http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/mind_brain/psychology/ Psychology news. Read today's psychology research on relationships, happiness, memory, behavioral problems, dreams and more. Also, psychology studies comparing humans to apes. en-us Mon, 09 Nov 2009 04:05:01 EST Mon, 09 Nov 2009 04:05:01 EST 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/mind_brain/psychology/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029211543.htm Women who used psychiatric medication during pregnancy have triple the odds of delivering prematurely. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029211543.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029151445.htm People who become ill from harmless smells are not being silly, says a researcher. Rather, they perceive these smells differently than other people. The smell is detected more rapidly by the brain and processed more deeply. If you expect to become ill from a smell, then the smell in question might really make you ill. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029151445.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102172249.htm New research provides a comprehensive comparative functional anatomy study in human and monkey brains which reveals highly similar brain networks preserved across evolution. Scientists examined patterns of connectivity to show that the precuneus, long thought to be a single structure, is actually divided into four distinct functional regions. Sun, 08 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102172249.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091106145304.htm Depression and other emotional symptoms in survivors of torture and other traumatic experiences may be exacerbated by the effects of head injuries, according to a new study. The researchers found structural changes in the brains of former South Vietnamese political detainees who had suffered head injuries and clearly linked those changes to psychiatric symptoms often seen in survivors of torture. Sun, 08 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091106145304.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104101553.htm Research in the UK into the finger length of primate species has revealed that cooperative behavior is linked to exposure to hormone levels in the womb. Sat, 07 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104101553.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091105132448.htm Common experience tells us that particular scents of childhood can leave quite an impression, for better or for worse. Now, researchers reporting the results of a brain imaging study show that first scents really do enjoy a "privileged" status in the brain. Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091105132448.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104123025.htm Most weight-control strategies emphasize energy-restricted diets and increased physical activity -- and most are not effective over the long term. In a study of a "weight-acceptance" intervention, researchers found that there could be long-term beneficial effects on certain eating behaviors using a weight-acceptance intervention approach. Thu, 05 Nov 2009 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104123025.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104122520.htm What do patients want from their radiation oncologists? The most significant preference is that more than one-third of female cancer patients (37 percent) prefer to have their hands held by their radiation oncologists during important office visits, compared to 12 percent of men, according to a randomized study. Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104122520.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091105092607.htm From their very first days, newborns' cries already bear the mark of the language their parents speak, reveals a new study. The findings suggest that infants begin picking up elements of what will be their first language in the womb, and certainly long before their first babble or coo. Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091105092607.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104161837.htm Two findings from a new national study reveal the power of mentors, particularly those in the teaching profession: for all teen students, having an adult mentor meant a 50 percent greater likelihood of attending college; for disadvantaged students, mentorship by a teacher nearly doubled the odds of attending college. Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104161837.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104091724.htm Literary Arabic is expressed in the brain of an Arabic speaker as a second language and not as a mother tongue, according to a new study. The research offers an explanation for the objective and day-to-day difficulties that confront Arabic-speaking students when attempting to learn to read the non-spoken language. Thu, 05 Nov 2009 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104091724.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102172441.htm Learning to talk also changes the way speech sounds are heard, according to a new study. The findings could have a major impact on improving speech disorders. Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102172441.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104091726.htm Use of cannabinoids (marijuana) could assist in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder patients, according to a new study. Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104091726.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091103112253.htm First impressions do matter when it comes to communicating personality through appearance, according to new research. Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091103112253.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091103102252.htm By building a tiny microscope small enough to be carried around on a rat's head, scientists in Germany have found a way to study the complex activity of many brain cells simultaneously while animals are free to move around. With this new technology scientists can actually see how the brain cells operate while the animal is behaving naturally, giving rise to immense new insights into the understanding of perception and attention. Wed, 04 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091103102252.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102121634.htm Scientists are beginning a clinical trial of a potential medication designed to correct a central neurochemical defect underlying Fragile X syndrome, the most common inherited cause of intellectual disability. There has to date been no medication that could alter the disorder's neurologic abnormalities. The study will evaluate safety, tolerability and optimal dosage in healthy volunteers. Wed, 04 Nov 2009 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102121634.