http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/mind_brain/social_psychology/ Love, altruism and affection. Read current news articles on how animals can be altruistic, how social networks can protect against Alzheimer's and more. en-us Wed, 25 Nov 2009 10:05:01 EST Wed, 25 Nov 2009 10:05:01 EST 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/mind_brain/social_psychology/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119194124.htm Merely observing someone publicly blame an individual in an organization for a problem -- even when the target is innocent -- greatly increases the odds that the practice of blaming others will spread with the tenacity of the H1N1 flu. Sun, 22 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119194124.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091120124831.htm Older adults who have alcohol dependence problems drink significantly more than do younger adults who have similar problems, a new study has found. The findings suggest that older problem drinkers may have developed a tolerance for alcohol and need to drink even more than younger abusers to achieve the effects they seek. Sat, 21 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091120124831.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119141227.htm Heavy criticism from a parent can increase aggressive behavior in some children. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119141227.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119193630.htm Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) has been linked to significant impairments in social skills. Researchers have found that a social- skills intervention called Children's Friendship Training can lead to a decrease in hostile attributions or perceptions of children with PAE. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119193630.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091117191052.htm Males have more pronounced personalities than females across a range of species -- from humans to house sparrows -- according to new research. Consistent personality traits, such as aggression and daring, are also more important to females when looking for a mate than they are to males. A new article draws together a range of studies to reveal the role that sexual selection plays in this disparity between males and females. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091117191052.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091117124009.htm Tiny insects could be as intelligent as much bigger animals, despite only having a brain the size of a pinhead, say scientists. Animals with bigger brains are not necessarily more intelligent. This begs the important question: what are they for? Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091117124009.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116163212.htm Researchers have discovered a genetic variation that may contribute to how empathetic a human is, and how that person reacts to stress. In the first study of its kind, a variation in the hormone/neurotransmitter oxytocin's receptor was linked to a person's ability to infer the mental state of others. Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116163212.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116131824.htm Adults who use pet therapy while recovering from total joint-replacement surgery require 50 percent less pain medication than those who do not, according to new research. Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116131824.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116103437.htm Most of the linguistic functions in humans are controlled by the left cerebral hemisphere. A new study of captive chimpanzees suggests that this "hemispheric lateralization" for language may have its evolutionary roots in the gestural communication of our common ancestors. A large majority of the chimpanzees in the study showed a significant bias towards right-handed gestures when communicating, which may reflect a similar dominance of the left hemisphere for communication in chimpanzees as that seen for language functions in humans. Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116103437.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091113083257.htm Using data from the late 1970s, researchers have looked at almost 200 children ages 3 to 9 in Belize, Kenya, Nepal and American Samoa to determine whether modernization changes have had an effect on the thinking skills that are learned over the course of childhood. Results show that children in communities with more modern resources performed better in some areas of cognitive functioning and that they took part in more complex sequences of play. Mon, 16 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091113083257.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091113083930.htm Youth development programs that tackle deprivation and help children and young people enjoy school are successful in reducing teenage pregnancy rates. Mon, 16 Nov 2009 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091113083930.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091117094941.htm Unrealistic optimism about drinking behavior can lead to later alcohol-related problems, according to new research. Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091117094941.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116114536.htm Although women have made strides in the business world, they still occupy less than two percent of CEO leadership positions in the Fortune 500. Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116114536.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116103840.htm An experiment into the use of social media has shown that Twitter, an online blogging service, can act as an exceptional communication tool within academia. Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116103840.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091113083259.htm A study of more than 250 African-American youths from urban, low-income families examined the unique effects of racial identity and self esteem on mental health. Findings reveal that when young people's feelings of ethnic pride rose between 7th and 8th grades, their mental health also improved over that period, regardless of their self-esteem. The researchers also found that racial identity was a stronger buffer against symptoms of depression for boys than for girls. Sun, 15 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091113083259.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091115123711.htm Children as young as 12 have a strong sense of their personal futures and can reflect thoughtfully on what life might hold for them, according to new research. Sun, 15 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091115123711.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091113151037.htm The mere thought of your loved one can reduce your pain, psychologists report. The study involved 25 women who had boyfriends with whom they had been in a good relationship for more than six months. Sat, 14 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091113151037.