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People's preference for simple explanations of any situation is connected to their desire to execute tasks efficiently, finds a new study from the University of Waterloo. "These findings show that our preference for simpler explanations mirrors how we evaluate actions. Simplicity isn't just valued in explanations-it's part of how we think about achieving results efficiently," said Claudia Sehl, lead author and a PhD candidate in developmental psychology at Waterloo.

A team of researchers from McGill and Université de Montréal's Observatoire pour l'éducation et la santé des enfants (OPES, or observatory on children's health and eduation), led by Sylvana Côté, spending two hours a week of class time in a natural environment can reduce emotional distress among 10- to 12-year-olds who had the most significant mental health problems before the program began.

A new study finds that seniors who tend to mirror other people's feelings are more likely to show signs of being anxious or depressed themselves. Madeleine and Paul are sitting on a park bench. As she tells Paul about her financial worries and how she's been struggling for months to make ends meet, Madeleine's eyes well with tears.

Parents' cellphone use can have a direct impact on their preteens' mental health, according to a study. The effects include increased hyperactivity and inattention. There have been numerous studies of the effects of screen time on children. But kids aren't the only ones using cellphones; parents are just as likely to be seen glued to their devices at the park, at a restaurant and at home.

A new study reveals children with autism have a keen interest in letters and numbers - something their parents don't always spot. During diagnostic assessments, many autistic children spontaneously head to the magnetic board with letters and numbers. How common is this interest in letters and numbers among autistic children?

By generating mice with genetic mutations that disrupt the brain's TrkC-PTP? protein complex, researchers at the UdeM-affiliated IRCM find a key way that brain cells communicate. Scientists at Université de Montréal and its affiliated Montreal Clinical Research Institute (IRCM) have uncovered unique roles for a protein complex in the structural organization and function of brain cell connectivity, as well as in specific cognitive behaviors.

Oct. 10-11, campus is open to McGill students, employees and essential visitors. Most classes are in-person. See Campus Public Safety website for details. Les 10 et 11 octobre, le campus est accessible aux étudiants et au personnel de l'Université, ainsi qu'aux visiteurs essentiels. La plupart des cours ont lieu en présentiel.

A new study by UdeM neuroscientist Guillaume Dumas sheds new light on the behaviour and brain activity of people with autism in social situations. The behavioural and inter-brain dynamics between a person with autism and a neurotypical person are different than those between two neurotypical people. That's the conclusion of a new study by Guillaume Dumas , a professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Addiction at Université de Montréal and principal investigator at the Precision Psychiatry and Social Physiology Laboratory at the CHU Sainte-Justine Research Centre.

Participating in a series of cognitive training sessions has helped Quebec seniors cope with memory loss - even five years later, an UdeM study finds. Can training your brain to remember things help you ward off the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease? A new Canadian study suggests that yes, it can - even five years after you got the training.

This condition in children predicts anxiety about the transition from primary to secondary school, loss of motivation and difficulty adapting in the first year of secondary school, according to research from the Faculty of Education. A longitudinal study by Université Laval shows that evaluation anxiety during primary school exams is linked to a lack of academic motivation and worries about the transition to secondary school.

Dr. Valerie Taylor, MD, PhD, psychiatrist, professor and researcher at the Cumming School of Medicine (CSM) is recruiting people for two studies using fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT), often called poop pills, as a potential treatment for two mental health illnesses,  major depressive disorder  and  obsessive-compulsive disorder.

A new study finds sexual minorities still experience a greater burden of mental health and substance use conditions than heterosexual people despite legislative and policy advances and improvements in social attitudes in recent decades. Led by SFU health sciences assistant professor Travis Salway, the study, published in SSM - Population Health , found that inequalities in mental health and substance use conditions between sexual minority and heterosexual populations have not improved since 2003.

Two-thirds of people surveyed think that artificial intelligence (AI) tools like ChatGPT have some degree of consciousness and can have subjective experiences such as feelings and memories, according to a new study from the University of Waterloo. Large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT often display a conversational style when outputting content.

In Canada, the concept of allyship has emerged as a pivotal strategy for firms striving to meet their equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) goals. In a new study , Not all'allies are created equal: An intersectional examination of relational allyship for women of color at work,   Barnini Bhattacharyya , a professor at Ivey Business School, investigated the power dynamics of allyship as it relates to women of colour in the workplace.

It's a potentially life-altering medical condition typically diagnosed in childhood. The good news is treatment works well if followed properly. The bad news is the treatment is hard to stick to. An interdisciplinary team of University of Waterloo researchers is trying to improve treatment adherence through use of a social robot that can educate and motivate children and their caregivers.

Researchers say it's important to recognize and support youth who are vulnerable to sexual victimization It's important that programs promoting safer sexting behaviours consider the specific needs of adolescents with behavioural problems, a new study by McGill researchers suggests. Adolescents with behavioural problems engage in elevated levels of sexting compared with their peers without such problems.

Using pornography compulsively. Using it to cope with negative emotions. Being disturbed by one's own choice of pornographic material. Feeling ashamed of using pornography. According to a new international study led by Beáta Bothe , a professor in the Department of Psychology at Université de Montréal, these factors can predict problematic pornography use (PPU).

Intervention leads to partial or total remission of insomnia in over 90% of people A team from Laval University has developed a behavioral intervention that improves sleep and mental health in people whose work involves night shifts. The effectiveness of this intervention has just been demonstrated by this team, led by Professor Annie Vallières, in a study published in the Journal of Sleep Research .

A model that combines self-determination theory and social identity theory can shed light on team motivation and functioning, according to a recent study What are the underlying dynamics of group motivation in a team or organization' How does it take shape' And how does it influence a team's functioning and effectiveness' A recent article in Applied Psychology: An International Review attempts to answer these questions.

A new study shows that behavioural therapy can improve the sleep and mental health of workers with atypical schedules. If you are a police officer, a healthcare worker, a firefighter or even a miner, you may be part of the 25% to 30% of the population with atypical working hours. This type of schedule may involve working early mornings, evenings and nights, and it may be fixed, on-call or rotating.