Christmas nostalgia feels good—but is it accurate? A study found that repeatedly imagining words made them easier to recall and seem linked to positive emotions, even when they weren’t. Remembering may bring pleasure, not truth.
tinyurl.com/yc57ex2u

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Avoid costly impulse buys this Christmas! Psychology says: plan ahead. Make a list, set a budget, and stick to it. Intentional shopping beats panic purchases every time.
tinyurl.com/bdcum27j

Black Friday feels irresistible partly due to the endowment effect: once we imagine an item as ours, logic fades. Emotional thinking says “buy now before it’s gone,” even if the deal isn’t that great.
tinyurl.com/ysaw7p6h

Frantic about Christmas shopping? A meta-analysis of 36 fMRI studies shows generosity lights up reward networks—but patterns differ for altruistic (costly, no reward) vs strategic (reciprocity, reputation) giving, showing different use of ToM.
tinyurl.com/mpz8z52s

Cold weather doesn’t just chill the air—it can impact your brain! Research shows low outdoor temps reduce working memory and attention, even indoors. Our bodies prioritise warmth over cognition, with implications for work and learning in winter.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Viewing original art lowers stress and inflammation. Research from KCL & The Courtauld shows cultural experiences protect mind and body—original works have measurable health benefits beyond reproductions. #ArtAndHealth

www.kcl.ac.uk/news/the-pos...

Serendipity occurs when a prepared mind meets an unexpected event, triggering dynamic updates in attention and information. If noticed, judgment and amplification cycles lead to creative outcomes. This model predicts ways to scaffold serendipitous moments for innovation.
tinyurl.com/23fp55a4

Why do we like to be scared? It seems fear can boost mood. A study found scary experiences like haunted houses reduce stress and improve emotions - especially for those feeling tired or bored - by lowering brain reactivity.
psycnet.apa.org/fulltext/201...

New study shows impasse—feeling stuck—isn’t just frustrating, it’s complex and sometimes helpful.
Across 4 experiments (N=856), researchers found impasse can boost insight when resolved, and isn’t always negative.
Turns out, being stuck might be part of the creative process.
tinyurl.com/453y4hkj

How do legal professionals deal with uncertainty in child custody cases? They use a range of cognitive strategies - heuristics & metacognitive strategies, to deal with these complex situations. This has implications for how professional strategies can be refined.

www.frontiersin.org/journals/psy...

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Unexpected categorical shifts in background sounds disrupt memory. Changing the category of a sound while memorising words reduces recall, but the change can be remembered. This suggests that categorical deviations may trigger attentional capture.

www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1...

Hello everyone! We are the Cognitive Section of the British Psychological Society (BPS). We'll be posting here regularly about our activities, what are committee is getting up to, and about cognitive research and related events more broadly. We look forward to chatting with you - please follow us!