Pub Date : 2026-03-16DOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2026.102302
Shane McLoughlin
Contemporary psychotherapy often anchors its practice to the shifting sands of subjective experience. This foregrounds values in an already politically homogenous field, which inadvertently systematises bias in training and practice. Postmodern and constructivist zeitgeists encourage this drift; such influences distance the discipline from its objective and scientific foundations. I propose that we must exchange nebulous personal values for a rigorous, functional conception of virtue to preserve the integrity of the clinical field. By normatively extending Skinner's taxonomy of behavioural selection, I distinguish the biological "is" of our phylogenetic inheritance from the functional "oughts" which direct and indirect environments impose, per the Cultivating Individual Virtue In Context (CIVIC) model. When applied to psychotherapy, this framework offers a normatively bounded basis for flourishing that remains externally evaluable while nonetheless preserving self-determination. This ensures that clinical practice remains a truth-oriented applied science which recognises that not all values are equally conducive to flourishing.
{"title":"Why psychotherapy must exchange personal values for functional virtues.","authors":"Shane McLoughlin","doi":"10.1016/j.copsyc.2026.102302","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2026.102302","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Contemporary psychotherapy often anchors its practice to the shifting sands of subjective experience. This foregrounds values in an already politically homogenous field, which inadvertently systematises bias in training and practice. Postmodern and constructivist zeitgeists encourage this drift; such influences distance the discipline from its objective and scientific foundations. I propose that we must exchange nebulous personal values for a rigorous, functional conception of virtue to preserve the integrity of the clinical field. By normatively extending Skinner's taxonomy of behavioural selection, I distinguish the biological \"is\" of our phylogenetic inheritance from the functional \"oughts\" which direct and indirect environments impose, per the Cultivating Individual Virtue In Context (CIVIC) model. When applied to psychotherapy, this framework offers a normatively bounded basis for flourishing that remains externally evaluable while nonetheless preserving self-determination. This ensures that clinical practice remains a truth-oriented applied science which recognises that not all values are equally conducive to flourishing.</p>","PeriodicalId":48279,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Psychology","volume":"70 ","pages":"102302"},"PeriodicalIF":6.9,"publicationDate":"2026-03-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147515761","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-03-13DOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2026.102301
Shauna M. Bowes, Cory J. Clark
{"title":"Rebuilding Trust in CBT: Intellectual Humility and Multicultural Competencies as Responses to Political Criticism","authors":"Shauna M. Bowes, Cory J. Clark","doi":"10.1016/j.copsyc.2026.102301","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2026.102301","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":48279,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Psychology","volume":"126 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.9,"publicationDate":"2026-03-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147448477","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-25DOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2026.102289
William Hirst, Alin Coman
{"title":"Corrigendum to ‘Building a collective memory: the case for collective forgetting’ [Current Opinion in Psychology 23 (2018) 88–92]","authors":"William Hirst, Alin Coman","doi":"10.1016/j.copsyc.2026.102289","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2026.102289","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":48279,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Psychology","volume":"12 1","pages":"102289"},"PeriodicalIF":5.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147351266","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-01Epub Date: 2025-08-21DOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2025.102152
Andrea W.M. Evers
The nocebo effect, negative treatment outcomes arising from patient expectations, therapeutic context, or clinician communication, plays a possibly significant yet often underestimated role in psychotherapy. Drawing on recent empirical and theoretical contributions, possible mechanisms how nocebo effects occur and can be attenuated in psychotherapeutic practice are discussed. Nocebo effects may arise from therapist communication, previous treatment failures, adverse therapeutic dynamics, poorly managed expectations, social influences outside the therapy, or context factors elements such as waiting lists. Strategies for mitigating such effects include, for example, empathic engagement, expectation management, and reconditioning of previous negative treatment experiences in clinical settings.
