Pub Date : 2025-10-29DOI: 10.1038/s41562-025-02334-y
Jorge Cuartas, Pamela Morris-Perez
The bioecological model of human development is among the most influential frameworks in the social sciences. We argue that it is time to integrate natural ecosystems into this model. This approach will shape research, practice and policy to promote both healthy human development and an environmentally sustainable future.
{"title":"Bringing natural ecosystems into the bioecological model of human development","authors":"Jorge Cuartas, Pamela Morris-Perez","doi":"10.1038/s41562-025-02334-y","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41562-025-02334-y","url":null,"abstract":"The bioecological model of human development is among the most influential frameworks in the social sciences. We argue that it is time to integrate natural ecosystems into this model. This approach will shape research, practice and policy to promote both healthy human development and an environmentally sustainable future.","PeriodicalId":19074,"journal":{"name":"Nature Human Behaviour","volume":"10 1","pages":"7-9"},"PeriodicalIF":15.9,"publicationDate":"2025-10-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145382103","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Attention has become a vital form of capital in the digital age, yet the mechanisms underlying its allocation on social media remain poorly understood. Using a nationally representative, online and offline-integrated dataset of a Generation Z cohort in China, we provide large-scale evidence on the determinants of success in attracting attention. Our findings reveal that ‘how you express yourself’ (using various emojis and expressing multiple emotions) is more influential than ‘who you are’ (in terms of gender, education, family background and personality traits) in attracting attention on social media. Further analysis confirms a causal effect of the variety of emojis and types of emotions on attracted attention, while simulation processes using agent-based models suggest that empathy evocation is the primary underlying mechanism. We also show that the mode of expression is largely independent of individual characteristics and that the attention gained from highly appealing expressions is easier to acquire than to sustain, as it is highly sensitive to changes in expression modes over time. Overall, our research identifies three key features of attention capital allocation on social media: low alignment with traditional resources, considerable manipulability and ease of acquisition but difficulty sustaining it over time. This study shows that how you express yourself is more influential than who you are in attracting attention on social media. Attention is easier to acquire than to sustain.
{"title":"Attention on social media depends more on how you express yourself than on who you are","authors":"Yizhang Zhao, Tianyu Qiao, Yirao Chen, Meiying Kuang, Wei Bai, Yankun Yi, Xinxin Huang, Wen Li, Weidong Wang","doi":"10.1038/s41562-025-02323-1","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41562-025-02323-1","url":null,"abstract":"Attention has become a vital form of capital in the digital age, yet the mechanisms underlying its allocation on social media remain poorly understood. Using a nationally representative, online and offline-integrated dataset of a Generation Z cohort in China, we provide large-scale evidence on the determinants of success in attracting attention. Our findings reveal that ‘how you express yourself’ (using various emojis and expressing multiple emotions) is more influential than ‘who you are’ (in terms of gender, education, family background and personality traits) in attracting attention on social media. Further analysis confirms a causal effect of the variety of emojis and types of emotions on attracted attention, while simulation processes using agent-based models suggest that empathy evocation is the primary underlying mechanism. We also show that the mode of expression is largely independent of individual characteristics and that the attention gained from highly appealing expressions is easier to acquire than to sustain, as it is highly sensitive to changes in expression modes over time. Overall, our research identifies three key features of attention capital allocation on social media: low alignment with traditional resources, considerable manipulability and ease of acquisition but difficulty sustaining it over time. This study shows that how you express yourself is more influential than who you are in attracting attention on social media. Attention is easier to acquire than to sustain.","PeriodicalId":19074,"journal":{"name":"Nature Human Behaviour","volume":"10 2","pages":"288-302"},"PeriodicalIF":15.9,"publicationDate":"2025-10-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145351615","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-16DOI: 10.1038/s41562-025-02307-1
Rui Pei, Samantha J. Grayson, Ruth E. Appel, Serena Soh, Sydney B. Garcia, Annabel Bouwer, Emily Huang, Matthew O. Jackson, Gabriella M. Harari, Jamil Zaki
Young adults face a rising tide of mental illness and loneliness. We propose that an overlooked barrier for social connection is how people perceive each other’s empathy. Here, our longitudinal study of an undergraduate student community (N = 5,192) reveals that undergraduates who perceive their peers as empathic report better current and future well-being. Yet we document an ‘empathy perception gap’: people systematically see others as less empathic than others see themselves. Students who perceived their peers as less empathic were less willing to take social risks and grew more isolated over time. To disrupt this cycle, we conducted two field experiments that presented students with data on their peers’ self-reported empathy and behavioural nudges to encourage social risk taking. These interventions reduced the empathy perception gap, increased social behaviours and expanded social networks months later. This work offers a promising, scalable strategy to cultivate social well-being, simply by presenting people with data about each other. Young adults face rising loneliness and mental health challenges. In a study of 5,192 undergraduates, Pei et al. find that perceiving peers as empathic is related to better well-being. Students, however, underestimate peers’ empathy. Two field experiments offered simple interventions that reduced this empathy perception gap and increased social behaviour and connection.
