Emotions

Does it bug you when people around you fidget? If it does, you have something called misokinesia and you are not alone because one-third of those studied felt the same way.

By Todd Handy & Sumeet Jaswal

The U.S. has been a nation in mourning for more than a year. But the normal rituals for mourning deceased loved ones have been anything but normal. How do we move on and when?

By John Donovan

Emotionally sensitive people sometimes get a bad rap from others. But being an empath can be a gift, as long as you take care of it. So how do you know if you're one?

By Alia Hoyt

Maybe. A study that wasn't even about kissing turned out to (sort of) give the answer.

By Michelle Konstantinovsky

It's not just your imagination — people feel freer to bail out on others at the last minute than they used to. But why?

By Danielle Douez

Ever had a "woulda, shoulda, coulda" feeling about something? It's called regret. What really triggers this emotion — and can we trust it?

By Dave Roos

A new study shows that mothers prefer daughters and fathers prefer sons, regardless of economic background, contradicting an earlier well-known hypothesis.

By Alia Hoyt

Dark, cloudy skies and the drumbeat of raindrops on our windows tend to make people feel sad and forlorn, or at least that's what we have come to assume.

By Patrick J. Kiger

What do Donald Trump, Bob Dole and LeBron James have in common? A tendency to talk about themselves in the third person. But is it just egotism or is there a hidden benefit to saying your name rather than "I"?

By Dave Roos

The Scandinavian countries tend to come out on top in the World Happiness Report. But the report doesn't actually ask participants if they're happy. When that question is included, the country rankings are quite different.

By Dave Roos

It's already a scary world. Why do we seek to experience more fear?

By Jamie Allen

Yes, there might be another reason we reach for expletives when we're under stress.

By Alia Hoyt

Empathy is an important emotion that enables healthy relationships and fosters the development of a safe, secure world. But what happens when someone has too little — or too much?

By Melanie Radzicki McManus

The recent unsettling spate of clowns disturbing America isn't the first time freaky greasepaint bozos weirded people out.

By Laurie L. Dove

New book says mental exhaustion has been with us since antiquity.

By Kathryn Whitbourne

If you're watching someone embarrass themselves on TV, it might make you squirm or even change the channel. But hey, at least you're empathetic.

By Julia Layton

Your stomach is growling, your boss is demanding and the cereal you ate for breakfast is a distant memory. Could having a little snack save you from (unwisely) screaming at your supervisor?

By John Perritano

No one likes being told they've done wrong, whether it's from a boss, spouse or parent. How can you do a better job of giving "constructive criticism" without coming across as obnoxious?

By Laurie L. Dove

Most people would recall every detail of being held up in a bank robbery but not so well the details of their last birthday party. The brain is wired for recalling trauma for a very good reason.

By Colleen Cancio

Aristotle defined hate as a dislike so intense that whoever feels it wants to cause another person real harm. What is going on in our brains when we hate? And can hate ever be a good thing?

By Patrick J. Kiger

Scientists know that the brain's reward center teaches humans that certain behaviors lead to pleasure, but what about those that lead to pain? A clue lies in the fact that pain isn't just a physical sensation, but an emotional and psychological one as well.

By Josh Clark

There's no doubt that humans are a violent species. The real question is: Why? Are some people wired differently than others? Is it a matter of survival? Or are we just taking our frustrations out on others in violent ways?

By Jonathan Strickland

We hear news of violent acts of all sorts committed by humans every day. But how do we become violent? Is it something we learn, or are people violent at birth? And is there anything that can stop it?

By Jonathan Strickland

Why do we help others, even if we know it will hurt us? As it turns out, the concepts of altruism and selfishness may be linked -- much more so than we thought.

By Josh Clark

Why do we get mad when we get hit, or get sad when we're disappointed? Are the emotions we feel physical responses to our environments or manifestations of physical changes? There's a lot less debate on the subject than you'd think.

By Josh Clark