Why social media ‘fitspiration’ can fail: Weight-inclusive fitness posts are more likely to motivate young women to exercise

“Fitspiration” is a popular social media trend that depicts images of thin women posing in exercise clothing or engaged in fitness pursuits. Research has found that...

Hope from despair: how young people are taking action to make things better

Hope as a stubborn desire. Onkundi Nyabuto | Unsplash, FAL Caron Gentry, Northumbria University, Newcastle All too often, hope is equated to a desire for something...

Death literacy: why it’s important to talk about dying

5 ways to support children’s early literacy skills and build family connections this summer

With the end of the school year here, parents, caregivers and educators may find themselves reflecting on another turbulent year in education. For researchers of children’s...

How obituaries helped people grieve during the pandemic

Have you found yourself reading more obituaries since COVID-19 began? You’re not alone. The pandemic safety measures and restrictions have changed the way people engage in...

We asked the public about being lonely during lockdowns. For many, Zoom calls weren’t enough – and some still haven’t recovered

Despite widespread access to social media and videoconferencing technology, many Australians experienced heightened loneliness during COVID lockdowns, and continue to do so. We surveyed more than...

Relax, it’s just a ringlight for kids. Toys like the ‘vlogger set’ prepare them for a digital world

Recent outrage surrounding a young children’s toy “vlogger” set echoes moral panics of the past, particularly when words such as children, play and digital come together....

Psychologists have traditionally focused on the past – what if that’s all wrong?

For over a century, psychologists such as Sigmund Freud and Carl Rogers focused people’s attention on the past. And so when Mary struggles to maintain romantic...

Celibacy: its surprising evolutionary advantages – new research

Why would someone join an institution that removed the option of family life and required them to be celibate? Reproduction, after all, is at the very...

Kids’ neighborhoods can affect their developing brains, a new study finds

The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work. The big idea Children growing up in more disadvantaged neighborhoods – meaning those with poor...