http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/mind_brain/relationships/ Research about healthy relationships. From friendships to love and marriage, articles explore human interactions. en-us Mon, 12 May 2008 20:05:01 EDT Mon, 12 May 2008 20:05:01 EDT 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/mind_brain/relationships/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080512191126.htm Young children whose parents read aloud to them have better language and literacy skills when they go to school, according to a new review. Mon, 12 May 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080512191126.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080512094435.htm Images of maths 'geeks' stop people from studying mathematics or using it in later life, according to new research. Many students and undergraduates seem to think of mathematicians as old, white, middle-class men who are obsessed with their subject, lack social skills and have no personal life outside maths. The student's views of maths itself included narrow and inaccurate images that are often limited to numbers and basic arithmetic. Mon, 12 May 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080512094435.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080508222424.htm Young women would accept age-based screening for the sexually transmitted infection chlamydia, but would want this test to be offered to everyone, rather than to people "singled out" according to their sexual history. Sat, 10 May 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080508222424.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080508222420.htm Teenagers and young adults across Europe drink and take drugs as part of deliberate sexual strategies. A third of 16-35 year old males and a quarter of females surveyed are drinking alcohol to increase their chances of sex, while cocaine, ecstasy and cannabis are intentionally used to enhance sexual arousal or prolong sex. Fri, 09 May 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080508222420.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080507083952.htm In a study published in the May 7 issue of the journal PLoS ONE, Anthony Little of the University of Stirling and colleagues show that measurements of symmetry and sexual dimorphism from faces are related in humans, both in Europeans and African hunter-gatherers, and in a non-human primate. In all samples, symmetric males had more masculine facial proportions and symmetric females had more feminine facial proportions. Thu, 08 May 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080507083952.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080505225405.htm "Ho ho, ha ha ha," students in a fitness class at the University of Michigan Health System chant repeatedly while clapping their hands and walking around the room. They're just getting warmed up; in the next half-hour, they will stretch their muscles and work on breathing exercises. They'll also laugh for most of the 30 minutes, from self-conscious giggles to uninhibited belly laughs. All in the name of fitness. Tue, 06 May 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080505225405.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080424140403.htm The results of large-scale imaging experiments examining how social signals are represented in the sensory system have just been published. Working with a newly-developed line of transgenic mice that expresses the genetic calcium indicator G-CaMP2, the team monitored neural activity in the vomeronasal organ, a sensory organ found in many vertebrate animals that detects pheromones. Mon, 28 Apr 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080424140403.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080423115922.htm Schools' current focus on bullying prevention may be masking the serious and underestimated health consequences of sexual harassment. New research shows that although less frequent, sexual harassment has a greater negative impact on teenagers' health than the more common form of victimization, bullying. Thu, 24 Apr 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080423115922.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080422143529.htm Children who are shunned or targeted by social attacks in school may experience depression and anxiety in young adulthood, a new study shows. In a study of college students, researchers discovered a link between what psychologists call relational victimization in adolescence and depression and anxiety in early adulthood. Rather than threatening a child with physical violence, these bullies target a child's social status and relationships by shunning them, excluding them from social activities or spreading rumors. Wed, 23 Apr 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080422143529.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080422120304.htm We all know the story of a man named Brady and the group that somehow formed a family. But if the iconic '70s sitcom about a "blended" family reflected reality, the Brady Bunch likely would have been dealing with much more than silly sibling squabbles. Tue, 22 Apr 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080422120304.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080417163856.htm A child's innocence and vulnerability presents a target for a sexual predator's abusive behavior. Researchers are beginning to understand the communication process by which predators lure victims into a web of entrapment. This information could better equip parents and community members to prevent, or at least interrupt, the escalation of child sexual abuse. Mon, 21 Apr 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080417163856.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080421151807.htm According to new research, some people survived Hurricane Katrina because of quick action from key women who, through pre-existing social networks, were able to mobilize for successful evacuation. Mon, 21 Apr 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080421151807.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080416110114.htm Americans grow happier as they grow older, according to a new study that is one of the most thorough examinations of happiness ever done in America. The study also found that baby boomers are not as content as other generations, African Americans are less happy than whites, men are less happy than women, happiness can rise and fall between eras, and that, with age the differences narrow. Sat, 19 Apr 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080416110114.