I checked 15 psychology journals on Sunday, August 30, 2026 using the Crossref API. For the period August 23 to August 29, I found 24 new paper(s) in 10 journal(s).

Behavior Research Methods

Measuring surprisal in sound sequences
Andrey Anikin
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Sensory input that violates prior expectations attracts attention, making unpredictability an important perceptual property to measure. In the auditory modality, knowing what sounds will be perceived as surprising, and therefore salient, is relevant both for studying vocal communication and for applied purposes such as managing noise pollution. Focusing on sequences of animal vocalizations and environmental sounds as ecologically important acoustic stimuli, I describe and benchmark several algorithms for measuring their perceived unpredictability. Information-theoretical approaches include Shannon surprisal and Bayesian surprise, both implemented here to detect deviant stimuli based on distributional acoustic properties. The second group of algorithms is based on detecting spectro-temporal recurrence assessed with autocorrelation functions (ACF surprisal) and self-similarity matrices (SSM novelty). The third approach uses neural networks. Based on the ratings of the predictability of 300 synthetic acoustic sequences by 195 human listeners, Shannon surprisal and SSM novelty capture the perceived unpredictability that is due to spectral variability, whereas ACF surprisal taps into the perceptual impact of irregular rhythm. Most algorithms converge on the time scale of about 1 s as the most perceptually relevant for spectral variability, which is consistent with the hypothesis that the perception of unpredictability stems from a relatively limited amount of auditory input held in short-term memory. Together, the presented open-source algorithms offer powerful and flexible tools for measuring acoustic surprisal and studying auditory attention, while the corpus of predictability ratings offers a resource for future benchmarking. All code and data are freely available from the R package soundgen and supplementary materials at https://osf.io/bgzvc .
Quantifying the dyadic interaction: A methodological framework for conducting observational moment-by-moment research
Diego FernĂĄndez-Regueras, M. Cristina Guerrero-Escagedo, Ana Calero-Elvira, Eduardo Estrada
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Systematic observation is a valuable method for studying interactive phenomena in dyads, as it captures sequences of behavior, potentially enhancing validity. However, observational studies remain underutilized compared with other tools, such as self-report questionnaires, because they require time and resources. This work aims to facilitate observational research by providing a step-by-step guide for preprocessing and exploring data from systematic observations, enabling flexible data handling beyond traditional sequential analyses. To illustrate the guide’s application, we used a dataset of 154 psychotherapy sessions collected longitudinally across different treatment phases from 32 patient–therapist dyads. We coded sessions using the Therapeutic Relationship Coding System (TRCS), which captures moment-by-moment verbal interactions relevant to the therapeutic alliance. Post-session questionnaire data were collected using the Working Alliance Inventory (WAI). An R script and a set of functions were developed to assist researchers with data preprocessing and to generate descriptive visualizations addressing the following questions: (1) What behaviors (and sequences of interacting behaviors) are more frequent? ; (2) How do behaviors evolve over time ; (3) Do behavioral changes differ across groups? After applying our proposed analytical tools, we interpret our results in light of the dominant theoretical framework on the therapeutic alliance.
Tetrix: A novel Tetris-based paradigm for neuroimaging research and clinical applications
Julius Grote, Julia Elina Stocker, Jens Sommer, Anna-Maria Hamm, Henrik Kessler, Andreas Jansen
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Tetris is a widely used computer game, not only for entertainment purposes but increasingly in cognitive and clinical neuroscience research. Despite its frequent application in experiments, the neural mechanisms underlying gameplay remain insufficiently understood. Prior work suggests that cognitive control during complex visuospatial tasks, like Tetris, engages the attention network as well as regions supporting visuospatial working memory, mental imagery, and motor planning. However, researchers currently lack a standardized paradigm to investigate these processes. To address this gap, we introduce Tetrix, a novel and flexible Tetris-based paradigm designed for use in behavioral and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) experiments. With a broad range of customizable features, Tetrix can be adapted to specific experimental requirements or used in its default configuration. To validate the paradigm’s feasibility for neuroimaging applications, we conducted a proof-of-concept fMRI study with six participants. Results revealed robust bilateral activity in the frontal eye fields and posterior parietal cortex – key nodes of the dorsal attention network. Additional activation was found in the cerebellum and occipital cortex. These regions are thought to support rapid spatial orienting, the encoding and maintenance of visuospatial working memory, and motor planning. The observed activation patterns therefore align with theoretical expectations and confirm Tetrix’s utility for probing relevant cognitive functions in fMRI. Moreover, the pilot dataset and corresponding effect size maps provide a valuable resource for estimating statistical power in future research. In summary, this article introduces Tetrix as a standardized and validated paradigm for functional neuroimaging and beyond. It is available at: https://github.com/JuliusGrote/Tetrix_Psychopy .