{"title":"The nocebo effect in psychotherapy","authors":"Andrea W.M. Evers","doi":"10.1016/j.copsyc.2025.102152","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.copsyc.2025.102152","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The nocebo effect, negative treatment outcomes arising from patient expectations, therapeutic context, or clinician communication, plays a possibly significant yet often underestimated role in psychotherapy. Drawing on recent empirical and theoretical contributions, possible mechanisms how nocebo effects occur and can be attenuated in psychotherapeutic practice are discussed. Nocebo effects may arise from therapist communication, previous treatment failures, adverse therapeutic dynamics, poorly managed expectations, social influences outside the therapy, or context factors elements such as waiting lists. Strategies for mitigating such effects include, for example, empathic engagement, expectation management, and reconditioning of previous negative treatment experiences in clinical settings.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48279,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Psychology","volume":"67 ","pages":"Article 102152"},"PeriodicalIF":6.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144899766","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-01Epub Date: 2025-09-29DOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2025.102187
Thomas van der Velde , Johanna Swartswe , Koen Schruers , Teresa Schuhmann
Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a non-invasive treatment for psychiatric and neurological disorders, especially major depressive disorder. While generally well-tolerated and associated with fewer side effects than pharmacological alternatives, TMS is not without risks. Common adverse effects include transient headaches, scalp discomfort, nausea, and dizziness. Seizures, the most serious event, are rare (7 per 100,000 sessions) and typically occur early in treatment among high-risk individuals. Psychological side effects, particularly nocebo responses, are underexplored and warrant attention due to their potential impact. Cognitive side effects are rare and typically mild or transient, with some evidence of cognitive benefit in specific protocols. With expanding clinical use, standardized monitoring tools and open-access registries are needed to ensure accurate reporting and transparency.
{"title":"Monitoring adverse effects in TMS: From controlled trials to clinical reality","authors":"Thomas van der Velde , Johanna Swartswe , Koen Schruers , Teresa Schuhmann","doi":"10.1016/j.copsyc.2025.102187","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.copsyc.2025.102187","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a non-invasive treatment for psychiatric and neurological disorders, especially major depressive disorder. While generally well-tolerated and associated with fewer side effects than pharmacological alternatives, TMS is not without risks. Common adverse effects include transient headaches, scalp discomfort, nausea, and dizziness. Seizures, the most serious event, are rare (7 per 100,000 sessions) and typically occur early in treatment among high-risk individuals. Psychological side effects, particularly nocebo responses, are underexplored and warrant attention due to their potential impact. Cognitive side effects are rare and typically mild or transient, with some evidence of cognitive benefit in specific protocols. With expanding clinical use, standardized monitoring tools and open-access registries are needed to ensure accurate reporting and transparency.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48279,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Psychology","volume":"67 ","pages":"Article 102187"},"PeriodicalIF":6.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145242032","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-01Epub Date: 2025-10-31DOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2025.102206
Marlene Sophie Altenmüller
Revealing “the person behind the science” (i.e., personal self-disclosure) is common advice for science communicators to bridge a stereotypical distance, foster trust, and communicate effectively. A review of the literature, however, paints a disenchanting picture: Self-disclosure in science communication is a trade-off. While having the potential to increase warmth-related perceptions (e.g., closeness, benevolence, liking), it also comes at the cost of decreasing competence-related perceptions (e.g., expertise). Overall, these ambivalent effects result in lacking downstream impact (e.g., on behavioral intentions, funding and policy support) and might even bear risks. Altogether, empirical findings question the value of this popular practical recommendation and highlight the need for theory-driven, evidence-based research in science communication.
