Nature Human Behaviour

The effects of Facebook and Instagram political advertisements on the 2020 US election Nature Human Behaviour, Published online: 05 March 2026; doi:10.1038/s41562-025-02329-9To study the effects of political advertising, we conducted a field experiment with over 60,000 participants. Removing political advertisements from the Facebook and Instagram feeds of randomly selected participants before the 2020 US election did not have a detectable effect on political knowledge, polarization, turnout or political participation.

The effects of Facebook and Instagram political advertisements on the 2020 US election

Behavioural genetics must prioritize communication Nature Human Behaviour, Published online: 05 March 2026; doi:10.1038/s41562-026-02422-7Behavioural genetics is prone to harmful misinterpretation. To counter this and its consequences, behavioural geneticists must engage with the communities that they serve, and communicate clearly, responsibly and frequently to build and retain trust. It is crucial that this growing field promotes ethical, inclusive discovery.

Behavioural genetics must prioritize communication

Large language models have the potential to level the playing field in consumer financial complaints Nature Human Behaviour, Published online: 04 March 2026; doi:10.1038/s41562-026-02411-wBy analysing 1.13 million complaint narratives submitted to the US Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), we show that large language model (LLM)-assisted complaints surged after the release of ChatGPT and increased the chances of consumers of receiving relief. Furthermore, consumers with unobserved disadvantages in self-advocacy were found to be more likely to adopt LLMs, which highlights a potential for LLM tools to act as an equalizer.

Large language models have the potential to level the playing field in consumer financial complaints

Low fertility may persist and could be good for the economy Nature Human Behaviour, Published online: 02 March 2026; doi:10.1038/s41562-026-02423-6Low fertility may persist and could be good for the economy

Low fertility may persist and could be good for the economy

The conceptual landscape of self-regulation in neurodevelopmental conditions: an overview of reviews Nature Human Behaviour, Published online: 02 March 2026; doi:10.1038/s41562-026-02410-xSelf-regulation is critical yet inconsistently defined across neurodevelopmental conditions (NDCs). This preregistered PRISMA-aligned overview of reviews aimed to (1) review and summarize definitions and models of self-regulation, (2) synthesize key self-regulation-related constructs and (3) identify common self-regulation measures in NDC populations.

The conceptual landscape of self-regulation in neurodevelopmental conditions: an overview of reviews

A crowdsourced megastudy of 12 digital single-session interventions for depression in US adults Nature Human Behaviour, Published online: 02 March 2026; doi:10.1038/s41562-026-02415-6An online experiment compared 12 brief online interventions for depression. Most improved mental health immediately, but these gains decreased over time, with only two interventions significantly reducing depression 4 weeks later.

A crowdsourced megastudy of 12 digital single-session interventions for depression in US adults

The effects of political advertising on Facebook and Instagram before the 2020 US election Nature Human Behaviour, Published online: 02 March 2026; doi:10.1038/s41562-025-02328-wAllcott et al. conducted an experiment in 2020, removing political ads from the feeds of randomly selected Facebook and Instagram users. There were no statistically significant effects on political outcomes such as knowledge, polarization and turnout.

The effects of political advertising on Facebook and Instagram before the 2020 US election

Episodic memory encoding fluctuates at a theta rhythm of 3–10 Hz Nature Human Behaviour, Published online: 02 March 2026; doi:10.1038/s41562-026-02416-5Biba et al. show that episodic memory encoding fluctuates at a theta rhythm of 3–10 Hz.

Episodic memory encoding fluctuates at a theta rhythm of 3–10 Hz

An ancient mass grave reveals targeted killing of women and children in the Early Iron Age Nature Human Behaviour, Published online: 26 February 2026; doi:10.1038/s41562-025-02400-5On discovering that one of the largest prehistoric mass graves of Europe predominantly held violently killed women and children, we used a battery of methods to investigate how this gender-selective and age-selective pattern reflected the strategic disruption of power networks and lineages in the Early Iron Age.

