Each of the studies we’ll review today involves the processing of emotion. First, Edwards, Booker, Cook, Miao, Gan & King (2025) published “Hope as a Meaningful Emotion: Hope, positive affect, and meaning in life” in Emotion. Here’s the edited abstract:

Six studies (combined N = 2,312) examined the emotion of hope as a unique and robust predictor of meaning in life. In cross-sectional data (Studies 1–2), affective hope predicted greater meaning, controlling for other positive affect, and agency/pathways, in the majority of White U.S. samples. Utilizing a daily diary (Study 3), daily hope predicted daily meaning independent of positive emotions, in a Chinese sample.

Today, we have two articles that focus in part on identity disturbance. First, Kiel et al. (2025) published “Associations between Pathological Personality Traits, Functional Impairment, and Personality Disorder: Controlling for basic personality traits and identity disturbance” in Personality Disorders: Theory, Research, and Treatment. Here’s the edited abstract:

Contemporary models conceptualize personality disorder (PD) as a combination of personality dysfunction and pathological personality traits. However, some perspectives suggest that pathological traits, along with functional impairment, may be sufficient indicators of PD.

Today we’re looking at a single study, available in full text, on empathy. Avnor, Atias, Markus & Shamay-Tsoory (2024) published “It Takes Two to Empathize: Interbrain coupling contributes to distress regulation” in Emotion. Here are highly edited excerpts:

Today, we’re looking at studies of traumatic brain injury. First, Whiting, Faulkner, Gates, Metcalf & Simpson (2025) published “Inhibitory Control Underpins the Relationship between Cognitive and Psychological Inflexibility after a Moderate to Severe Traumatic Brain Injury” in Neuropsychology. Here are the edited abstract and impact statement:

Today, we’re looking at two studies of cheating by young children. First, Zhao, Yan, Harris & Lee (2025) published “Telling Young Children an Adult’s Emotional Reactions to Their Future Honest or Dishonest Behavior Causes Them to Cheat Less” Developmental Psychology. Here are the edited abstract and impact statement:

The current research examined whether telling young children about an adult’s emotional reactions to their future honesty or dishonesty influences their cheating.

The two studies we’re looking at today examine the question of whether alcohol and/or cannabis use aids affect regulation. Dora et al. (2026) published “Testing the Robustness of Daily Associations of Affect with Alcohol and Cannabis Use” in Journal of Psychopathology and Clinical Science. Here are the edited abstract and impact statement:

Today, we’re looking at three studies of teens in school. First, Scanlon, Lee & Wang (2026) published “Attention and Sleep Quality as Mediators in the Link between Adolescents’ Social Media Use and School Engagement” in Journal of Educational Psychology. Here are the edited abstract and impact statement:

This study used a 55-day daily diary design to examine how adolescents’ social media use (SMU) relates to next-day school engagement and whether attention difficulties or sleep quality mediate these associations.

Today, we’re looking at three very different studies, but each raises an important question. First, Kratzer et al. (2026) published “Questioning the structural validity of trauma-related dissociative disorders: The latent structure of pathological dissociation across diagnostic groups. In Traumatology. Here are the edited abstract and impact statement:

Models of trauma-related dissociation rely on two conflicting assumptions: dissociation as a single transdiagnostic severity continuum versus dissociative disorders as categorically distinct from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Neither has been tested at the level of symptom organization across diagnostic contexts.

Sometimes, I read two articles and feel confused, so I have decided to share my confusion today. Both studies look at trauma, one early on and one later. First, Kim et al. (2026) published “Multidimensional Resiliency Factors and Psychopathology after Acute Trauma: Results from a prospective cohort study” in Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy.  Here are the edited abstract and impact statement:

Preventing posttraumatic psychopathology (e.g., depression or posttraumatic stress disorder [PTSD]) following an acute traumatic event requires attention to modifiable factors that may protect against such psychopathology. In this study, we aimed to identify the relative contributions of resiliency factors across multiple domains to posttraumatic psychopathology and to delineate subcomponents that may be most influential.