{"title":"Bridging the empathy perception gap fosters social connection","authors":"Rui Pei, Samantha J. Grayson, Ruth E. Appel, Serena Soh, Sydney B. Garcia, Annabel Bouwer, Emily Huang, Matthew O. Jackson, Gabriella M. Harari, Jamil Zaki","doi":"10.1038/s41562-025-02307-1","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41562-025-02307-1","url":null,"abstract":"Young adults face a rising tide of mental illness and loneliness. We propose that an overlooked barrier for social connection is how people perceive each other’s empathy. Here, our longitudinal study of an undergraduate student community (N = 5,192) reveals that undergraduates who perceive their peers as empathic report better current and future well-being. Yet we document an ‘empathy perception gap’: people systematically see others as less empathic than others see themselves. Students who perceived their peers as less empathic were less willing to take social risks and grew more isolated over time. To disrupt this cycle, we conducted two field experiments that presented students with data on their peers’ self-reported empathy and behavioural nudges to encourage social risk taking. These interventions reduced the empathy perception gap, increased social behaviours and expanded social networks months later. This work offers a promising, scalable strategy to cultivate social well-being, simply by presenting people with data about each other. Young adults face rising loneliness and mental health challenges. In a study of 5,192 undergraduates, Pei et al. find that perceiving peers as empathic is related to better well-being. Students, however, underestimate peers’ empathy. Two field experiments offered simple interventions that reduced this empathy perception gap and increased social behaviour and connection.","PeriodicalId":19074,"journal":{"name":"Nature Human Behaviour","volume":"9 10","pages":"2121-2134"},"PeriodicalIF":15.9,"publicationDate":"2025-10-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145305467","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-16DOI: 10.1038/s41562-025-02291-6
Simone Shamay-Tsoory
Can loneliness be reduced by changing perceptions of empathy? A large-scale study by Pei et al. shows that people tend to underestimate others’ empathy, and correcting this misconception fosters social connection and increases the formation of friendships.
