Mind & Behavior

Mind & Behavior

Study the science of how we think, feel, and act, with insights that help you better understand yourself and others.

Assorted 2000s-era items including a decorated laptop, Game Boy, CD player, flip phone, iPods, cassette, VHS tape, sewing tools, puzzles, and craft supplies arranged on a colorful background evoke pure nostalgia.
A nostalgia-fueled real-world renaissance is underway, led by young adults striving to counter the cultural pessimism and division that pervades much of online life.
Two hands juggle six translucent spheres, each containing different images: lips, a hand writing, a baby, and abstract shapes, against a gradient purple and cream background.
A specific behavior might help explain the stereotype, recent research suggests.
Three black and white circular images on a red background: a person running, a blurred double-exposed face, and a foot about to kick a soccer ball.
Your inner monologue doesn't have to devolve into toxic "chatter."
A person sits on a chair with their head obscured by chaotic, black scribbles, visually capturing the turmoil and confusion that often accompanies rumination or mental distress.
The brain’s default mode network gives rise to costly ruminations, but it can also be a source of creative breakthroughs.
A silhouette of an adult holding a young child, both faces partially visible, embodies the tenderness of parenting against a soft, gradient blue and beige background.
The family might be a terrible way to raise kids. But it's the best we have.
A digital illustration of a human brain outlined in white, composed of circuit-like lines, set against a black background with scattered white dots resembling stars.
Neuroscientist Anil Seth on the deep differences between human minds and artificial ones.
Two scenes: Top shows climbers on an ice-covered terrain, embodying fun and success. Bottom captures an airplane in flight against a clear sky.
Fun in business is no laughing matter — it can create a golden strategic advantage and bring serious success in the long term.
A human skull, a game controller, and small artifacts are partially buried in dirt at an archaeological dig site with excavation tools nearby.
Your brain responds to game-like mechanics with focus, persistence, and engagement — the exact qualities you need to stay motivated.
Illustration of a brain with legs standing on a platform, surrounded by yellow rays and red and yellow dots on a pink background.
New research suggests fun isn’t a distraction from learning — it’s the brain’s way of rewarding us for navigating uncertainty, discovering patterns, and staying mentally alive.
A woman holds a red star-shaped object over one eye, with colorful abstract shapes and a small figure in a box in the background.
Play isn’t frivolous — and by denying playful impulses, you could be holding yourself back.
Wargames are helping answer one of the biggest questions of the AI era: how machines might reshape human decision-making in war.
Two children are climbing on a yellow and green jungle gym, viewed from below against a blue sky with some clouds.
Away from adult supervision, children practice the skills that make friendship, confidence, and independence possible.
A vintage illustration of prehistoric humans in a cave, with the central figure highlighted in bright green and a black scribble over the head.
Anxiety feels like a malfunction. Evolutionarily speaking, it's one of your most sophisticated features.
A man in business attire walks upstairs while talking, with an orange silhouette of another person beside him against a white and blue background.
Feedback only feels high-stakes when you've been saving it up.
Book cover for "What Science Says About Astrology" by Carlos Orsi, featuring astrological symbols and geometric lines on a blue and black background, reflecting what science says about astrology.
Vague predictions and post hoc revisions help astrology feel meaningful, even while it fails empirical testing.
Book cover titled "Never Settle: Persuasion and Negotiation Skills to Get What You Want" by Attia Qureshi and John Richardson, featuring bold "never settle" typography on a striking blue background.
Agreeable people may be a pleasure to be around, but they also have a harder time walking away from a bad deal.
The image displays the words "mental," "health," and "illness" in white and gray text on a black background, with "mental" and "health" in focus—reflecting the strength found within the unfragile mind.
As mental health diagnoses become more common and expansive, the labels meant to help us understand our suffering may instead oversimplify it.
Dune features a determined protagonist in Frank Herbert's science fiction masterpiece.
These initially sympathetic characters take readers down a dark path.