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091113083301.htm A study of more than 120 ethnically and socioeconomically diverse US elementary school children shows that children develop an awareness about racial stereotypes early and that those biases can be damaging. Specifically, the study illustrates that when children become aware of bias about their own racial or ethnic group, it can affect how they respond to everyday situations, ranging from interacting with others to taking tests. Sat, 14 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091113083301.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091112095038.htm A new study has found that the hormone oxytocin, also known as the "love hormone," which affects behaviors such as trust, empathy and generosity, also affects opposite behaviors, such as jealousy and gloating. Fri, 13 Nov 2009 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091112095038.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091113083305.htm A new study has found that young people feel differently about two types of parental control, generally viewing a type of control that's thought to be better for their development more positively. In the study, researchers asked 67 American children to respond to hypothetical scenarios involving both kinds of control. Their results show that youths put a negative spin on both types of control when the parents in the scenarios exercised a lot of control. Fri, 13 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091113083305.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091113114414.htm Using four simple questions to generate client-directed feedback can greatly increase the chances that struggling couples will stay together, according to a recently published study. Couples that had systematic client feedback incorporated into their sessions were 46.2 percent less likely to wind up divorced or separated. Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091113114414.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110065911.htm Combination therapies to tackle multiple changes in the brain may be needed to combat the growing problem of dementia in aging societies, according to a new study. Thu, 12 Nov 2009 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110065911.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091112151434.htm A new study by a University of Miami researcher and his daughter shows that both men and women participate in maintaining a gender hierarchy in our society. Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091112151434.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091105143817.htm For the insects called water striders, the pushiest guys don't always get the girls. New research provides support for the theory of multi-level selection and contradicts previous laboratory experiments that suggested that the most aggressive males are the most successful at reproducing. Wed, 11 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091105143817.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110211037.htm Although often seen as an inconsequential feature of digital technologies, one's self-representation, or avatar, in a virtual environment can affect the user's thoughts, according to new research. Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110211037.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110105401.htm A woman is six times more likely to be separated or divorced soon after a diagnosis of cancer or multiple sclerosis than if a man in the relationship is the patient, according to a study that examined the role gender played in so-called "partner abandonment." The study also found that the longer the marriage the more likely it would remain intact. Tue, 10 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110105401.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109173412.htm Researchers have shown that the brain regions that have long been recognized as a center in which spoken or written words are decoded are also important in interpreting wordless gestures. The findings suggest that these brain regions may play a much broader role in the interpretation of symbols than researchers have thought and, for this reason, could be the evolutionary starting point from which language originated. Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109173412.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029161216.htm Millions of people are spending real money on virtual clothes in online hangouts, digital items in multiplayer games and presents for their friends in social networking sites. This digitalisation of consumption is an inherent consequence of the increasing involvement of communication technology in everyday social activities, says one researcher. Tue, 10 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029161216.htm 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/2009/11/091110090903.htm Last year, the United States provided asylum and resettlement assistance for nearly 80,700 people from other countries, an increase from 71,300 individuals in 2007, according to the US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants. Health experts say the increase has made issues of immigrant and refugee violence and the need for effective intervention strategies more apparent. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110090903.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109121121.htm Women with asthma are more anxious, find it harder to sleep and are more tired during the day than their male counterparts, but nevertheless tend to be better at following their treatment, reveals new research from Sweden. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109121121.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/2009/11/091104123025.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/2009/11/091105092607.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/2009/11/091102171207.htm New research shows that frontotemporal dementia -- a rare brain disorder that causes early dementia -- is highly hereditary. Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102171207.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/2009/11/091102121634.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/2009/11/091102171413.htm Three-year-old children who are exposed to more TV appear to be at an increased risk for exhibiting aggressive behavior, according to a new report. Tue, 03 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102171413.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/2009/11/091111121856.htm Suffering a stroke can lead to significant changes in how couples relate to each other on both a physical and emotional level, according to new University of Ulster research. Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111121856.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/2009/10/091031002319.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/2009/10/091030125044.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