{"title":"Changing empathy perceptions improves connection","authors":"Simone Shamay-Tsoory","doi":"10.1038/s41562-025-02291-6","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41562-025-02291-6","url":null,"abstract":"Can loneliness be reduced by changing perceptions of empathy? A large-scale study by Pei et al. shows that people tend to underestimate others’ empathy, and correcting this misconception fosters social connection and increases the formation of friendships.","PeriodicalId":19074,"journal":{"name":"Nature Human Behaviour","volume":"9 10","pages":"2006-2007"},"PeriodicalIF":15.9,"publicationDate":"2025-10-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145308510","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-16DOI: 10.1038/s41562-025-02319-x
Christian K. Tamnes, Mona Bekkhus, Maja Eilertsen, Ragnhild B. Nes, Monica Beer Prydz, Eivind Ystrom, Eira R. Aksnes, Synøve N. Andersen, Helga Ask, Ziada Ayorech, Tina Baier, Dani Beck, Eirik Jerven Berger, Ludvig D. Bjørndal, Olga D. Boer, Marieke G. N. Bos, Avshalom Caspi, Rosa Cheesman, Razieh Chegeni, Laura Cortés-García, Perline A. Demange, Joakim C. Ebeltoft, Maud Edvoll, Nikolai Haahjem Eftedal, Espen Moen Eilertsen, Yuan Fang, Lia Ferschmann, Sam Fluit, Siri H. Folstad, Eivor Fredriksen, Liridona Gashi, Kristin Gustavson, Thomas Hansen, Live S. Hofgaard, Valerie Karl, Michal Kozák, Kristian G. Krogshus, Jinrui Liu, Torkild H. Lyngstad, Niamh MacSweeney, Hermine H. M. Maes, Lilian Mayerhofer, Tom A. McAdams, Terrie E. Moffitt, Nasimeh Naseri, Thomas S. Nilsen, Linn B. Norbom, Egil Nygaard, Aurora Oftedal, Willy Pedersen, Qi Qin, Rubén Rodríguez-Cano, Vegard Skirbekk, Dinka Smajlagic, Ole Martin Solberg, Anneli D. Tandberg, Irene J. E. Teulings, Fartein Ask Torvik, Stella Tsotsi, Vidar S. Ulset, Emily G. Vira, Espen Røysamb, Tilmann von Soest
Research on mental health has traditionally separated the study of ill-being, including clinically defined mental and behavioural disorders and subthreshold problems, from the study of well-being, which encompasses factors such as life satisfaction and positive affect. Although previous reviews of studies primarily using self-report scales indicate that ill-being and well-being are distinct yet interconnected constructs, a deeper examination of their relationship is lacking. In this Perspective, we synthesize genetic, biological, developmental, psychosocial, societal, cultural and clinical research on ill-being and well-being. Our review reveals substantial genetic overlap and similar biological underpinnings for ill-being and well-being. By contrast, environmental factors and societal changes often exert divergent influences. We propose a differentiated multidisciplinary framework in which the shared and unique determinants, predictors, mechanisms and consequences of mental ill-being and well-being vary across levels of analysis, offering a more nuanced understanding of the interconnections. Tamnes et al. explore the complex relationship between ill-being—including mental and behavioural disorders—and mental well-being.
{"title":"The nature of the relation between mental well-being and ill-being","authors":"Christian K. Tamnes, Mona Bekkhus, Maja Eilertsen, Ragnhild B. Nes, Monica Beer Prydz, Eivind Ystrom, Eira R. Aksnes, Synøve N. Andersen, Helga Ask, Ziada Ayorech, Tina Baier, Dani Beck, Eirik Jerven Berger, Ludvig D. Bjørndal, Olga D. Boer, Marieke G. N. Bos, Avshalom Caspi, Rosa Cheesman, Razieh Chegeni, Laura Cortés-García, Perline A. Demange, Joakim C. Ebeltoft, Maud Edvoll, Nikolai Haahjem Eftedal, Espen Moen Eilertsen, Yuan Fang, Lia Ferschmann, Sam Fluit, Siri H. Folstad, Eivor Fredriksen, Liridona Gashi, Kristin Gustavson, Thomas Hansen, Live S. Hofgaard, Valerie Karl, Michal Kozák, Kristian G. Krogshus, Jinrui Liu, Torkild H. Lyngstad, Niamh MacSweeney, Hermine H. M. Maes, Lilian Mayerhofer, Tom A. McAdams, Terrie E. Moffitt, Nasimeh Naseri, Thomas S. Nilsen, Linn B. Norbom, Egil Nygaard, Aurora Oftedal, Willy Pedersen, Qi Qin, Rubén Rodríguez-Cano, Vegard Skirbekk, Dinka Smajlagic, Ole Martin Solberg, Anneli D. Tandberg, Irene J. E. Teulings, Fartein Ask Torvik, Stella Tsotsi, Vidar S. Ulset, Emily G. Vira, Espen Røysamb, Tilmann von Soest","doi":"10.1038/s41562-025-02319-x","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41562-025-02319-x","url":null,"abstract":"Research on mental health has traditionally separated the study of ill-being, including clinically defined mental and behavioural disorders and subthreshold problems, from the study of well-being, which encompasses factors such as life satisfaction and positive affect. Although previous reviews of studies primarily using self-report scales indicate that ill-being and well-being are distinct yet interconnected constructs, a deeper examination of their relationship is lacking. In this Perspective, we synthesize genetic, biological, developmental, psychosocial, societal, cultural and clinical research on ill-being and well-being. Our review reveals substantial genetic overlap and similar biological underpinnings for ill-being and well-being. By contrast, environmental factors and societal changes often exert divergent influences. We propose a differentiated multidisciplinary framework in which the shared and unique determinants, predictors, mechanisms and consequences of mental ill-being and well-being vary across levels of analysis, offering a more nuanced understanding of the interconnections. Tamnes et al. explore the complex relationship between ill-being—including mental and behavioural disorders—and mental well-being.","PeriodicalId":19074,"journal":{"name":"Nature Human Behaviour","volume":"9 12","pages":"2431-2440"},"PeriodicalIF":15.9,"publicationDate":"2025-10-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145305466","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-14DOI: 10.1038/s41562-025-02301-7
