New neuroscience research suggests support-dependent modulation of responses to social exclusion Social support can change the way we perceive an unpleasant situation, but some types of support seem more effective than others.

One of the world's leading economists explains why our communities could hold the answer to many of society's problems. Punishing bad behavior can feel good, honorable and righteous. According to new research, the impulse to punish a perpetrator may be even more powerful than the desire to help those who were hurt.

Neuroscientist Anil Seth discusses his decades-long exploration of consciousness and the perception of ‘reality' in the first of a new series of podcasts spotlighting the work of outstanding University of Sussex researchers.

If you hear someone say "John and Mary kiss," you'd likely imagine a single symmetrical action. But hear them say "John and Mary kiss each other," and you may construe an entirely different picture-one in which the parties reciprocate with two separate actions, kissing the other's hand.

A new study of non-suicidal self-harm in England, published in The Lancet Psychiatry journal, suggests that rates grew from around 2 per cent to 6 per cent of the population between 2000 and 2014. At the same time, the study noted no evidence of an increase in treatment contact for this group.

Stanford psychologist Jamil Zaki examined the different dimensions of empathy - including its positive and in some cases, negative effects - and found that through the right practice, empathy can be cultivated in sustainable ways.

A study by UCLA psychologists provides strong evidence that a certain region of the brain plays a critical role in memory recall. The research, published in the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience , also shows for the first time that using an electrical current to stimulate that region, the left rostrolateral prefrontal cortex, improves people's ability to retrieve memories.

Teenage girls with problematic social behavior display reduced brain activity and weaker connectivity between the brain regions implicated in emotion regulation.