Comedian Robin Williams once said that every time you get depressed, comedy will be there to drag you out of it. But does humour really help? A researcher from SWPS University investigated the potential of using humour to treat depressive states. She demonstrated that while it could act as a natural stress buffer, it typically does more harm than good during the acute phase of the illness.

At a time of rampant medical misinformation online, artificial intelligence can do a good job of correcting falsehoods, but the tone of the correction is key, according to new research led by Washington State University. For people who view AI strictly as a technical tool, corrections to social media posts offered in a neutral, just-the-facts tone are most persuasive. For those who believe AI can be humanlike, an empathetic, understanding tone is best.

A widely held belief that women have more emotional intelligence than men does not hold up under scrutiny, according to a large study of research spanning three decades.

Being made to feel different, lesser, or unwanted can be a common experience for many minority groups. When people are excluded or denied full social acceptance because they are perceived as having a “lesser” status or value, they can often internalise these beliefs, or stigma. Researchers at Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU) investigated this internalisation, known as self-stigma, among university students. They found that, over time, students with higher levels of mindfulness had lower self-stigma and fewer depressive symptoms.