An ancient mass grave reveals targeted killing of women and children in the Early Iron Age

2026 Feb issue

Our February 2026 issue is now live! Check out the table of contents:
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Voices of experience - Nature Human Behaviour Collective knowledge is a human strength. To benefit from the wisdom of experience, we launch a Series of Comments in a dedicated ‘How to’ style. These ‘How to’ Comments provide brief advice and practical recommendations to researchers across the wide spectrum of disciplines covered by the journal.

A new series of 'How to' Comment is now launched! It provides guidance & practical recommendations for topics of broad interest to our readership. Read our editorial about it:

How to foster a supportive research group culture Nature Human Behaviour, Published online: 25 February 2026; doi:10.1038/s41562-026-02407-6A supportive research group culture can help to retain talent, promote well-being and improve academic performance. Here we provide practical guidance for cultivating kindness and constructive communication within academic teams.

How to foster a supportive research group culture

How to research ethically with online data Nature Human Behaviour, Published online: 25 February 2026; doi:10.1038/s41562-026-02408-5Online data offer substantial opportunities for researchers but, despite much discussion in the literature, continue to be accompanied by complex ethical issues. This Comment proposes some pragmatic steps for developing an ethical defence in research that involves this type of data, particularly for researchers new to its use.

How to research ethically with online data

Digital mental health needs a purpose-driven approach Nature Human Behaviour, Published online: 25 February 2026; doi:10.1038/s41562-025-02380-6In this Perspective, Househ et al. examine how digital solutions can address pressing needs in mental healthcare, arguing that a patient-centred approach is crucial.

Digital mental health needs a purpose-driven approach

A large mass grave from the Early Iron Age indicates selective violence towards women and children in the Carpathian Basin Nature Human Behaviour, Published online: 23 February 2026; doi:10.1038/s41562-025-02399-9In this analysis of biomolecular and archaeological data from a ninth-century BCE mass grave in the Carpathian Basin, Fibiger et al. find evidence for the targeted killing of mostly unrelated women and children, challenging views of prehistoric violence.

A large mass grave from the Early Iron Age indicates selective violence towards women and children in the Carpathian Basin

The adoption and efficacy of large language models in US consumer financial complaints - Nature Human Behaviour Using a large-scale dataset of US consumer finance complaints, this study shows that LLM-era AI writing assistance surged and causally increased consumers’ chances of relief, improving textual quality such as clarity and benefiting those least likely to succeed.

The adoption and efficacy of large language models in US consumer financial complaints.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of the proficiency and variability of mathematical ability in populations with autism spectrum disorder - Nature Human Behaviour This systematic review and meta-analysis synthesizes evidence on math ability in autistic individuals relative to the non-autistic population. The findings suggest that individuals with autism spectrum disorder exhibit significantly lower math scores and greater variability compared with non-autistic individuals.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of the proficiency and variability of mathematical ability in populations with autism spectrum disorder.

Why artificial intelligence detectors could penalize academic writing Nature Human Behaviour, Published online: 16 February 2026; doi:10.1038/s41562-026-02420-9Writing produced using artificial intelligence is becoming more common in academia, which has prompted institutions to look for ways to detect it. Bo Hu warns that an overreliance on fixed linguistic markers may push scholars to flatten their writing to avoid claims it is generated by artificial intelligence.

Why artificial intelligence detectors could penalize academic writing

Six reasons to study emotional support from conversational artificial intelligence Nature Human Behaviour, Published online: 13 February 2026; doi:10.1038/s41562-026-02412-9We discuss six reasons why we need to study the emotional support of human–artificial intelligence (AI) interactions, and offer suggestions on future avenues for evidence-based research and policies regarding user-facing conversational AI.

Six reasons to study emotional support from conversational artificial intelligence

The role of context in continuity and segmentation Nature Human Behaviour, Published online: 11 February 2026; doi:10.1038/s41562-026-02403-wAcross three experiments, Baror et al. show that context shifts reduce serial dependence (bias towards prior choices) and shape memory at event boundaries.

