In The News: Department of Psychology

Science News

For more than a century, psychologists thought that the infant experience was, as the psychologist and philosopher William James famously put it, a “blooming, buzzing confusion.” But new research suggests babies are born with a surprisingly sophisticated neurological toolkit that can organize the visual world into categories and pick out the beat in a song.

Fox News

The popularity of cannabis continues to rise in 2026, with statistics showing that around 15% of Americans are current users, and more than 22% have used it sometime in the past year. As more people cut out alcohol amid the Dry January trend, dispensaries have reported a surge in marijuana sales, leading to what some industry insiders and media outlets have dubbed "High January."

Fox News

The popularity of cannabis continues to rise in 2026, with statistics showing that around 15% of Americans are current users, and more than 22% have used it sometime in the past year. As more people cut out alcohol amid the Dry January trend, dispensaries have reported a surge in marijuana sales, leading to what some industry insiders and media outlets have dubbed "High January."

Medscape

While exercise has long been a go-to approach for physical health, a new meta-analysis demonstrates that it is equally as effective for mental health, too. The authors found that exercise may be moderately more effective than a control intervention for reducing depression symptoms.

Las Vegas Sun

Nevada’s mental health and recovery network reeled after a federal funding fiasco wiped out — then abruptly restored — millions in crucial grants earlier this month, upending programs and leaving providers unsure if their money will vanish again.

Nevada Independent

Schools are important partners in the state’s recent push to reduce student absences, but some parents say they're confused over attendance rules.

Nevada Independent

The amount of money the average American family spent on one child’s sports team significantly increased from 2018 to 2024, rising from $693 to $1,016. Project Play, an initiative of the Aspen Institute think tank that collected the data, attributed increasing costs to inflation and to families’ eagerness to participate in sports after the pandemic shutdowns.

Being Patient

Emerging studies show possible links between certain sweeteners — including erythritol — and faster cognitive decline, though scientists caution the research is still early.

Las Vegas Sun

When the COVID-19 pandemic shut down schools and businesses across the United States in 2020, Miguel Angelo Castano felt lost. Five years later, Castano graduates today from UNLV with a bachelor’s degree in psychology, a minor in philosophy and the honor of being one of the university’s outstanding graduates.

PsyPost

New research sheds light on why some individuals choose to remain in romantic relationships characterized by high levels of conflict. The study, published in the Journal of Applied Social Psychology, suggests that benevolent sexism and anxious attachment styles may lead people to base their self-worth on their relationship status, prompting them to utilize maladaptive strategies to maintain the partnership.

PsyPost

The underlying causes of sexual difficulties may differ between men and women who experience symptoms of eating disorders, according to new research. While depression appears to be the primary driver of sexual challenges among women with these symptoms, eating disorder behaviors themselves play a more direct role for men. These findings were published in the International Journal of Sexual Health.

Las Vegas Review Journal

Researchers at UNLV are trying to determine if a kitchen spice could become a way to treat seizures.