{"title":"Personal disclosure in science communication","authors":"Marlene Sophie Altenmüller","doi":"10.1016/j.copsyc.2025.102206","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.copsyc.2025.102206","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Revealing “the person behind the science” (i.e., personal self-disclosure) is common advice for science communicators to bridge a stereotypical distance, foster trust, and communicate effectively. A review of the literature, however, paints a disenchanting picture: Self-disclosure in science communication is a trade-off. While having the potential to increase warmth-related perceptions (e.g., closeness, benevolence, liking), it also comes at the cost of decreasing competence-related perceptions (e.g., expertise). Overall, these ambivalent effects result in lacking downstream impact (e.g., on behavioral intentions, funding and policy support) and might even bear risks. Altogether, empirical findings question the value of this popular practical recommendation and highlight the need for theory-driven, evidence-based research in science communication.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48279,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Psychology","volume":"67 ","pages":"Article 102206"},"PeriodicalIF":6.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145424228","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-01Epub Date: 2025-10-15DOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2025.102196
Lucy Foulkes, Carolina Guzman Holst, Jack L. Andrews
Universal school-based mental health interventions involve lessons delivered to whole classes of young people irrespective of need, with the overall aim of improving mental health literacy, preventing mental health problems and/or reducing those that have already started. A number of high-quality trials show that universal interventions can have a range of negative effects, with participants in the intervention group experiencing worsening mental health or other negative outcomes. In this review, we summarise what we know so far about these negative effects, which we refer to as ‘potential harm’. Two important questions remain poorly understood. First, the mechanisms driving potential harm are unknown, including whether negative effects are driven by reporting phenomena, the content of the intervention itself, or both. Second, individual differences in susceptibility to these effects is unclear. In the second half of the paper, we explore whether further universal trials should be run and argue that, if they are, the crucial issue of negative effects must be considered at all stages. In particular, we recommend that trials be designed in such a way to test mechanisms and individual differences in response. Information can then be provided to schools and policymakers about why young people might respond in different ways to an intervention, and how to support vulnerable students. Ultimately, this will lead to more effective and less harmful interventions for everyone.
{"title":"Potential harm from universal school-based mental health interventions: Candidate mechanisms and future directions","authors":"Lucy Foulkes, Carolina Guzman Holst, Jack L. Andrews","doi":"10.1016/j.copsyc.2025.102196","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.copsyc.2025.102196","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Universal school-based mental health interventions involve lessons delivered to whole classes of young people irrespective of need, with the overall aim of improving mental health literacy, preventing mental health problems and/or reducing those that have already started. A number of high-quality trials show that universal interventions can have a range of negative effects, with participants in the intervention group experiencing worsening mental health or other negative outcomes. In this review, we summarise what we know so far about these negative effects, which we refer to as ‘potential harm’. Two important questions remain poorly understood. First, the mechanisms driving potential harm are unknown, including whether negative effects are driven by reporting phenomena, the content of the intervention itself, or both. Second, individual differences in susceptibility to these effects is unclear. In the second half of the paper, we explore whether further universal trials should be run and argue that, if they are, the crucial issue of negative effects must be considered at all stages. In particular, we recommend that trials be designed in such a way to test mechanisms and individual differences in response. Information can then be provided to schools and policymakers about why young people might respond in different ways to an intervention, and how to support vulnerable students. Ultimately, this will lead to more effective and less harmful interventions for everyone.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48279,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Psychology","volume":"67 ","pages":"Article 102196"},"PeriodicalIF":6.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145379440","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-01Epub Date: 2025-09-20DOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2025.102181
G. Hochman , T. Kalagy , S. Malul , R. Yosef
Willful ignorance is the motivated avoidance of information. This robust behavioral tendency is typically explained through individual psychological mechanisms like self-image protection, emotional regulation, and moral leniency. However, existing theories underemphasize the social, cultural, and institutional contexts that fundamentally shape what people choose not to know. Drawing on extant literature and cross-cultural data from pension planning in Israel's three primary sociocultural groups, we demonstrate that willful ignorance often functions as a socially embedded practice, not merely an individual bias. For marginalized communities, such avoidance may represent adaptive responses to structural barriers, distrust, and cultural misalignment. To account for these dynamics, we propose the Sociocultural Architecture Model of Willful Ignorance. This integrative framework conceptualizes the meaning and adaptive function of willful ignorance as emerging from the interplay of individual, emotional, cultural, and structural factors. Addressing these factors is crucial for designing interventions that provide genuine inclusion for all.
