Psychology News and Research

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

Innovative brain imaging study reveals why ToM deficiencies present in children with ASD

The holidays can be difficult for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), particularly because of new or different social situations. One reason scientists believe ASD causes impairment in social interactions is due to an inability to effectively infer other's thoughts and feelings through "theory of mind," or ToM -- the ability to understand the mental states of others and oneself.

16 Dec 2015

Wake Forest University offers holiday story ideas

The good news about children and the holidays? "Kids aren't as materialistic as many think, so parents should understand that many kids naturally see the value of saving money and thinking more about others rather than getting the next big thing," says Lisa Kiang, an associate professor of psychology who studies gratitude, materialism and character formation in children and adolescents.

14 Dec 2015

Our senses far from flawless, UCLA study reveals

Our vision and hearing aren't as reliable as we might think, according to a study by life scientists at UCLA.

13 Dec 2015

Understanding the effects of psychotherapy in patients with borderline personality disorder

According to newly published research, a specialized psychotherapy has been linked to changes in activation patterns in certain areas of the brain in patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD), suggesting its impact may go deeper than symptom change.

12 Dec 2015

New research sheds light on outcomes for patients with thyroid cancer

Thyroid cancer survivors report poor quality of life after diagnosis and treatment compared with other patients who are diagnosed with more lethal cancers, according to new research from the University of Chicago Medicine.

12 Dec 2015

Findings may lead to new treatment strategy for phobia

A new study published in the latest issue of Biological Psychiatry reports the successful and instant reduction of fear in spider-fearful participants following a 2-minute exposure combined with a single dose of a regular pharmacological treatment.

11 Dec 2015

Negative views of aging affect memory and hearing abilities in older adults

A study led by researchers at the University of Toronto shows that when older adults feel negatively about aging, they may lack confidence in their abilities to hear and remember things, and perform poorly at both.

11 Dec 2015

Researchers identify brain processes in mice that shape different sensory perceptions

Scientists have long known that when sounds are faint or objects are seen through fog in the distance, repetition of these weak or ambiguous sensory “inputs” can result in different perceptions inside the same brain.

10 Dec 2015

Eyes and a clean citrusy smell may help reduce hospital infections

A picture of a man's intense staring eyes and a clean citrusy smell have been found to substantially improve hand-washing and so cut the risk of hospital infections, according to a new study.

10 Dec 2015

New study may help doctors to better treat children who cope with chronic pain

A new study describes the development of pediatric pain measures for a National Institutes of Health Initiative aimed at helping doctors better evaluate and therefore better treat children who cope with chronic pain. Based on face-to-face interviews with pediatric patients, the study better captured the young patient's perspective of living with chronic pain.

9 Dec 2015

More than half of women may have vulvovaginal symptoms after menopause

After menopause, more than half of women may have vulvovaginal symptoms that have a big impact on their lifestyle, emotions, and sex life. What's more, the symptoms tend to travel with other pelvic troubles, such as prolapse and urinary and bowel problems. But many women aren't getting help, shows a study published online today in Menopause, the journal of The North American Menopause Society.

9 Dec 2015

UGA researchers identify biological markers for mental disorders

A team of researchers led by faculty at the University of Georgia has identified a number of biological markers that make it possible to classify mental disorders with greater precision. Their findings, published today in the American Journal of Psychiatry, may one day lead to improved diagnostics and treatments for those suffering from mental illness.

9 Dec 2015

Mayo Clinic investigators discover potential diagnostic markers for bipolar I disorder

Mayo Clinic researchers have discovered a series of proteins that could be diagnostic markers to identify bipolar I disorder. If this discovery sample can be validated through replication these markers may help as a diagnostic tool for psychiatrists treating mood disorders.

9 Dec 2015

CMU's David Creswell awarded $3 million NIH grant to explore healthy aging among lonely older adults

The National Institutes of Health has awarded a five-year, $3 million grant to Carnegie Mellon University's David Creswell to study how stress management training can boost healthy aging among lonely older adults.

1 Dec 2015

BMBF, US-American National Institute of Health invest over 900,000 euros in memory research

Investing more than 900,000 euros, the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research and the US-American National Institute of Health are funding a close research cooperation between Prof Dr Sen Cheng from the Mercator Research Group "Structure of Memory" at the Ruhr-Universität Bochum and Prof Dr Kamran Diba from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

1 Dec 2015

New study reveals effect of cannabis potency on brain structure

Smoking high potency 'skunk-like' cannabis can damage a crucial part of the brain responsible for communication between the two brain hemispheres, according to a new study by scientists from King's College London and Sapienza University of Rome.

27 Nov 2015

Cognitive behavioural therapy benefits people with dental phobia

Cognitive behavioural therapy could help many people with a dental phobia overcome their fear of visiting the dentist and enable them to receive dental treatment without the need to be sedated, according to a new study by King's College London.

27 Nov 2015

Oxytocin hormone strengthens social ties

Nowadays, much emphasis is placed on sustainability. The degree to which people are willing to donate their own money for this depends on their level of oxytocin. Scientists at the University of Bonn Hospital have discovered that the willingness to donate increases with the quantity of this bonding hormone. However, oxytocin only has an effect with regard to social sustainability projects. The hormone does not increase the ability to participate in the case of purely environmentally oriented projects.

26 Nov 2015

Stress-related gene affects post-concussive symptoms after car crashes

Variations in a gene that affect the body's responses to stress influence the risk of developing so-called post-concussive symptoms (PCS) after car crashes, reports a study in Psychosomatic Medicine: Journal of Biobehavioral Medicine, the official journal of the American Psychosomatic Society. The journal is published by Wolters Kluwer.

25 Nov 2015

UNC study reveals how specific schizophrenia symptoms linked to distinct brain circuits

Schizophrenia, a severe mental disorder affecting about one in 100 people, is notoriously difficult to diagnose and treat, in large part because it manifests differently in different people. A new study published today in Molecular Neuropsychiatry helps explain why.

25 Nov 2015