Niclas Kuper, Yves Breitmoser, Barbara Caspers, Melanie Dammhahn, Jürgen Gadau, Marie I. Kaiser, Christian Kandler, Martin Kroh, Oliver Krüger, Joachim Kurtz, Sakari Lemola, John F. Rauthmann, S. Helene Richter, Claudia Voelcker-Rehage, Mitja D. Back
Individuals differ considerably in their social behaviour. Recently, various behavioural sciences have begun to acknowledge the systematic nature and high relevance of this individuality, but approaches from different disciplines are currently isolated from each other. We propose an integrative, interdisciplinary approach for a more comprehensive understanding of individuality in social behaviour, considering (1) features (‘What kinds of individual differences exist?’), (2) sources (‘How do these differences emerge within individuals’ social environments?’), and (3) outcomes (‘What are the consequences of these differences, and how can relevant outcomes be changed through tailored interventions?’). We highlight common insights across disciplines, key challenges stemming from discipline-specific approaches, and new potentials enabled through the interdisciplinary approach. By allowing comparative analyses across species, groups of individuals, and contexts, our approach promises to uncover the shared and unique nature of individuality in human social behaviour. We offer concrete recommendations to guide the implementation of the interdisciplinary approach. Individuality in social behaviour is of interest across several academic fields, yet there are many barriers to interdisciplinary efforts. In this Perspective, Kuper et al propose an integrative, interdisciplinary approach, and detail their recommendations for researchers interested in this topic.
{"title":"An interdisciplinary linked-lives approach to individual differences in social behaviour","authors":"Niclas Kuper, Yves Breitmoser, Barbara Caspers, Melanie Dammhahn, Jürgen Gadau, Marie I. Kaiser, Christian Kandler, Martin Kroh, Oliver Krüger, Joachim Kurtz, Sakari Lemola, John F. Rauthmann, S. Helene Richter, Claudia Voelcker-Rehage, Mitja D. Back","doi":"10.1038/s41562-025-02301-7","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41562-025-02301-7","url":null,"abstract":"Individuals differ considerably in their social behaviour. Recently, various behavioural sciences have begun to acknowledge the systematic nature and high relevance of this individuality, but approaches from different disciplines are currently isolated from each other. We propose an integrative, interdisciplinary approach for a more comprehensive understanding of individuality in social behaviour, considering (1) features (‘What kinds of individual differences exist?’), (2) sources (‘How do these differences emerge within individuals’ social environments?’), and (3) outcomes (‘What are the consequences of these differences, and how can relevant outcomes be changed through tailored interventions?’). We highlight common insights across disciplines, key challenges stemming from discipline-specific approaches, and new potentials enabled through the interdisciplinary approach. By allowing comparative analyses across species, groups of individuals, and contexts, our approach promises to uncover the shared and unique nature of individuality in human social behaviour. We offer concrete recommendations to guide the implementation of the interdisciplinary approach. Individuality in social behaviour is of interest across several academic fields, yet there are many barriers to interdisciplinary efforts. In this Perspective, Kuper et al propose an integrative, interdisciplinary approach, and detail their recommendations for researchers interested in this topic.","PeriodicalId":19074,"journal":{"name":"Nature Human Behaviour","volume":"9 10","pages":"2012-2026"},"PeriodicalIF":15.9,"publicationDate":"2025-10-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145288251","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-13DOI: 10.1038/s41562-025-02321-3
Maria Gelen, Victoria Saint, Hanna Luetke Lanfer
At the World Health Summit, diversity in representation is increasing — but influence remains uneven. Drawing on 11 years of speaker data from one of the most prominent global health forums, we uncover patterns in gender, geography and sector. We propose three areas for future reform to ensure global health platforms move beyond tokenism towards meaningful inclusion and accountability.