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080416081609.htm A study by researchers at the Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender, and Reproduction at Indiana University finds that men report a variety of different experiences involving sexual desire and arousal. Thu, 17 Apr 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080416081609.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080416213304.htm Researchers at the Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender and Reproduction are shedding light on why some women experience sexual problems and others do not. A study published in the April issue of the journal "Archives of Sexual Behavior" found connections between personality traits such as sexual inhibition and sexual problems. Thu, 17 Apr 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080416213304.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080416114410.htm Older people remain vital and active members of society as they age, despite a popular notion that they are more likely to be socially isolated. A research team found that although older individuals have fewer intimate relationships, they may respond to social loss by becoming more likely to volunteer, attend religious services and spend time with their neighbors than those in their 50s. Thu, 17 Apr 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080416114410.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080414174912.htm A study that randomized 261 women aged 35 to 46 with self-reported low libido and low serum free testosterone levels to a group that received one of three different doses of a testosterone spray or placebo daily for 16 weeks found that all groups -- including those taking placebo -- reported increased frequency of sexually satisfying events. Wed, 16 Apr 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080414174912.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080410153643.htm Female penguins mate with males who bring them pebbles to build egg nests. Hummingbirds mate to gain access to the most productive flowers guarded by larger males. Now new research shows that even affluent college students who don't need resources will still attempt to trade sexual currency for provisions. Tue, 15 Apr 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080410153643.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080410115410.htm Social integration affects the mental health of non-Western male immigrants in a positive way. For women however, social integration gives an increased risk for mental problems according to a new study. Thu, 10 Apr 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080410115410.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080408202048.htm Suitors can tell a young person's attitude to sexual relationships by the look on their face, according to new research which gives deeper insight into mate attractiveness. The study of 700 heterosexual participants also found that young men and women look for complete opposites when it comes to relationships with the other sex. Wed, 09 Apr 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080408202048.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080406153350.htm Simple environmental enrichment and increased social stress can both affect the level of individual drug use, according to new monkey research. Enrichment reduced drug use by all of the study animals; additional stress caused more drug intake in subordinate monkeys. Mon, 07 Apr 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080406153350.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080331145115.htm Satisfactory sexual intercourse for couples lasts from 3 to 13 minutes, contrary to popular fantasy about the need for hours of sexual activity, according to a survey of US and Canadian sex therapists. Wed, 02 Apr 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080331145115.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080401081904.htm New research suggests that college-age men confuse friendly nonverbal cues with cues for sexual interest because the men have a less discerning eye than women -- but their female peers aren't far behind. Men who viewed images of friendly women misidentified 12 percent of the images as sexually interested. Women mistook 8.7 percent of the friendly images for sexual interest. Wed, 02 Apr 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080401081904.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080326095411.htm Chimpanzees make judgments about the actions and dispositions of strangers by observing others' behavior and interactions in different situations. Specifically, chimpanzees show an ability to recognize behavioral traits and make assumptions about the presence or absence of these traits in strangers in similar situations thereafter. Chimpanzees have sophisticated social skills and there is evidence that primates eavesdrop. Mon, 31 Mar 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080326095411.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080327172216.htm Students competing for resources in the classroom while discounting each others' success are less likely to earn top grades than students who work together toward goals and share their success, according to an analysis of 80 years of research. Sat, 29 Mar 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080327172216.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080325135034.htm For people trying to make a change in their diet, significant others generally play a positive and supportive role, but sometimes respond in negative ways, according to a new study. Wed, 26 Mar 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080325135034.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080325083300.htm Children who bully were found to have conflict in relationships with their parents and friends, and also to associate with others who bully. Researchers looked at 871 students for seven years, beginning at age 10, and found that most children engage in bullying at some point. The research underscores that bullying is a "relationship problem" that calls for interventions targeting the aggressive behavior, social skills, and problem-solving skills, and also on bullying children's strained relationships. Wed, 26 Mar 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080325083300.