Life
Pickled pink: Why playing pickleball makes you happy
New games proving popular in Aotearoa show benefits for the body and brain.
Latest from Marc Wilson
Stories and analysis from The Northern Express Herald.
How blood phobia triggers different physical responses to reactions from other phobias
Blood phobia affects behaviours that benefit the world, like donating blood.
The mysterious OCD caused by an unhealthy preoccupation with sin
A type of OCD associated with faith is difficult to diagnose but possible to treat.
New weight-loss drugs deter over-eating but psychological effects may not be as useful
Research suggests you can come for the weight loss but experience other impacts.
When it comes to psychology, this is the great existential challenge of our time
How do we explain the causes of environmentally destructive behaviour?
Love or ick? Why consensual touching is so personal
There’s good reason to think being touched is beneficial, but a quarter of us loathe it?
Dreaming of an overseas trip but scared of flying? The treatments that work for ‘anxious aviators’
Fear of flying costs airlines and tourism more than US$2.5 billion (NZ$4.3b)
Protein is essential to mental health but too much can blow your mind
Your brain moving like a slug and other mental effects are a byproduct of high protein.
Marc Wilson: ‘Some people have a complete absence of an inner monologue. My daughter is one of them’
The phenomenon has only recently been coined as anendophasia.
From children’s drawings to inkblots, it pays not to ‘see’ too much in art
Since 1926, psychologists and researchers have been analysing children's drawings.
Power plant? What new research reveals about kava
Used in moderation, the ceremonial Pacific drink can help reduce anxiety.
Scientists chew over the psychic abilities of dogs
Are pets psychic? Or is it just the way we choose to frame their behaviour?
Thousands of NZers subject to compulsory mental health assessments, Māori disproportionately affected
Compulsory orders & the use of seclusion in mental health remain controversial.
Seasonal con job: The pranks that show we’re much more gullible than we think we are
Most of us are no better at spotting a lie than chance.
A lecturer with a tattoo, mohawk or septum piercing: What first year students found most off-putting
Teaching first-year classes are a great opportunity to demonstrate theories in real time.
The two-way links between heart surgery and depression
Heart surgery goes almost hand in hand with depression.
War in the Middle East pushes up price of coffee
Some 80% of the world's adults drink coffee, which produces an immediate mood booster.
Quiet quitting vs hustle culture: Is either better for your mental health?
Slavish devotion to work is unhealthy, but will lowering your effort actually help?
Many of us admit to delusional thinking: Could the rise of AI further fuel false beliefs?
Just under 1% of users interact with ChatGPT in ways consistent with mania or psychosis.
Stress tests: What we can learn from elite athletes
Stress helps to energise us, but too much of it can dash our sporting dreams.
'Meno divorce' is a trending term, but it doesn’t have to be this way
Why men need to do their homework on menopause transitions.
Ageing becomes focus of more research as population gets older
Researchers focus on positives of ageing rather than deficits.
End of times? The way psychologists understand conflict may have reached its limits
It feels like there's a lot of change going on, but is it change or chaos?
Research shows losing a pet can be as painful as losing a parent
Many of us will grieve the death of a pet as much as parents.
Was Renee Good’s death the result of senseless violence or an outcome of domestic terrorism?
Why your “moral language” will determine how you answer this question.
Can rats play video games? A ongoing study says yes
The 1990s game, Doom, has attracted some unusual players.
Study shows brains mature early, driving judgment doesn’t
We may have all the grey matter we get by our teens but that doesn’t make us good drivers.
Why those denigrated as “snowflakes” are more likely to see injustices in the world
Highly sensitive people report deep connections to other people and their environment.
What explains the attraction of a mosh pit?
The ethics of the mosh pit allow for a safe place to get down and physical.
Why aren’t there condoms? Romance novels are changing but sexual scripts remain the same
Social science's close encounter with romance novels reveals much about the mating game.
Want to concentrate more? Try chewing gum and doodling
Research dating back to 1939 confirms these curious means can help us to better focus.
Online gaming’s continuing allure: Esports degrees, billions in revenue and millions of followers
Online gaming is a big deal – but so is watching online gamers.