{"title":"Power and representation at the World Health Summit","authors":"Maria Gelen, Victoria Saint, Hanna Luetke Lanfer","doi":"10.1038/s41562-025-02321-3","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41562-025-02321-3","url":null,"abstract":"At the World Health Summit, diversity in representation is increasing — but influence remains uneven. Drawing on 11 years of speaker data from one of the most prominent global health forums, we uncover patterns in gender, geography and sector. We propose three areas for future reform to ensure global health platforms move beyond tokenism towards meaningful inclusion and accountability.","PeriodicalId":19074,"journal":{"name":"Nature Human Behaviour","volume":"10 1","pages":"4-6"},"PeriodicalIF":15.9,"publicationDate":"2025-10-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145283547","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-13DOI: 10.1038/s41562-025-02315-1
Jadyn S. Park, Kruthi Gollapudi, Jin Ke, Matthias Nau, Ioannis Pappas, Yuan Chang Leong
Emotional events tend to be vividly remembered. While growing evidence suggests that emotions have their basis in brain-wide network interactions, it is unclear whether and how these whole-brain dynamics contribute to memory encoding. Here we combined functional MRI, graph theory, text analyses and pupillometry in a naturalistic context where participants recalled complex narratives in their own words. Across three independent datasets, emotionally arousing moments during narrative perception were associated with an integrated brain state characterized by increased cohesion across functional modules, which in turn predicted the fidelity of subsequent recall. Network integration mediated the influence of emotional arousal on recall fidelity, with consistent within- and between-network interactions supporting the mediation across datasets. Together, these results suggest that emotional arousal enhances memory encoding via strengthening functional integration across brain networks. Our findings advance a cross-level understanding of emotional memories that bridges large-scale brain network dynamics, affective states and ongoing cognition. Park et al. find that emotionally arousing moments during a narrative are associated with heightened integration across functional brain networks, which in turn predicts how well those moments are subsequently remembered.
