Performing at your best when it matters most is something a lot of people struggle with. You can prepare for days, even weeks, but the moment you step on stage, walk into an interview, or face a big audience, things shift. Suddenly, what felt solid in practice starts to slip. I’m Dr. Oksana Komarenko. I teach at Ball State University, and I’m also an opera singer. I know what it’s like to face high-pressure moments. During my first major solo recital, my hands started shaking so badly I could barely control them. Everything I had rehearsed felt just out of reach. And I’m not the only one. Research shows that over 77 percent of performers experience the same thing when the pressure is on.

Employers and other decision makers typically use interviews to make their final decision on candidates applying for important positions. The process begins by reviewing resumes, and checking references, before the final and typically most important act, the interview. Within mere minutes, an interviewer can form a strong impression of a candidate. For instance, this may run along the lines of “this person seems confident, articulate, and driven” or “this person does not represent themselves well, and likely won’t be a good fit”. By the end, the interviewer may feel that they truly understand the candidate. But what if that feeling is just an illusion? This is the question tackled by Prof. Jason Dana of Yale University and his colleagues in their research on unstructured interviews. Their findings challenge one of the most common hiring and admissions practices: the belief that sitting down with a candidate and having a free-flowing conversation reveals valuable insight. In reality, their study suggests that unstructured interviews often do more harm than good, leading decision-makers to rely on misleading impressions rather than objective facts.

Research by Professor Joanne Wood at the University of Waterloo reveals how self-esteem influences romantic relationships through a chain of psychological and behavioral effects. Their work challenges simple explanations and demonstrates how one partner’s self-worth can create ripple effects that impact both partners’ relationship satisfaction.

Research by Professor Denise Troutman at Michigan State University examines how race, gender, and social context shape perceptions of politeness and impoliteness in language, particularly focusing on the term ‘sassy’ when applied to African American women and girls. The research challenges traditional theories of politeness and reveals a need for cultural contextualizations to avert harmful stereotypes.

In many regions around the globe, common mental health issues are cloaked in secrecy by those who experience them, and are frequently stigmatized and misunderstood by others. This is a particularly serious issue in conservative communities, where cultural and religious values have significant effects on the provision and use of appropriate mental health care resources. In a new mini-review article published in the journal Frontiers in Public Health, Dr. Mabrouka Abuhmida, Dr. Wendy Booth and Dr. Felix Anyanwu of the University of South Wales in the UK, have explored this critical topic, revealing the damaging impact of stigma in such communities, and exploring new solutions to enable adequate mental healthcare in this context.

Research by Professor Will Greaves at the University of Victoria examines how the Trump presidency has impacted the long-standing security relationship between Canada and the United States. His analysis reveals concerning shifts in the foundations of bilateral cooperation and trust between these traditionally close allies, with implications for the future of North American security arrangements.

Research by Dr. Anne Hultgren and colleagues at the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation demonstrates that blinding reviewers to applicants’ institutional affiliations (also known as dual-anonymous reviews) leads to more equitable distribution of research funding opportunities. Their study reveals how removing identifying information helps overcome unconscious biases toward prestigious universities in grant review processes.

Research by Professor Magnus S. Magnusson at the University of Iceland demonstrates surprising similarities between the organization of cellular protein networks and of human societies. He reveals how the invention of writing and, very recently, general education, transformed human civilization in ways that mirror ancient biological developments and emphasises how this makes humans unique.

Racist encounters, both subtle and overt, continue to plague society and take a severe toll on the mental and physical health of people of colour. However, innovative research shows how we can equip youth and adults with the skills to navigate these stressful situations and emerge stronger. Dr. Howard Stevenson and his team at the University of Pennsylvania are pioneering new approaches to help people cope with racial trauma and find their voice.

Humans aren’t the only species that use tools, many animals do. Our closest relatives, the great apes, have long been known for their intelligence and ability to manipulate objects in their environment. Among the great apes, orangutans stand out for their complex tool use, which may hold important clues about how early human technologies evolved. A recent Outlook article authored by Dr. Robert Shumaker and Dr. Christopher Martin, both of the Indianapolis Zoo, delves into the existing research into ways that orangutans use stone tools, exploring the cognitive processes behind this behavior and what it can tell us about human evolution.