Computers in Human Behavior

Generic title: Not a research article
Corrigendum to ‘Psychological need experiences inside and outside gaming as predictors of adolescent problematic gaming and well-being: A longitudinal test of the Need Density Hypothesis’ [Computers in Human Behavior 186 (2026) 109140]
Lowie Bradt, Maarten Vansteenkiste, Marlies Van de Casteele, Bieke Zaman, Eva Grosemans, Rozane De Cock, Bart Soenens
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The Role of Attention and Norm Perception in Online Comments’ Impact on Attitudes toward Sunscreen: An Eye-Tracking Approach
Junhan Chen, Shilin Xia, Zexin Ma
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At the point of risk: Can AI-assisted decision support reduce digital fraud vulnerability across age groups and scam types?
Yicheng Sun, Jacky Keung, Hi Kuen Yu, Yuchen Cao
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How conversation content and style shape service evaluations: Evidence from a dual-pathway mediation model and neural processing
Yebing Li, Fenghua Wang, Jia Jin, Yu Pan
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Group Processes & Intergroup Relations

Schools’ Respect for Identity-Based Differences and Student Outcomes: Examining the Relationship among Students with Varying Numbers of Marginalized Identities
Kimberly A. Bourne, Katherine T. Foster, Annie X. Xu, Cynthia S. Levine
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When schools value diversity, students with marginalized identities exhibit better academic and well-being outcomes. However, most work focuses on one identity dimension (e.g., race, sexuality) at a time. Using data from the California Healthy Kids Survey ( N = 205,064 students in 6th–12th grade across 751 schools), we examined how the number of marginalized identities students held, schools’ respect for identity-based differences, and the interaction between these factors were associated with multiple outcomes (e.g., belonging, grades, and reported suicidality). Looking across multiple dimensions of marginalization (i.e., race, income, gender identity, sexual orientation, and language spoken at home), we found that 1) more marginalized identities predicted worse outcomes, 2) greater school respect for differences predicted better outcomes, and 3) this association was stronger among students with fewer marginalized identities for some outcomes but equally strong across all students for others. These results highlight the importance of respect for identity-based differences for all students.

Journal of Experimental Social Psychology

Can bad guys count as happy? The graded moralization of happiness across general and episodic levels
Jiangyong Li, Huaiyuan Qi, Jing Long, Yangmei Luo
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Registered Report Stage II: Defending or defying democracy? Investigating the relationship between conspiracy beliefs and support for democratic principles [registered report - stage II]
Tisa Bertlich, Felicitas Flade, Roland Imhoff
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Journal of Personality and Social Psychology

Insights into growth mindsets over time: People with growth versus fixed mindsets grow increasingly negative in their reactions to others’ repeated failures.
Samantha Zaw, Laura E. Wallace, Ed O'Brien
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Multivariate Behavioral Research

Modeling Between-Group Differences in Dynamics of Psychological Constructs in the Presence of Measurement Non-Invariance: A Stepwise Approach
Manuel T. Rein, Leonie V. D. E. Vogelsmeier, Jeroen K. Vermunt, Eeske van Roekel, Kim De Roover
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Exploratory Continuous-Time Modeling (Expct): Extracting Dynamic Features from Irregularly Spaced Time Series
OisĂ­n Ryan, Kejin Wu, Nicholas C. Jacobson
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Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin

The Lay Belief That There is Virtue in Duty and Duty in Virtue: A Novel Lens for Viewing Moral Judgment
Hajin Kim, Julian J. Zlatev, Dale T. Miller
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We praise the performance of virtuous acts (e.g., composting) and condemn the failure to perform dutiful ones (e.g., littering). Importantly, however, moral acts may contain elements of both virtue and duty. Composting elicits praise, but not composting may also elicit condemnation. Across six studies, we show that a bivalent measure of moral evaluations (assessing the blame or praise for both doing and not doing the same act) allows for more accurate predictions of moral behaviors and provides possible explanations for various existing moral puzzles. Studies 1a to 1c demonstrate that the moral evaluations for, and emotional responses to, doing and not doing an act are not systematically related. Bivalent moral evaluations illuminate why Republicans were less likely to mask than Democrats during the COVID-19 pandemic (Study 2) and why financial compensation can reduce blood donations (Study 3). These evaluations improve predictions of intended blood donations (Study 3) and actual voting behavior (Study 4).
Why Poverty in the Present Matters for Intergenerational Concern and the Future of Humanity
Kyle Fiore Law, Stylianos Syropoulos, Amanda Signorini, Christina Jinhee Capozzoli, Liane Young, Brendan Bo O’Connor
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Contrary to perceived tensions between addressing present and future societal needs, we find that present-day poverty and inequality are deeply connected with attitudes toward far-future welfare at both societal and individual levels. Study 1 (144 countries) shows that poorer, more unequal nations score lower on indices of intergenerational concern and farsighted policies. Study 2 (34 countries, N = 123,502) shows that subjective socioeconomic status (SES) predicts greater obligation to sacrifice for future lives, especially in nations with less inequality. In Study 3 ( N = 1,264 Americans), individuals randomly assigned more resources allocate more to future generations, though not proportionately more. Replicating Studies 1 and 2, real-world SES predicts higher donations beyond situational framings. Thus, combatting present-day societal challenges may be key to increasing concern and action for humanity’s future.

