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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]

It’s a conundrum… hang in there or make a fresh start? Whether the decision is about a relationship, job, move, organization, or other… it’s often hard to determine the best course of action. [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]

It has been asserted that one of the reasons that many individuals view those who are homeless with disdain is so that the observer can feel better about him/herself. These particular people, with no knowledge of the road that led to homelessness, assume that anyone without a sheltered residence is damaged and “less than”. They, can,(the judges) then, flatter themselves that they are substantial and first-rate. [More]

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, many people have experienced feelings of social isolation. For some, interaction with others has been confined to a zoom call, for others there hasn’t been any interaction at all. Now, researchers at MIT have found that the longing for social interaction felt whilst isolated is neurologically similar to that for food cravings when hungry. [More]

The common perception is that introverts are thriving from the pandemic lockdown from the pandemic. No longer are they required to go to events and regularly interact with other people since distancing is now required. But a recent study of 2,000 Americans found that introverts experienced more loneliness than extraverts during this time and do not take the initiative to interact with others. [More]

New research in the September 2020 issue of Personality and Individual Differences lists 40 reasons people have trouble making friends. The most important factors included “Lack of time” and “Introversion”. I asked experts to share their thoughts on how people can overcome these barriers to making friends. [More]

A new study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology looked at whether friendship jealously can be a tool for maintaining friendships in the face of third party threats. “Friendships are massively important for health and happiness, and they can be threatened when our friends form new friendships or other relationships,” study author Jaimie Arona Krems told us. [More]

A new study published in the Journal of Child Development looked at the how perceived psychological control in early adolescence predicts lower levels of adaptation into mid-adulthood. Researchers were hoping to understand the long-term associations with overly controlling parenting in adolescence. [More]

Our ability to socialize has decreased significantly as a result of the pandemic. But even pre-COVID, not everyone was able to be out and about to make new friends. While there are plenty of opportunities to find “friends” on various social media channels and other online networks, the question is how authentic relationships can be that start - or even remain - online? Studies suggest there are benefits to becoming active in multiple online groups to find community and that authentic relationships are possible. [More]