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This article discusses the existence of taboo topics in the field of psychology and the potential self-censorship that researchers may engage in when studying these topics. The article highlights the conflicting views among psychology professors on various taboo statements, such as the role of gender biases in STEM fields and the genetic contribution to IQ differences. The study also explores the professors' attitudes towards self-censorship, concerns about social media attacks, and the handling of controversial research. The findings reveal a lack of consensus among scholars and differences based on demographics, such as gender and political beliefs. However, the researchers acknowledge the limitations of the study and emphasize the need for further research to understand the diversity of perspectives among psychological scientists. [Extracted from the article]

A recent study found that babies' cries do not contain any clues about their cause. Researchers at the University of Saint-Etienne in France created a dataset of crying sequences from 24 babies at different ages and asked parents to note the cause of the crying. They then used artificial intelligence and human listeners to try to identify the cause based on the sound of the cries. Both the AI and the human listeners were no better than chance at determining the cause. However, the study did find that parents were often correct in their predictions about the cause of their baby's crying based on their background knowledge. The researchers suggest that a baby's cry may be more useful for signaling its identity rather than a specific category of distress. [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses research exploring the role of the enteric nervous system (ENS) in the regulation of behavior and mood. The ENS is a neuron network in gut tissues which is part of the autonomic nervous system, regulating digestion and preventing the invasion of pathogens from food by triggering gut immune cells. Like the brain, the ENS produces neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin. Other topics include the effect of eating fatty foods on mood, the increased production of the gut hormone ghrelin under stress, and evidence of brain disorders such as Parkinson's disease in the ENS. INSET: MENTAL ILLNESSES OF THE GUT.

Overall, an overwhelming 96 per cent of the societies had supernatural explanations for disease, and 92 per cent had supernatural explanations for natural causes of food scarcity. The team looked for common explanations within each society of three natural phenomena: infectious disease, natural hazards - such as earthquakes, and naturally caused food scarcity. Interestingly, the team's analyses also found that complex societies were more likely than simpler societies to have supernatural explanations for social phenomena. [Extracted from the article]

Del Paulhus and Kevin Williams argued that a "Dark Triad" of "overlapping but distinct" toxic traits - subclinical psychopathy, Machiavellianism and narcissism - explained much of what we might otherwise call a "bad" character. The three Dark Triad traits cover a range of anti-social beliefs and behaviours: Psychopathy is associated with low levels of empathy, and being high in impulsivity and thrill-seeking. Find our Research Digest at www.bps.org.uk/ digest Editor: Dr Matthew Warren Writers: Emily Reynolds, and Emma Young Reports, links and more on the Digest website Twenty years ago, two Canadian psychologists published a paper that instantly captured the imagination of researchers - and reporters. [Extracted from the article]

The article presents a neuropsychological observation and understanding about the behavior of humans towards superstition. Bruce Hood of the University of Bristol, England notes that the human brain is designed to detect structure and order in the environment. It discusses another possible evolutionary benefit of superstition, being offered by religion. It also explains other cultural and environmental factors the influence the superstitious behavior of humans.

The article presents a neuropsychological observation and understanding about the behavior of humans toward art. It offers information on studies by Geoffrey Miller of the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque about the correlation of artistic creativity with both general intelligence and the personality trait of being open to new experiences. It also explains how humans perceive art as a social adaptation.

The article presents a neuropsychological observation and understanding about dreams. Patrick McNamara of Boston University, states that dreams modulate the emotion and are crucial for processing emotions. It also discusses that rapid-eye-movement (REM) dream allow individuals to relive powerful emotional memories, but without the rush of stress hormones that accompanied the real life experiences. It explores the factors that can influence the content of dreams.

The article talks about the for training the visual cortex since childhood with reference to the Pokémon character in the game. Topics discussed include critical developmental window for the formation of dedicated category regions in the human visual cortex; findings through adults brain memories by showing images of Pokémon characters and other cartoons; and information about the visual cortex, prefrontal cortex, and basic visual processing.

The article focuses on a study, appeared in the periodical "Journal of Humanistic Psychology," regarding positive impact of nature on psychologically uplifting. It mentions that the study provide realisation regarding identity and life. It also presents the views of Ofra Mayseless, researcher from the University of Haifa, Israel, regarding the same.