Comment in 2024

The EU commission’s Digital Services Act aims to protect children and adolescents from psychological harm on social media platforms. This initiative needs to be carried out in close cooperation between the EU commission and independent academics.

A priori sampling decisions often constrain which age groups are tested in particular developmental studies, which can profoundly shape inferences about developmental change. Thus, it is important to pull back the curtain on what drives these decisions.

Establishing causality is crucial to understanding the mechanisms that underlie effective treatments for mental health disorders. Virtual reality environments enable manipulation and control of participants’ attributes in a therapeutic session, which could potentially revolutionize research on mechanisms of change.

Multifaceted challenges hinder the establishment and growth of psychology research careers in European countries. Improving job security and ensuring fair compensation will increase the quality of research globally and strengthen psychological science.

Graduate students in psychology need hands-on support to conduct research using quantitative techniques that exceed their curricular training. Where supervisors are not willing or able to provide this support, student-led projects must be redesigned to leverage basic statistical skills learned in the classroom.