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104140820.htm Florists and other retailers who sell flowers are helped by a recent study designed to evaluate the differences in floral consumption across consumer groups. "Showing care to others" was found to be a very important value that strongly influenced flower purchases. Researchers also noted that those who bought flowers frequently (heavy users) are more emotionally stimulated by flowers, leading to them to look for more novelty and variety when purchasing flowers. Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104140820.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102171557.htm Researchers have identified a part of the brain that responds to both facial and vocal expressions of emotion. They used the MagnetoEncephaloGraphic (MEG) scanner at the York Neuroimaging Centre to test responses in a region of the brain known as the posterior superior temporal sulcus. Tue, 03 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102171557.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102121718.htm Adults who had experienced physical abuse as children have 56 percent higher odds of osteoarthritis compared to those who have not been abused, according to a new study. Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102121718.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102171720.htm More than 25 years after myths about gifted education were first explored, they are all still with us and new ones have been added, according to new research. Mon, 02 Nov 2009 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102171720.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102085817.htm Brain tumors in childhood cast a long shadow on survivors. The first study of the lasting impact of these tumors -- the most common solid malignancies in childhood -- shows that survivors have ongoing cognitive problems. They also have lower levels of education, employment and income than their siblings and survivors of other types of cancer, according to a new article. Mon, 02 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102085817.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102085827.htm Holding on to hope may not make patients happier as they deal with chronic illness or diseases, new research shows. Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102085827.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091031002321.htm Saturated fats have a deservedly bad reputation, but scientists have discovered that a sticky lipid occurring naturally at high levels in the brain may help us memorize grandma's recipe for cinnamon buns, as well as recall how, decades ago, she served them up steaming from the oven. Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091031002321.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091101132535.htm A new study shows that sleep deprivation causes some people to shift from a more automatic, implicit process of information categorization (information-integration) to a more controlled, explicit process (rule-based). This use of rule-based strategies in a task in which information-integration strategies are optimal can lead to potentially devastating errors when quick and accurate categorization is fundamental to survival. Mon, 02 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091101132535.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091031002319.htm Angry words and gestures are not the only way to get a sense of how temperamental a person is. According to new findings, a quick glance at someone's facial structure may be enough for us to predict their tendency towards aggression. Mon, 02 Nov 2009 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091031002319.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102172041.htm A new study suggests that the inner sense of our cardiovascular state, our "interoceptive awareness" of the heart pounding, relies on two independent pathways, contrary to what had been asserted by prominent researchers. Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102172041.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102121630.htm A new study is taking a closer look at the benefits vs. risks for lung cancer patients to undergo preventative brain radiation therapy as a means to stop cancer from spreading to the brain. Study results show that while preventative brain radiation for patients with nonsmall cell lung cancer -- the most common form of lung cancer -- does reduce the chance of developing brain metastases, it impacts some short-term and long-term memory. Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102121630.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091030100018.htm Stress-evoked changes in circuits that regulate serotonin in certain parts of the brain can precipitate a low mood and a relapse of cocaine-seeking, based on mouse studies. Sat, 31 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091030100018.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091030125044.htm New research suggests that regardless of sexual orientation, men prefer sexual dimorphism in faces. This study finds that gay men preferred the most masculine-faced men, while straight men preferred the most feminine-faced women. The findings suggest that regardless of sexual orientation, men's brains are wired for attraction to sexually dimorphic faces -- those with facial features that are most synonymous with their gender. Sat, 31 Oct 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091030125044.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091028090659.htm A genetic tendency to depression is much less likely to be realized in a culture centered on collectivistic rather than individualistic values, according to a new study. In other words, a genetic vulnerability to depression is much more likely to be realized in a Western culture than an East Asian culture that is more about we than me-me-me. The study takes a global look at mental health across social groups and nations. Fri, 30 Oct 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091028090659.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026105746.htm Imagine: during lunch your colleague throws an apple to you. You catch it (of course) without difficulty. But what actually happened? Did you consciously decide to catch the apple with two hands? And how did your hands know where they had to be to catch the apple? According to a Dutch researcher, you can catch an apple like this thanks to the close cooperation between two separate visual systems. He has now established for the first time how these areas cooperate. Fri, 30 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026105746.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029141223.htm The so-called "silver spoon" effect -- in which wealth is passed down from one generation to another -- is well established in some of the world's most ancient economies, according to anthropologists. Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029141223.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091028112751.htm Research in Spain reveals that schoolchildren see the victims as "passive persons and socially incompetent", and the abusers as "strong, brave and extrovert individuals." Fri, 30 Oct 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091028112751.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091031002504.htm Social media sites, armed with the power of instant advocacy, have ushered in the era of "Community Relations 2.0," according to researchers. It's time for American businesses to evaluate the risks and rewards online communities like Facebook and Twitter present and devote social media teams to this rapidly changing landscape of community engagement. Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091031002504.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091030105026.htm Inflammatory response of brain cells -- as indicated by a molecular imaging technique -- could tell researchers more about why certain neurologic disorders, such as migraine headaches and psychosis in schizophrenic patients, occur and provide insight into how to best treat them, according to two new studies. Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091030105026.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026192900.htm Your genetic make up may predispose you to drink more but may not increase your genetic risk for alcoholism. New research pinpoints genetic pathways and genes associated with levels of alcohol consumption but not with alcohol dependence in rats and humans. Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026192900.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091028114019.htm Pregnant women with significant symptoms of depression tend to have a stronger biological reaction to the seasonal flu vaccine than do women with lower depression levels, according to a new study. The finding provides an argument in favor of flu vaccination during pregnancy, researchers say, because it suggests that the immune systems in depressed pregnant women are not functioning typically. This immune dysregulation could affect symptom severity among women who become infected with influenza. Wed, 28 Oct 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091028114019.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091028162634.htm New research shows people who feel depressed tend to recall having more physical symptoms than they actually experienced. The study indicates that depression -- not neuroticism -- is the cause of such over-reporting. Psychologists attribute the findings to depressed individuals recalling experiences differently, tending to ruminate over and exaggerate the bad. Wed, 28 Oct 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091028162634.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091028134631.htm It has long been suggested that healthy folate levels in expectant mothers goes hand in hand with healthy nervous system development in their children. Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091028134631.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091028134639.htm An education professor says the underlying similarities between teaching, research and music can be a powerful metaphor for education and qualitative inquiry. Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091028134639.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026225744.htm A new study has found that chronic disruption of one of the most basic circadian (daily) rhythms -- the day/night cycle -- leads to weight gain, impulsivity, slower thinking, and other physiological and behavioral changes in mice, similar to those observed in people who experience shift work or jet lag. Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026225744.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026152818.htm Psychologists have found that the more a person appears to suffer when tortured, the guiltier they are perceived to be. According to the researchers, those complicit with the torture need to justify the torture, and therefore link the victim's pain to blame. Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026152818.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091027161521.htm Research has shown that diabetes increases the risk of Alzheimer's disease and the risk of memory loss in people who don't have Alzheimer's disease. But it hasn't been clear whether people with Alzheimer's disease and diabetes have more rapid memory loss than those who have Alzheimer's disease but no diabetes. Wed, 28 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091027161521.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091027161539.htm Smokers who crushed computer-simulated cigarettes as part of a psychosocial treatment program in a virtual reality environment had significantly reduced nicotine dependence and higher rates of tobacco abstinence than smokers participating in the same program who grasped a computer-simulated ball, according to a new study. Wed, 28 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091027161539.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026125359.htm When do you first leave the nest? Early in development infants of many species experience important transitions -- such as learning when to leave the mother's protection to start exploring the world. Neuroscientists have now pinpointed molecular events occurring in the brain during that turning point. The findings, in animals, may help explain the strength of attachments in many species -- including the conundrum of why human children form strong attachments to even abusive caregivers. Wed, 28 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026125359.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091028114706.htm Medical researchers have announced that a recently deceased member of the NFL Hall of Fame suffered from the degenerative brain disease Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) when he died, becoming the 10th former NFL player diagnosed with the disease. All NFL and college football players studied post-mortem show signs of CTE Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091028114706.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091028112617.htm There is no scientific proof that patients with moderate or severe Alzheimer's disease benefit from drugs containing the agent memantine, according to a new report. Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091028112617.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026231845.htm Feeding high-fat food to pregnant mice can affect their pups' brain development in ways that may cause them to be more vulnerable to obesity and to engage in addictive-like behaviors in adulthood, a new study has found. Tue, 27 Oct 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026231845.htm