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Strong family relationships gives teenagers greater empathy for their friends. Research published in Child Development found that teenagers who had supportive and secure family relationships had greater empathy for their peers. [More]

A new study published in the Journal of Aggressive Behavior looked at school bullying before and during COVID-19 using a population-based randomized design. “We wondered if the COVI-19 infection control measures would have an impact on the prevalence of bullying. In particular, we thought that rates would be lower because students were supervised more and were organized into smaller cohorts,” study author Dr. Tracy Vaillancourt told us. [More]

A new study published in the Journal of Body Image looked at the effect playing with ultra-thin dolls has on the way young girls view their own bodies. “We were interested in understanding whether doll play would influence girls’ developing sense of an ‘ideal’ body,” study author Lynda Boothroyd, a professor in the Department of Psychology at Durham University in the UK told us. [More]

Adults are more generous and compassionate in the presence of children. Researchers from the University of Bath and Cardiff University undertook eight experiments with more than 2000 participants and found that the presence of children can cause adults to be more generous. [More]

A new study published in the Journal of Applied Neuropsychology: Child looked at computerized inhibitory control training and its effect on reducing anxiety in preadolescent students. “The key goal of the study was to further examine the interrelation between inhibitory control (IC) and anxiety in preadolescent-aged children, and to determine whether training IC through a remote, computerized program could serve as an effective means for reducing anxiety,” lead author, Nathaniel Shanok, Ph.D. told us. [More]

A new study published in PNAS, the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, looked at how maternal stress triggers preterm birth. “Our study focused on uncovering the cellular mechanisms underlying preterm birth triggered by maternal stress,” study lead author and co-principal investigator, Ozlem Guzeloglu-Kayisli told us. [More]

Time spent outside and nature-based activities could counteract some of the negative mental health impacts of COVID-19 on adolescents. Researchers from North Carolina State University found that outdoor based activities helped teens cope with major stressors, and restricting such opportunities could have negative mental health implications. [More]

Teenagers who bully may be using aggression as a technique to climb the social ladder. Research from UC Davis published recently in the American Journal of Sociology found that teens who harass, bully or victimize their peers don’t always do this due to an unhealthy home environment or due to psychological problems, but out of a desire to strategically move up in a school’s social hierarchy. [More]

A new study published in the journal, PNAS (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America) looked at how childhood self-control forecasts the pace of midlife aging and preparedness for old age. “We studied whether as adults, children who exercise better self-control age more slowly, and are more prepared to manage the health, financial, and social demands of later life,” study author Leah Richmond-Rakerd told us. “We also investigated whether self-control in adulthood – not just childhood – is important for aging.” Prior studies have shown that people with better self-control live longer lives. Richmond-Rakerd and the team predicted that people with better self-control would also age more healthily, in midlife. [More]

Vitamin D is one of the most common nutrient deficiencies in the US and around the world. It can be challenging to get adequate Vitamin D from the diet, and not everyone produces enough Vitamin D in their skin to make up for this gap. A new study published in the Journal of Nutrition looked at pregnancy, nutrition, and Vitamin D. [More]