Psychological Science

A Single Dimension of Memory Strength Underlies Semantic and Phonological False Memories
Lyulei Zhang, Adam F. Osth
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False memory can arise from semantically or perceptually similar experiences, as demonstrated in the Deese-Roediger-McDermott (DRM) paradigm. Although semantic and phonological DRM tasks yield parallel false-recognition patterns, researchers have argued that they reflect distinct memory processes, based in part on findings that semantic associates elicit more false “remember” (R) judgments, whereas phonological associates elicit more false “know” (K) judgments. We directly tested this claim using semantic and phonological DRM tasks with old-new recognition followed by RK ratings ( N = 227 English-speaking students from an Australian university). The R/K dissociation was replicated, yet both parametric and nonparametric analyses revealed a single underlying dimension. A signal-detection-theory model fitted the data nearly perfectly, where R judgments reflected a stricter response criterion than K. A state-trace analysis likewise showed a monotonic relation between old/new and R false alarms across tasks. These results challenge dual-process interpretations, instead suggesting that semantic materials simply produce higher rates of false recognition.
Ties That Bind, Places That Matter: The Life-Satisfaction Gap Between Partnered and Single Individuals Varies Across Regions
Tita Gonzalez Avilés, Franz J. Neyer, Peter J. Rentfrow, Tobias Ebert
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People in romantic relationships often report higher life satisfaction than single individuals. We propose that this life-satisfaction gap reflects, in part, alignment with the prevailing norm of being in a relationship. In a preregistered study with a large-scale data set ( N = 382,078 adults across 379 regions in Great Britain), we replicated prior findings: partnered (vs. single) individuals reported higher life satisfaction. Notably, this life-satisfaction gap varied by region, being larger in regions with higher relationship rates and smaller in regions with lower relationship rates. This effect persisted after we controlled for various confounds; it passed robustness checks and replicated at a smaller scale across 218 London neighborhoods. Together, our findings emphasize the importance of situating relationship experiences within their geographic contexts, offering new insights into where and why differences in life satisfaction between partnered and single individuals emerge.
The WHO Said What? Interaction of Source Credibility and Readers’ Prior Beliefs in the Reading of Social-Media Posts
Oskari J. Virtanen, Johanna K. Kaakinen
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Evaluating sources is an essential skill in our misinformation-riddled media environment. However, previous studies suggest that people tend not to engage with source information during reading, and very little research exists on how source credibility and readers’ beliefs interact on social media. We examined how source credibility and prior beliefs affect reading social-media posts. Finnish university students ( N = 83) first filled out a questionnaire measuring beliefs on eight controversial topics and then read 76 mock-up tweets on these topics while their eye movements were recorded. The sources of the tweets were pretested to be either credible or noncredible sources for the topic. Eye-movement results indicate that when credible sources say something belief-inconsistent, or if noncredible sources something belief-consistent, reading of the tweet is slower, and more attention is paid to the sources. Findings suggest that these “source-belief” inconsistencies disrupt reading and elicit deeper processing of source information.
Action Framing Modulates the Pavlovian Bias in Go and No-Go Learning
Zhang Chen, Senne Braem
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Reward- and punishment-associated (i.e., Pavlovian) cues can trigger specific responses that interfere with learning appropriate actions. Prior work has shown that reward impedes the learning of “no-go” responses, and punishment impedes the learning of “go” responses. This Pavlovian bias is theorized to arise at the motor level and may reflect a rigid coupling between reward and action activation and between punishment and action suppression. Contrary to this view, across two experiments testing adults (one preregistered, total N = 370), using behavioral analyses and computational modeling, we show that action framing strongly modulates Pavlovian bias. When go was framed as approach and no-go as avoidance, we replicated the typical asymmetry in learning. However, when go was framed as avoidance and no-go as approach, this Pavlovian bias disappeared in choice and was attenuated in response times. Pavlovian bias thus operates partly on a semantic level and is more flexible than often theorized.
What Survivors Remembered: Cognitive and Experiential Themes in Trauma Narratives From the Deadliest Mass Shooting in Modern American History
William B. Ridgway, Kevin D. Mohawk, Rhiannon N. Soriano Smith, Renato M. Liboro, Charles A. Morgan, Stephen D. Benning, Colleen M. Parks
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This study examined cognitive and experiential patterns in the trauma narratives of 42 survivors (74% women; M age = 42.1) of the Route 91 Harvest Festival shooting, the deadliest mass shooting in modern American history. We conducted a codebook thematic analysis of written narratives collected within one month of the event. We developed four themes: contextual memory (sensory-perceptual features, time, and space), physical injury, heroism, and contemplating mortality. Survivors recalled vivid sensory impressions, detailed spatial awareness organized around escape, and temporal distortions, including both subjective slowing and sequence gaps. Accounts of graphic injury, prosocial action under fire, and direct confrontation with death further structured the narratives. Limitations include prompted rather than free recall, written self-report allowing revision, and a predominantly female sample. These findings add to the scant literature on mass-shooting survivors’ memories.

