D. on February 19, 2023

The president of Stanford stands accused of falsifying data in his Alzheimer's research. What can we learn about the institutions that promote good mental health research?

The president of Stanford stands accused of falsifying data in his Alzheimer's research. What can we learn about the institutions that promote good mental health research?

Personality

Can Machine Learning Solve Psychology's Replication Problem?

Alexander Danvers Ph.D. on February 7, 2023

Can we automate away psychology's replication problems?

Can we automate away psychology's replication problems?

Trauma

How a Legacy of Trauma Affects Parent-Child Relationships

Alexander Danvers Ph.D. on December 23, 2022

How can a mother's childhood trauma influence her children?

How can a mother's childhood trauma influence her children?

Depression

The Mother’s Depression and the Child’s Heart

Alexander Danvers Ph.D. on November 19, 2022

Mothers influence their children's health and well-being. But can infants change a mother's mental health?

Mothers influence their children's health and well-being. But can infants change a mother's mental health?

Law and Crime

Why Is Bad Science Allowed in the Courtroom?

Alexander Danvers Ph.D. on October 30, 2022

A new report finds that a forensic technique is unreliable and unscientific. Will it get banned from courtrooms?

A new report finds that a forensic technique is unreliable and unscientific. Will it get banned from courtrooms?

Depression

Facebook Caused Poor Mental Health From the Beginning

Alexander Danvers Ph.D. on October 23, 2022

Researchers examined how Facebook's early rollout to colleges influenced mental health. What they found changes our understanding of what's harmful about social media.

Researchers examined how Facebook's early rollout to colleges influenced mental health. What they found changes our understanding of what's harmful about social media.

Friends

In the U.S. Nepotism Is Key to Economic Success

Alexander Danvers Ph.D. on August 3, 2022

What predicts whether you will move up the income ladder in the U.S.? Having rich friends beats being smart, well-educated, or from a place with many jobs.

What predicts whether you will move up the income ladder in the U.S.? Having rich friends beats being smart, well-educated, or from a place with many jobs.

Career

Do Nudges Work?

Alexander Danvers Ph.D. on July 25, 2022

A new analysis suggests that "nudges" designed to change people's decisions may not be effective. But what does the analysis miss?

A new analysis suggests that "nudges" designed to change people's decisions may not be effective. But what does the analysis miss?

Depression

Serotonin Imbalance Found Not to Be Linked to Depression

Alexander Danvers Ph.D. on July 22, 2022

Psychologists and doctors have long thought that antidepressants worked by increasing low levels of serotonin in the brain. New research overturns this consensus.

Psychologists and doctors have long thought that antidepressants worked by increasing low levels of serotonin in the brain. New research overturns this consensus.

Depression

What Do Our Children Learn From Another School Shooting?

Alexander Danvers Ph.D. on May 25, 2022

There is a mental health crisis among adolescents in the U.S. What can they learn from our response to school shootings like the one at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas?

There is a mental health crisis among adolescents in the U.S. What can they learn from our response to school shootings like the one at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas?

Depression

Can Logging Off Social Media Improve Mental Health?

Alexander Danvers Ph.D. on May 19, 2022

Observing patterns of social media use and mental health suggests they are related. But what happens when we cut off all social media use for a week?

Observing patterns of social media use and mental health suggests they are related. But what happens when we cut off all social media use for a week?

Adolescence

Social Media and Teen Mental Health: Will Congress Act?

Alexander Danvers Ph.D. on May 5, 2022

Around the world, teenagers are suffering worse mental health in the last decade. Social media may be a cause. Will Congress pass a law to enable more research into social media?

Around the world, teenagers are suffering worse mental health in the last decade. Social media may be a cause. Will Congress pass a law to enable more research into social media?

Depression

When Can We Trust Brains to Predict Abilities?

Alexander Danvers Ph.D. on March 17, 2022

Can brains predict how smart or depressed you are? Not if we keep making this one big mistake in how we study them.

Can brains predict how smart or depressed you are? Not if we keep making this one big mistake in how we study them.

Education

What Does AI Teach Us About Human Intelligence?

Alexander Danvers Ph.D. on January 31, 2022

Even human children can solve certain problems that are too hard for modern AI. What does the struggle to build robots teach us about the special kind of genius humans possess?

Even human children can solve certain problems that are too hard for modern AI. What does the struggle to build robots teach us about the special kind of genius humans possess?

Artificial Intelligence

Unlocking AI for Psychology

Alexander Danvers Ph.D. on January 24, 2022

What will the next generation of psychology research look like? Find out how it could leverage AI to learn new things about the mind.

What will the next generation of psychology research look like? Find out how it could leverage AI to learn new things about the mind.

Genetics

Functions of Conspiracy Theories and Extremism in “Educated"

Alexander Danvers Ph.D. on October 26, 2021

Certain conspiracy theories keep cropping up. Where do they come from? And are certain groups more prone to believe in them?

Certain conspiracy theories keep cropping up. Where do they come from? And are certain groups more prone to believe in them?

Education

What Tara Couldn't Know Before College

Alexander Danvers Ph.D. on October 21, 2021

How did Tara Westover leave an extremist upbringing? And what lessons does it have for people looking to leave extreme views?

How did Tara Westover leave an extremist upbringing? And what lessons does it have for people looking to leave extreme views?

Education

The Hidden Education Missing in "Educated"

Alexander Danvers Ph.D. on October 11, 2021

Tara Westover's "Educated" describes her experience growing up without a formal education. Yet other factors involved in the way she was raised prepared her for extremism.

Tara Westover's "Educated" describes her experience growing up without a formal education. Yet other factors involved in the way she was raised prepared her for extremism.

Friends

Mutual Understanding and Political Disagreement

Alexander Danvers Ph.D. on October 5, 2021

How can we have respectful and reasonable political disagreements? How do we change extreme views? A friendship and discussion group tackles these issues.

How can we have respectful and reasonable political disagreements? How do we change extreme views? A friendship and discussion group tackles these issues.