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080325083318.htm A longitudinal study found that individuals with social problems in childhood and adolescence were at increased risk for anxiety and depression in young adulthood. Researchers followed 205 8- to 12-year olds for 20 years and conducted detailed interviews to examine how anxiety and depression related to social competence over time. The relationship between decreased social competence and "internalizing problems" remained the same when explanations including intellectual functioning, quality of parenting, social class, were accounted for. Tue, 25 Mar 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080325083318.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080321114214.htm Empathy is an emotional reaction to the plight of others. Empathy can lead to altruistic behavior, i.e. helping someone with the sole intention of enhancing that person's wellbeing. If we see people in difficulty, for example, we feel the same emotions, and this may prompt us to help them. Yet the relationship between empathy and altruism is still far from clear. One young psychologist has researched the topic and concluded that when we help friends in need, we are prompted by feelings of empathy, and that when we help relatives we do so because we have expectations of reciprocity. Mon, 24 Mar 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080321114214.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080320192610.htm Happily married adults have lower blood pressure than singles with supportive social networks. Both men and women in happy marriages scored four points lower on 24-hour blood pressure than single adults. Having supportive friends did not translate into improved blood pressure for singles or unhappily marrieds. New research shows that happily married adults have lower blood pressure than singles with supportive social networks, suggesting marriage may literally be a matter of the heart. Fri, 21 Mar 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080320192610.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080320095045.htm Despite public health campaigns, a surprising number of women continue to use substances such as tobacco, marijuana and alcohol during pregnancy and their usage rebounds to pre-pregnancy levels within two years of having a baby. Dads, meanwhile, don't get the messages at all. Fri, 21 Mar 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080320095045.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080317151933.htm Scientists have developed a new mouse model to help illuminate the vagaries of autism, according to a study from a Stanford University School of Medicine researcher and other colleagues. The study focused on mice missing the gabrb3 gene, which codes for a protein important in brain development and normal adult brain function Wed, 19 Mar 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080317151933.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080317095617.htm Consumers in search of product related information and technical support often turn to virtual communities for help. An article on virtual P3 communities -- peer-to-peer problem solving communities -- presents evidence that social capital, widely described as declining in face-to-face neighborhood communities, has migrated online. Mon, 17 Mar 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080317095617.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080313124412.htm North American communities supported by logging, mining and other resource-based industries are especially vulnerable to social ills. The troubling link between boom towns and high rates of substance abuse is usually attributed to workers having too much money and too little to do. But a recent study of one Canadian community suggests underlying pressures including loneliness, a lack of healthy social connections and a need to "keep up with the Joneses". Thu, 13 Mar 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080313124412.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080311151203.htm There's new evidence supporting the idea that bigger brains are better. A study of a tropical wasp suggests that the brainpower required to be dominant drives brain capacity. Researchers have found that key processing regions in the brains of both males and females of one wasp species not only increased in size with age but were also associated with being dominant. Wed, 12 Mar 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080311151203.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080306170924.htm In a provocative new article in Science, computer specialists says it's time for the laboratory research that has defined science for the last 400 years to make room for a revolutionary new method of scientific discovery. Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080306170924.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080306183134.htm Researchers have shed new light on the way in which people co-operate for the common good -- and what happens when they don't. In a new study of 16 countries, published in Science, economists studied the extent to which some people will sacrifice personal gain to benefit the wider public, while 'freeloaders' try to take advantage of their generosity. Marked national differences arose when freeloaders were punished for putting their own interests ahead of the common good. And whether they accepted their punishment or retaliated in kind depended on what kind of society they lived in, the researchers found. In countries like the USA, Switzerland and the UK, freeloaders accepted their punishment and became much more co-operative. But in countries based on more authoritarian and parochial social institutions such as Oman, Saudi Arabia, Greece and Russia, the freeloaders took revenge -- retaliating against those who had punished them. Mon, 10 Mar 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080306183134.