Everyone employs bias—otherwise known as cognitive shortcuts—in their lives every day. Imagine you’re scrolling through your social media feed and immediately dismiss a news article because it comes from a source you don’t typically trust. Or maybe you’re convinced your favorite restaurant is the best in town, remembering all the great meals you’ve eaten there while forgetting that mediocre dinner last month. [Read more…]
Can We Train Students’ Brains to Be Less Biased?
October 7, 2025 By
What’s Driving Suicidal Thoughts in Young People?
September 23, 2025 By
It’s well-established that mental health among adolescents has declined over the past two decades, and researchers have been working to understand why more young people are dying by suicide. [Read more…]
What We Know About Self-Regulation and Technology Among Kids
September 22, 2025 By
Nearly half of teenagers report being online nearly constantly, according to a recent survey by the Pew Research Center. And “screen-time” is pervasive among younger children, surveys show.
There’s no question that today’s youth are growing up in a culture ruled by digital technology. This phenomenon affects almost every aspect of their lives, including educational opportunities, social interactions, and personal development. Self-regulation—the ability to control impulses, organize behavior, and problem-solve constructively—is an important aspect that affects how young people interact with digital technology. [Read more…]
Black Students Still Receive More Punishment in Schools
September 16, 2025 By
In 2018, a ground-breaking analysis of federal education data clearly established that Black students are disproportionately disciplined in public schools.
Since then, researchers have documented the negative effects of this disparity—encouraging defiance; harming academic achievement, school climate, and mental health; and accelerating exposure to the juvenile justice system. In response, some schools have implemented new policies and practices designed to reduce racial disparities in punishment. [Read more…]
Does Online Therapy Work For Kids?
April 29, 2025 By
Approximately 20% of teens in the U.S. experience depression by age 17. And data shows that among youth across the globe, the prevalence of anxiety and depression symptoms has doubled since the COVID-19 pandemic. [Read more…]
Research Confirms That Chores Are Good for Kids
April 1, 2025 By
Put away the silverware. Fold the towels. Feed the dog. Bring in the mail.
There is a myriad of ways in which kids – starting as early as age 2 – can help out around the house. While some of this “helping” isn’t actually that helpful, there is strong evidence that you should require your kids to do chores anyway. [Read more…]
How Harsh Parenting Harms Kids
March 31, 2025 By
You’ve probably been out in public and heard a parent shouting, swearing, or calling a child names. Or maybe you’ve found yourself in the position of losing your temper with your own children.
Harsh parenting is defined as regularly engaging in negative coercive behaviors; it can include yelling, name-calling, hitting, criticizing, shaming, and isolating children. A large body of research demonstrates that harsh parenting is bad for kids. [Read more…]
How to Cultivate Purpose in Teens
March 29, 2025 By
A sense of purpose—a feeling that your life has direction and your actions are meaningful—is fundamental to human well-being.
Now, researchers are learning that finding a sense of purpose is a crucial stage in adolescence, and they are evaluating programs designed to help teens cultivate purpose. [Read more…]
Air Pollution Leads to Brain Changes in Kids
October 14, 2024 By
More than 131 million people live in places with unhealthy air quality, according to the American Lung Association’s 2024 State of Air report. This is an increase of 11.7 million people from the previous year. The report also finds that the number of days with “very unhealthy” or “hazardous” air quality in the United States was the highest in 25 years. [Read more…]
Recent Research Questions Summer Learning Loss
September 5, 2024 By
For decades, education researchers have warned about “summer slide,” where students forget some of what they learned over the previous school year during summer vacation. [Read more…]
The Psychological Impacts of Donor Conception
August 4, 2024 By
Researchers estimate that there are upwards of 1 million Americans who were conceived using donor egg or sperm. Anonymous donation, in which the donor’s identity is not available to the donor-conceived person, is common in the U.S. and Canada, while many European countries require the donor’s identity be disclosed when the donor-conceived person turns 18.
The Long-Term, Underappreciated Damage of Verbal Abuse
December 9, 2023 By
When out and about, you may have heard parents shouting at their children. In fact, few people make it all the way through parenthood without ever yelling. But a new systematic review finds that regular verbal abuse—including shouting, threatening, belittling, humiliating, and name-calling—has negative consequences for children that can last a lifetime. [Read more…]
