Robin Kramer, University of Lincoln
If there’s one thing we as humans seem to have in common, it’s that most of us have felt lonely at one time or another. But is the pain that comes with feeling socially isolated simply a part of being human? Why does the world seem so different when we’re feeling lonely?
Recent research has begun to provide some answers. And it turns out that loneliness can affect your perception and cognition.
Barbara Jacquelyn Sahakian, University of Cambridge; Christelle Langley, University of Cambridge; Chun Shen, Fudan University, and Jianfeng Feng, Fudan University
As most parents of teenagers are acutely aware, there comes a time when children start prioritising their friends over their parents. While young children rely on their parents for social interactions and influences, there’s a notable switch during adolescence, where the influence from peers and friends becomes more important.
Patricia Riddell, University of Reading
Imagine you have an interview for a new job tomorrow. Some people might think about what kind of questions they will be asked so that they can prepare, or imagine the interview going well. For others, the thought of an interview will cause them to toss and turn all night thinking of every worst case scenario possible – no matter how outlandish these may be. If you’re someone who has a tendency to do the latter, you are prone to catastrophising.