The role of context in continuity and segmentation

Caprine dairy exploitation on the Iranian Plateau from the seventh millennium BC Nature Human Behaviour, Published online: 09 February 2026; doi:10.1038/s41562-025-02396-yUsing food residues on pottery vessels and dental calculus, and faunal remains, Casanova et al. find evidence that Neolithic communities in Iran were milking goats or sheep as early as the seventh millennium BC.

Caprine dairy exploitation on the Iranian Plateau from the seventh millennium BC

Humans can use positive and negative spectrotemporal correlations to detect rising and falling pitch Nature Human Behaviour, Published online: 09 February 2026; doi:10.1038/s41562-025-02371-7Vaziri et al. examined how humans detect changes in auditory pitch, revealing that listeners rely on correlations in sound intensity over frequency and time, processing that is reminiscent of visual motion detection.

Humans can use positive and negative spectrotemporal correlations to detect rising and falling pitch

Language barriers and the speed of international knowledge diffusion Nature Human Behaviour, Published online: 06 February 2026; doi:10.1038/s41562-025-02367-3Language barriers hinder technical knowledge diffusion. Higham and Nagaoka show that a US patent policy change reduced the lag in US citations of Japanese patents, particularly for firms with limited translation ability and for high-quality inventions.

Language barriers and the speed of international knowledge diffusion

How personalized disaster warnings can save lives Nature Human Behaviour, Published online: 05 February 2026; doi:10.1038/s41562-026-02405-8Natural hazards claim thousands of lives annually, yet warnings often fail to compel action. This is not just a technological issue but also a communication failure. The next leap in disaster risk reduction must be psychological and social: transforming warnings into personalized, actionable messages that are tailored to individuals’ needs.

How personalized disaster warnings can save lives

Social safety nets, women’s economic achievements and agency in 45 countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis Nature Human Behaviour, Published online: 05 February 2026; doi:10.1038/s41562-025-02394-0This meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials indicates that social safety nets can improve women’s economic achievements and agency. Pooled treatment effects are largest for unconditional cash transfers, public work programmes, social care services and asset transfers.

Social safety nets, women’s economic achievements and agency in 45 countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Hybrid neural–cognitive models reveal how memory shapes human reward learning Nature Human Behaviour, Published online: 05 February 2026; doi:10.1038/s41562-025-02324-0Using artificial neural networks applied to human data, Eckstein et al. show that good models of reinforcement learning require memory components that track representations of the past.

Hybrid neural–cognitive models reveal how memory shapes human reward learning

Why single-item measures of wellbeing are best Nature Human Behaviour, Published online: 02 February 2026; doi:10.1038/s41562-026-02401-yWhy single-item measures of wellbeing are best

Why single-item measures of wellbeing are best

Political action is now crucial for US scientists Nature Human Behaviour, Published online: 02 February 2026; doi:10.1038/s41562-026-02406-7Political action is now crucial for US scientists

Political action is now crucial for US scientists

Generative AI predicts personality traits on the basis of open-ended narratives Nature Human Behaviour, Published online: 02 February 2026; doi:10.1038/s41562-025-02397-xWe show that widely available large language models (LLMs) can — out of the box — accurately score people’s personality traits on the basis of their brief, open-ended narratives. LLM ratings converged with self-reports, predicted daily behaviour and mental health, and outperformed traditional language processing methods. Thus, use of LLM tools emerges as an accurate, scalable and efficient approach to assessing arbitrary psychological constructs.

Generative AI predicts personality traits on the basis of open-ended narratives

The tension between big team science and colonial power dynamics Nature Human Behaviour, Published online: 02 February 2026; doi:10.1038/s41562-026-02404-9Big team science promises to globalize the social behavioural sciences. However, without structural reform, it will reproduce a research model in which data are gathered globally but intellectual power stays centralized. Justice, rather than symbolic inclusion, must define the future of collaboration.

The tension between big team science and colonial power dynamics