Psychology News and Research

RSS

Psychology is the study of human mental functions, behavior and processes.

Too much social networking makes girls less happy: Study

Researchers have studied the effects of too much social networking among young girls and found that it is ruining their girlhood. The new Stanford University study looks at data from girls between the ages of 8 and 12 who spend “considerable” time using social media and finds that they are likely to be “less happy” than their unplugged peers.

30 Jan 2012

Mystery teen neurological illness followed up by Erin Brockovich meets resistance

Famous environmental activist Erin Brockovich’s team faced resistance as they tried to test the area around an upstate New York school for clues to a case involving more than a dozen teens plagued by mysterious Tourette's-like symptoms and seizures. One neurologist who has seen most of the affected girls has diagnosed their illness as psychological in origin, but some parents and members of the community have disputed that diagnosis.

30 Jan 2012

Negative outlook need not have to be permanent in chronic melancholics

Good news for the 13 per cent of the population with depressive personality traits: their negative outlook does not have to be permanent. This has been shown by psychologist Rachel Maddux in new research from Lund University in Sweden.

30 Jan 2012

Washington State Medical Association weighs in on legislation in Olympia

More than 140 physicians met with legislators to voice their opinions on several bills that could significantly impact patient access to care and patient safety. The Washington State Medical Association (WSMA), which held its annual Legislative Day this week, is working hard on legislation to preserve programs that are on the cutting block, and promote legislation that would benefit patients.

30 Jan 2012

Infant studies show intuitive physics knowledge occurs soon after birth

A Northwestern University study has found that the evidence for intuitive physics occurs in infants as young as two months - the earliest age at which testing can occur.

30 Jan 2012

Reason for language development delay in boys – Testosterone: Study

For the new study researchers collected umbilical cord blood from 767 Australian newborns and tested for testosterone. Newborn boys are exposed to 10 times the levels of testosterone before birth, compared to girls. Sex hormones, like testosterone, are known to play a key role in shaping how the brain develops. Then, the researchers evaluated the children’s language skills when they were 1, 2 and 3 years of age.

29 Jan 2012

Psychiatric disorders definitions to be revised

The definition of depression is proposed to be changed and now the diagnosis would characterize grieving as a disorder and greatly increase the number of people treated for it.

26 Jan 2012

Narcissistic men may have more physical problems in the long term: Study prediction

Narcissism is a condition which is characterized by excessive love of oneself. As a personality trait, narcissism is characterized by a sense of grandiosity, entitlement and low empathy. New research indicates that it is not only an irritating psychological glitch but it may be physically damaging for men. This does not appear to be the case for women, however, the study of 106 undergraduate students found.

24 Jan 2012

Magic Mushroom’s compound may help in some mental disorders: Study

There has been little research on the mechanism of action of “magic mushrooms” on the brain. A growing number of studies suggested that perhaps the mushrooms' key ingredient could work magic for certain mental disorders. New research in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences sheds light on why one of the mushrooms' hallucinogenic chemical compounds, psilocybin, may hold promise for the treatment of depression.

24 Jan 2012

Study shows childhood experiences have long-term effects on health in midlife

Nurturing mothers have garnered accolades for rescuing skinned knees on the playground and coaxing their children to sleep with lullabies. Now they're gaining merit for their offspring's physical health in middle age.

24 Jan 2012

Positive affirmation may help hypertensive African-Americans effectively in medication adherence

When it comes to taking prescribed medications for hypertension, a patient's self confidence could be as important as doctor's orders. A new study by researchers at NYU School of Medicine reveals that positive affirmation, when coupled with patient education, seems to help patients more effectively follow their prescribed medication regimen.

24 Jan 2012

Study explores global rise of monogamous marriage as a dominant cultural institution

In cultures that permit men to take multiple wives, the intra-sexual competition that occurs causes greater levels of crime, violence, poverty and gender inequality than in societies that institutionalize and practice monogamous marriage.

23 Jan 2012

Decision-making over 'sacred values' prompts a distinct cognitive process

An Emory University neuro-imaging study shows that personal values that people refuse to disavow, even when offered cash to do so, are processed differently in the brain than those values that are willingly sold.

23 Jan 2012

Genes may predict maintenance of intelligence over lifetime: Study

A Scottish study that began 80 years ago has shown that genes may play a role in maintaining intelligence till old age. The study participants joined when they were 11 years old. Researchers have long been interested in understanding how cognition changes with age, and why these changes are more rapid in some people than in others. But, in the past, studies of age-related intelligence changes were often performed when the subjects were already elderly.

22 Jan 2012

Study aims to help adult men and women with SAD

If winter's long nights and cold weather have you feeling depressed, a new research study could lift your spirits. The study, lead by Janis Anderson, PH.D., an associate psychologist in the Brigham and Women's Hospital Department of Psychiatry, aims to help adult (ages 21-64) men and women with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) by comparing two new types of light technologies to determine which one works better.

20 Jan 2012

Regular exercise can decrease anxiety symptoms in patients with GAD

Approximately 3 percent of the U.S. population suffers from excessive, uncontrollable worry that reduces their health and quality of life. The condition, known as Generalized Anxiety Disorder, is difficult to overcome and is accompanied by a host of physical symptoms, including fatigue, muscle tension, irritability and poor sleep. However, a new University of Georgia study shows that regular exercise can significantly reduce anxiety symptoms in patients with GAD.

20 Jan 2012

Health care solutions through social media and cell phones

Nova Southeastern University's College of Pharmacy recently launched America's first Center for Consumer Health Informatics Research to deliver health care solutions through social media and cell phones.

19 Jan 2012

Researchers review landscape of smoking cessation over the past 20 years

Smoking is a major public health issue and quitting is the single most important thing smokers can do to improve their health. In the 2012 edition of the prestigious Annual Review of Public Health, researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have reviewed the landscape of smoking cessation over the past 20 years.

19 Jan 2012

Cognitive training increases openness to new experiences in older adults

A program designed to boost cognition in older adults also increased their openness to new experiences, researchers report, demonstrating for the first time that a non-drug intervention in older adults can change a personality trait once thought to be fixed throughout the lifespan.

19 Jan 2012

Sport can be effective in reducing reconviction rate of offenders

A new research project into the role of sport in rehabilitating young prisoners has found that sport can be effective in reducing the reconviction rate of offenders.

18 Jan 2012