With more individuals turning to AI-generated tools for psychological support, we aim to study the efficacy of mental health interventions that are designed by AI software. Mindfulness-based meditation is such an intervention tool that has been shown to reduce anxiety through affective regulation (Hofman & Gomez, 2017). This study investigates whether AI-generated mindfulness meditation, compared to human-generated meditation, can influence anxiety levels in college students. In a between-subjects design, participants were randomly assigned to one of four conditions varying by script (AI vs. human) and voice (AI vs. human). Each condition consisted of a 5 minute mindfulness audio. Anxiety levels were assessed before and after the meditation. Data collection is ongoing, with a target sample of 300 undergraduates. Previous research has shown that AI chatbots produce small to modest effects in stress reduction (Bai et. al, 2020). We hypothesize that AI-generated scripts and AI-delivered voices will produce smaller reductions in anxiety compared to human-generated scripts and human-delivered voices. Findings will clarify whether content and delivery methods significantly impact anxiety levels and if fully AI-delivered mindfulness meditation may be less effective at reducing anxiety. Overall, this research will investigate AI’s effectiveness in delivering psychological support and how emerging digital mental-health technologies can be better understood and discussed.

American female adolescents in the United States face intersecting public health challenges, including elevated rates of mental health disorders, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and teen pregnancy. Delayed, inconsistent, and inaccurate contraceptive use links these crises, by increasing vulnerabilities to STIs and unintended teen pregnancy due to mental health–related barriers such as reduced help-seeking, limited insight into one’s condition, and decisional ambivalence. Using a literature review approach of peer-reviewed articles, journalistic sources and public health data, this study examines how these factors are exacerbated by gaps in secondary sexual education and exposure to misinformation. Findings indicate that insufficient and non-comprehensive sexual health education in schools, coupled with exposure to misleading information about contraceptives through informal sources, contributes to increased vulnerability among adolescents, particularly those experiencing mental health challenges. These results support the need for an integrated, evidence-based sexual education curriculum that discusses the range of contraceptive methods available, addresses emotional and social effects of sexual behavior, and involves collaboration among educators, healthcare professionals, and community resources. Overall, the findings highlight the need to reframe sex education as a collaborative effort supported by all community members to promote youth health and well-being.

Correlational studies show that differential preparedness may influence grades, though other factors often complicate clear attribution. We compared two groups of seniors at UCLA who differed in prior exposure to neuroanatomy, but were otherwise similar. Neuroscience majors had completed a full neuroanatomy course, whereas Psychobiology majors had minimal exposure. Two cohorts were assessed at four timepoints: pretest, immediate posttest, delayed posttest, and on summative exam questions. In both cohorts, Neuroscience majors scored significantly higher on the pretest, but the gap narrowed after instruction continued until there was little or no difference in accuracy. Interestingly, we hypothesized that this catch-up effect might be explained by a construct called Grit (sustained interest and effort). After administering the Grit scale, Psychobiology and Neuroscience majors didn’t differ in their Grit levels, nor did the Grit scale predict performance on the summative assessment for either group. Overall, these findings suggest that while prior exposure to material provides advantages when assessed early, subsequent instruction overcame the disadvantage. Thus, learning environments that encourage effort and persistence can effectively reduce initial performance disparities. Nonetheless, pre-exposure did result in sustained greater fluency (being faster to answer correctly). So if a society values having the right answer faster, differential preparedness confers a lasting advantage.

Emerging adulthood (EA) is a critical developmental stage that shapes trajectories for long-term health outcomes, yet it is also marked by a high prevalence of social anxiety. Intolerance of ambiguity may increase risk for developing social anxiety during EA – a period characterized by increased independence in novel contexts. Use of emotion regulation (ER) strategies may buffer against such risk, given that distinct ER strategies have been differentially associated with social anxiety symptoms. Prior research has not explored how ER strategies may moderate associations between ambiguity intolerance and social anxiety. Therefore, the present study aims to examine how employing specific ER strategies may moderate potential links between ambiguity tolerance and social anxiety in EA. Self-report questionnaires assessing social anxiety symptoms, ambiguity tolerance, and ER strategy use were administered to 101 first-year UCLA undergraduates. We expect that (1) lower ambiguity tolerance will be associated with greater social anxiety symptoms in EA and (2) greater usage of cognitive reappraisal will buffer the link between ambiguity intolerance and social anxiety, whereas expressive suppression will intensify this association. Findings may suggest that ER strategies can serve as a modifiable interactive factor buffering against social anxiety risk in EA, hinting that interventions targeting ER skills early can improve and promote stronger long-term mental health outcomes.