Psychology of Music

The Impact of Music Instrumental Training and Second-Language Learning as Extracurricular Activities on Children’s Well-Being: A Randomised Controlled Study From a Positive Psychology Perspective
Claudia María Fernåndez de Cañete García, Pastora Martínez Castilla, Graham Welch
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This study explores the effects of nearly 7 months of extracurricular music instrumental training and second-language learning on psychological well-being among Year 4 children (8-year-old+) from middle socioeconomic backgrounds in Spain. A randomised controlled trial (RCT) was conducted with 70 participants assigned to one of three conditions: Music (individual or group lessons), English (individual or group), and Control. Subjective well-being, overall life satisfaction, psychological well-being, and positive and negative affect were assessed before and after the intervention programme. Results revealed a positive effect of the group music instrumental condition on psychological well-being, with this group being the only one presenting lower baseline psychological well-being scores. Moreover, the control group experienced a significant decline in psychological well-being from pre- to post-intervention, a change not observed in any of the intervention groups. This study represents the first attempt in the literature to assess with a RCT the effect of music instrumental training on standardised well-being constructs – rather than isolated well-being measures – from a positive psychology perspective. We interpret the findings with consideration to baseline differences and the sensitivity of some well-being measures. Further research is needed to replicate these results and explore their implications with other interventions.
Burnout, Agency, and Postgraduation Plans in Music Student Teachers
Daryl W. Kinney
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Beginning as early as student teaching, teacher burnout has been linked to demography, work conditions, and agency. The purpose of this study was to investigate burnout in music student teachers and how burnout changes during student teaching. Music education majors ( N = 46) enrolled in student teaching at a large Midwestern university in the United States completed the Maslach Burnout Inventory – Educators Survey (MBI-ES) at Weeks 4, 8, and 13 of student teaching, along with surveys measuring agency, postgraduation plans, work/planning hours, and perceptions of support. Repeated-measures analyses of variance (ANOVAs) revealed significant effects of agency, postgraduation intentions, and week on MBI-ES burnout dimensions. Higher agency was associated with lower emotional exhaustion and depersonalization and greater personal accomplishment. Those intending to pursue full-time music teaching positions showed lower emotional exhaustion and greater personal accomplishment. Emotional exhaustion decreased from Week 8 to Week 13 among high-agency participants and those planning to teach, yet increased among those with lower agency and no immediate teaching plans. Personal accomplishment increased over time for all participants, remaining higher among those with greater agency and teaching aspirations. Findings highlight the importance of fostering agency and providing targeted support for student teachers, particularly those uncertain about entering the profession.

Psychology of Popular Media

Social media, racialized appearance concerns, and well-being among adolescent girls of color in the United States and England.
L. Monique Ward, Elizabeth A. Daniels, Morgan Jerald, Kyla N. Brathwaite
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Adolescents’ appearance-related social media consciousness and photo-related behaviors are linked to social anxiety symptoms with peers digitally and in-person: An ecological momentary assessment study.
Adelaide E. Graham, Margaret V. Brehm, Zelal Kilic, Sophia Choukas-Bradley, Jacqueline L. Nesi, Cecile D. Ladouceur, Jennifer S. Silk
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Selfies’ effects on the self: An experimental study of the influence of beauty filters on body image.
Irene Razpurker-Apfeld, Nurit Tal-Or
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