{"title":"Emotional arousal enhances narrative memories through functional integration of large-scale brain networks","authors":"Jadyn S. Park, Kruthi Gollapudi, Jin Ke, Matthias Nau, Ioannis Pappas, Yuan Chang Leong","doi":"10.1038/s41562-025-02315-1","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41562-025-02315-1","url":null,"abstract":"Emotional events tend to be vividly remembered. While growing evidence suggests that emotions have their basis in brain-wide network interactions, it is unclear whether and how these whole-brain dynamics contribute to memory encoding. Here we combined functional MRI, graph theory, text analyses and pupillometry in a naturalistic context where participants recalled complex narratives in their own words. Across three independent datasets, emotionally arousing moments during narrative perception were associated with an integrated brain state characterized by increased cohesion across functional modules, which in turn predicted the fidelity of subsequent recall. Network integration mediated the influence of emotional arousal on recall fidelity, with consistent within- and between-network interactions supporting the mediation across datasets. Together, these results suggest that emotional arousal enhances memory encoding via strengthening functional integration across brain networks. Our findings advance a cross-level understanding of emotional memories that bridges large-scale brain network dynamics, affective states and ongoing cognition. Park et al. find that emotionally arousing moments during a narrative are associated with heightened integration across functional brain networks, which in turn predicts how well those moments are subsequently remembered.","PeriodicalId":19074,"journal":{"name":"Nature Human Behaviour","volume":"10 2","pages":"370-383"},"PeriodicalIF":15.9,"publicationDate":"2025-10-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145283546","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-09DOI: 10.1038/s41562-025-02314-2
Karoline B. S. Huth, Jonas M. B. Haslbeck, Sara Keetelaar, Ruth J. van Holst, Maarten Marsman
Psychometric network models have become increasingly popular in psychology and the social sciences as tools to explore multivariate data. In these models, constructs are represented as networks of observed variables, and researchers often interpret the presence or absence of edges as evidence for or against conditional associations between variables. However, the statistical evidence supporting these edges is rarely evaluated. Here we show that a large proportion of reported network findings is based on weak or inconclusive evidence. We reanalysed 293 networks from 126 published papers using a Bayesian approach that quantifies the evidence for each edge. Across the studies, one-third of edges showed inconclusive evidence (1/3 < inclusion Bayes factor (BF10) < 3), about half showed weak evidence (BF10 > 3 or BF10 < 1/3) and fewer than 20% were strongly supported (BF10 > 10 or BF10 < 1/10). Networks based on relatively large sample sizes yielded more-robust results. Our study shows that networks are often supported by too little evidence from the data for the results to be reported with confidence, not meaning that the results are flawed but, rather, suggesting caution in interpreting individual edges. Psychometric network models have become increasingly popular in psychology and the social sciences. Huth et al. show that a large proportion of reported network findings are based on weak or inconclusive evidence inviting caution when interpreting results.
{"title":"Statistical evidence in psychological networks","authors":"Karoline B. S. Huth, Jonas M. B. Haslbeck, Sara Keetelaar, Ruth J. van Holst, Maarten Marsman","doi":"10.1038/s41562-025-02314-2","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41562-025-02314-2","url":null,"abstract":"Psychometric network models have become increasingly popular in psychology and the social sciences as tools to explore multivariate data. In these models, constructs are represented as networks of observed variables, and researchers often interpret the presence or absence of edges as evidence for or against conditional associations between variables. However, the statistical evidence supporting these edges is rarely evaluated. Here we show that a large proportion of reported network findings is based on weak or inconclusive evidence. We reanalysed 293 networks from 126 published papers using a Bayesian approach that quantifies the evidence for each edge. Across the studies, one-third of edges showed inconclusive evidence (1/3 < inclusion Bayes factor (BF10) < 3), about half showed weak evidence (BF10 > 3 or BF10 < 1/3) and fewer than 20% were strongly supported (BF10 > 10 or BF10 < 1/10). Networks based on relatively large sample sizes yielded more-robust results. Our study shows that networks are often supported by too little evidence from the data for the results to be reported with confidence, not meaning that the results are flawed but, rather, suggesting caution in interpreting individual edges. Psychometric network models have become increasingly popular in psychology and the social sciences. Huth et al. show that a large proportion of reported network findings are based on weak or inconclusive evidence inviting caution when interpreting results.","PeriodicalId":19074,"journal":{"name":"Nature Human Behaviour","volume":"10 2","pages":"333-346"},"PeriodicalIF":15.9,"publicationDate":"2025-10-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145258683","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-06DOI: 10.1038/s41562-025-02265-8
Man-pui Sally Chan, Dolores Albarracin
{"title":"Reply to: Corrections are effective for science misinformation","authors":"Man-pui Sally Chan, Dolores Albarracin","doi":"10.1038/s41562-025-02265-8","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41562-025-02265-8","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":19074,"journal":{"name":"Nature Human Behaviour","volume":"9 12","pages":"2461-2470"},"PeriodicalIF":15.9,"publicationDate":"2025-10-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145235543","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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