{"title":"Choosing not to know: The emotional and sociocultural architecture of pension willful ignorance","authors":"G. Hochman , T. Kalagy , S. Malul , R. Yosef","doi":"10.1016/j.copsyc.2025.102181","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.copsyc.2025.102181","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Willful ignorance is the motivated avoidance of information. This robust behavioral tendency is typically explained through individual psychological mechanisms like self-image protection, emotional regulation, and moral leniency. However, existing theories underemphasize the social, cultural, and institutional contexts that fundamentally shape what people choose not to know. Drawing on extant literature and cross-cultural data from pension planning in Israel's three primary sociocultural groups, we demonstrate that willful ignorance often functions as a socially embedded practice, not merely an individual bias. For marginalized communities, such avoidance may represent adaptive responses to structural barriers, distrust, and cultural misalignment. To account for these dynamics, we propose the Sociocultural Architecture Model of Willful Ignorance. This integrative framework conceptualizes the meaning and adaptive function of willful ignorance as emerging from the interplay of individual, emotional, cultural, and structural factors. Addressing these factors is crucial for designing interventions that provide genuine inclusion for all.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48279,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Psychology","volume":"67 ","pages":"Article 102181"},"PeriodicalIF":6.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145181234","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-01Epub Date: 2025-09-18DOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2025.102179
Paula Pyrcz , Marta Marchlewska , Piotr Michalski
This article proposes a theoretical model linking collective narcissism, need for cognitive closure, and willful ignorance as important mechanisms driving intergroup bias and conspiracy beliefs. The model suggests that individuals strongly identified with their group in a narcissistic way are motivated to avoid information threatening ingroup image, especially when they also seek cognitive certainty. This deliberate ignorance serves to protect group image and reinforce prejudice. The framework applies symmetrically to both religious (Catholics) and non-religious (atheists) groups, highlighting a universal psychological mechanism. Secure group identification, in contrast, is posited to buffer against these effects.
{"title":"Blinded by bad identity: The role of collective narcissism, need for cognitive closure and willful ignorance in fostering intergroup bias and hostility among Catholics and atheists","authors":"Paula Pyrcz , Marta Marchlewska , Piotr Michalski","doi":"10.1016/j.copsyc.2025.102179","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.copsyc.2025.102179","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This article proposes a theoretical model linking collective narcissism, need for cognitive closure, and willful ignorance as important mechanisms driving intergroup bias and conspiracy beliefs. The model suggests that individuals strongly identified with their group in a narcissistic way are motivated to avoid information threatening ingroup image, especially when they also seek cognitive certainty. This deliberate ignorance serves to protect group image and reinforce prejudice. The framework applies symmetrically to both religious (Catholics) and non-religious (atheists) groups, highlighting a universal psychological mechanism. Secure group identification, in contrast, is posited to buffer against these effects.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48279,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Psychology","volume":"67 ","pages":"Article 102179"},"PeriodicalIF":6.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145181236","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-01Epub Date: 2025-10-01DOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2025.102188
María Rodríguez-Moneo , Mario Carretero , María Gutiérrez-Cano
This article reflects on present and past objectives of history education. Also, we analyze two main educational trends in history teaching and learning, historical thinking and historical consciousness. Different types of historical knowledge and historical narratives taught at schools are also considered as well as the impact that different educational objectives have on students learning. Finally, some challenges to improve history education in the future are presented.
{"title":"History education: Past, present, and challenges for the future","authors":"María Rodríguez-Moneo , Mario Carretero , María Gutiérrez-Cano","doi":"10.1016/j.copsyc.2025.102188","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.copsyc.2025.102188","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This article reflects on present and past objectives of history education. Also, we analyze two main educational trends in history teaching and learning, historical thinking and historical consciousness. Different types of historical knowledge and historical narratives taught at schools are also considered as well as the impact that different educational objectives have on students learning. Finally, some challenges to improve history education in the future are presented.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48279,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Psychology","volume":"67 ","pages":"Article 102188"},"PeriodicalIF":6.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145261722","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"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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