I tend to present a single study either when it’s long or I think it’s worth spending time thinking about. Today’s choice is due to the latter. Bogaerts, Eggermont & Hopwood (2026) published “A Mixed-Methods Investigation of Feelings of Inner Emptiness in Community Young Adults: Associations with identity and personality functioning, health risk behaviors, and (mal)adaptive coping strategies” in Personality Disorders: Theory, Research, and Treatment. Here’s the edited abstract:

This is a long one, but if you deal with clients for whom digital engagement may be significant, it may be helpful. Shaleha & Roque (2026) published “Screen Time in Context: Toward a theoretical model of digital engagement across the lifespan” in Developmental Psychology. Here are highly edited excerpts:

Today, I’m providing two studies related to ACEs. Alpugan (2024) published ”The Impact of Early Childhood Adversity on Neurodevelopment: A Comprehensive Review” in J. Neurobehavioral Science. Here are highly edited excerpts:

The early years of childhood are crucial for brain development, characterized by rapid growth and high plasticity.

We’re looking at four studies of depression today. First, Nagrodzki, Passamonti, Schweizer, Stretton, Knights, Henson & Wolpe (2025) published “Behavioral and Brain Differences in the Processing of Negative Emotion in Previously Depressed Individuals: An exploratory analysis of population-based data” in Emotion. Here’s the edited abstract:

Depressed individuals show significant biases in the processing of emotional stimuli, focusing attention on negative facial expressions (termed “attentional negativity bias”).

Today we’re looking at three articles on parenting. First, Sadri & Yates (2024) published “Maternal Support in Preschool and Child Behavior Problems: The mediating role of childhood emotion knowledge” in Developmental Psychology. Here are the edited abstract and impact statement:

Children’s emotion knowledge encompasses abilities to recognize and label emotions in the service of positive adaptation.

I hadn’t seen research on derailment and found this study intriguing. Dai, Feng, Zong, Zou & Qiao (2025) published “The Role of Derailment in the Relationship between Childhood Trauma and Depression among Emerging Adults: A latent moderated model” in Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy. Here are highly edited excerpts:

Childhood trauma has been demonstrated to have severe adverse effects on lifespan. Although research has explored the link between childhood trauma and depression, fewer studies have examined this relationship specifically in the context of emerging adulthood.

Today, we’re looking at two very different studies of memory in the aging. First, Noël & Picard (2025) “Why Humor’s Positive Effect on Memory Disappears with Aging” in Emotion. Here’s the edited abstract:

Numerous studies have highlighted the beneficial effect of humor on memory in younger adults. While older adults are known to preferentially process positive information and appreciate humor, no study has investigated whether the effect of humor on memory persists in aging.

I’ve had some long posts lately, so here’s a short one I found intriguing. Soden, Bhat, Anderson & Friston (2025) published “The Meltdown Pathway: A multidisciplinary account of autistic meltdowns” in Psychological Review. Here’s the edited abstract:

Autistic meltdowns are fits of intense frustration and often physical violence elicited by sensory and cognitive stressors. Despite the high prevalence of meltdowns among autistic individuals, the neural mechanisms that underlie this response are not yet well understood.

I could have called this potpourri, but I chose the title because each study today makes what I think is a helpful distinction. First, Mostajabi, Sperry, King & Wright (2025) published “Uncovering Urgency in Daily Life: Testing a novel method for assessing emotion–impulsivity co-occurrence in momentary data” in Journal of Psychopathology and Clinical Science. Here’s the edited abstract and impact statement:

Impulsivity is a personality trait with broad health implications. Urgency is a facet of impulsivity defined as the tendency to engage in rash action when experiencing strong emotions. Thus, as defined, urgency is a dynamic, if … then process.

Today we’re looking at empathy. First, Avnor, Atias, Markus & Shamay-Tsoory (2024) published “It Takes Two to Empathize: Interbrain coupling contributes to distress regulation” in Emotion. Here are edited excerpts:

While extant research on empathy has made significant progress in uncovering the mechanisms underlying the responses of an observer (empathizer) to the distress of another (target), it remains unclear how the interaction between the empathizer and the target contributes to distress regulation in the target.

I’ve written before Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology (HiTOP) framework before, but am revisiting it today with new theory and research. First, Trayvick, Adams & Nelson (2024) published “The P300 and Hierarchical Dimensions of Psychopathology” in Journal of Psychopathology and Clinical Science. Here’s the edited abstract and impact statement:

The Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology (HiTOP) framework offers the potential to better understand how neurobiological mechanisms relate to psychopathology.