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080229115314.htm Researchers are developing an intervention using "virtual peers" -- technology driven, animated life-size children -- to help develop communication and social skills in children with autism. Preliminary findings suggest children with autism produce more and more "contingent" (conversationally relevant) sentences when interacting with virtual peers than with real-life children. What's more, virtual peers are endlessly patient, never tire and can be programmed to elicit socially-skilled behavior. Wed, 05 Mar 2008 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080229115314.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080304103313.htm Cochlear implant recipients experience a significant improvement in their quality of life, and have improved speech recognition, according to new research published in the March 2008 issue of Otolaryngology -- Head and Neck Surgery. Tue, 04 Mar 2008 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080304103313.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080303145244.htm Using a new tool designed to measure a woman's willingness to use a microbicide (topical gels designed to prevent the sexual transmission of HIV), researchers found that women who have used protective methods in the past, and those with casual sexual partners were more willing to use a microbicide compared to their peers. Mon, 03 Mar 2008 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080303145244.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080228220451.htm Children who are spanked or victims of other corporal punishment are more likely to have sexual problems as a teen or adult, according to new research. Researchers analyzed the results of four studies and found that spanking and other corporal punishment by parents is associated with an increased probability of three sexual problems as a teen or adult. Sun, 02 Mar 2008 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080228220451.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080223125318.htm Researchers have developed an algorithm that is capable of processing 30 images per second to recognize a person's facial expressions in real time and categorize them as one of six prototype expressions: anger, disgust, fear, happiness, sadness and surprise. Applying the facial expression recognition algorithm, the developed prototype is capable of processing a sequence of frontal images of moving faces and recognizing the person's facial expression. The software can be applied to video sequences in realistic situations and can identify the facial expression of a person seated in front of a computer screen. Although still only a prototype, the software is capable of working on a desktop computer or even on a laptop. Mon, 25 Feb 2008 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080223125318.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080218185101.htm Contrary to stereotype, most Internet sex offenders are not adults who target young children by posing as another youth, luring children to meetings, and then abducting or forcibly raping them, according to researchers who have studied the nature of Internet-initiated sex crimes. Instead, Internet offenders target teens, not young children and rarely use force, abduction or deception. Tue, 19 Feb 2008 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080218185101.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080215135707.htm Humans are social animals; we spend much of our time with others in groups. We are also wise. It is not our size, speed, or strength that distinguishes us from other mammals, but our intelligence. How might these two features -- being social and being smart -- go together? Researchers found that people who engaged in social interaction displayed higher levels of cognitive performance than the control group. Tue, 19 Feb 2008 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080215135707.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080219100643.htm Coping with menopause can pose real challenges for women in rural areas, especially if health services are inaccessible and they face other pressures like caring for elderly relatives and poverty. Women were often surprised by the intensity of the psychological, physical and social consequences of menopause. Memory loss caused considerable concern and many women were scared that it was due to the early onset of Alzheimer's. Participants suddenly became aware of their age and mortality and they were surprised at how intense symptoms like hot flashes/flushes, loss of sex drive and mood swings could be. Tue, 19 Feb 2008 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080219100643.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080214130448.htm As if inspiring countless songs and poems and an international holiday weren't enough, love now is being credited with a truly amazing power: the ability to resist temptation. In an experiment with college students in long-term relationships, researchers at UCLA and the online dating service eHarmony found that asking coeds to reflect on the love they felt for their boyfriends or girlfriends blunted the appeal of especially attractive members of the opposite sex. Thu, 14 Feb 2008 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080214130448.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080211111330.htm People who are highly attuned to social convention and control their behavior and self-image accordingly have been found to be highly likeable and successful at work. But when it comes to romance, new research finds they often are uncommitted to and unsatisfied with their dating partners. What's more, the partners of these high self-monitors may not know that. Thu, 14 Feb 2008 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080211111330.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080213133337.htm When it comes to romantic attraction men primarily are motivated by good looks and women by earning power. Think again, say researchers. In short, the data from the psychologists' study suggest that what men and women said and did in choosing romantic partners are two different matters. Whether you're a man or a woman, being attractive is just as good for your romantic prospects and, to a lesser extent, so is being a good earner. Thu, 14 Feb 2008 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080213133337.htm