Psychology News and Research

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

Tel Aviv University researchers study long-term effects of torture on human pain system

Israeli soldiers captured during the 1973 Yom Kippur War were subjected to brutal torture in Egypt and Syria. Held alone in tiny, filthy spaces for weeks or months, sometimes handcuffed and blindfolded, they suffered severe beatings, burns, electric shocks, starvation, and worse.

6 Nov 2013

Imaginative play with medically themed toys may improve recovery in chronically ill children

New research finds that chronically ill children celebrate a successful recovery. It's through their imaginative play with medically themed toys. Laura Nabors, an associate professor of human services in the University of Cincinnati College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services (CECH), will present new research on Tuesday, Nov. 5, at the American Public Health Association's (APHA) 141st Annual Meeting and Expo in Boston.

6 Nov 2013

Gambling addiction leads to brain function abnormalities that affect decision-making capacity

University of Granada researchers have analysed similarities and differences in psychological profile and brain function when comparing cocaine addicts and gambling addicts. The study reveals that gambling addicts present brain function abnormalities affecting their decision-making capacity.

6 Nov 2013

Research: Chronic stress changes gene activity in immune cells before reaching bloodstream

New research shows that chronic stress changes gene activity in immune cells before they reach the bloodstream. With these changes, the cells are primed to fight an infection or trauma that doesn't actually exist, leading to an overabundance of the inflammation that is linked to many health problems.

6 Nov 2013

Health anxiety therapies: an interview with Professor Peter Tyrer, Imperial College, London

Health anxiety is a relatively new diagnosis and has not been adopted fully. The nearest approximation and formal classification systems is ‘illness anxiety’ as diagnosed in DSM-5, published in May 2013 (DSM-5, American Psychiatric Association, p.315).

5 Nov 2013

Study: Clinicians' decision making could be affected by method of conception

Parents who conceive through assisted reproductive technologies are likely to receive different medical advice in relation to prenatal testing than those who conceive naturally, academics have suggested.

5 Nov 2013

Researchers find way to omit unnecessary lab tests, improve care and reduce costs for patients

When patients undergo diagnostic lab tests as part of the inpatient admission process, they may wonder why or how physicians choose particular tests. Increasingly, medical professionals are using electronic medical systems that provide lists of lab tests from which medical professionals can choose.

5 Nov 2013

Women with poorest quality of sexual function saw greatest improvements after bariatric surgery

The first study to look extensively at sexual function in women who underwent bariatric surgery found that significant improvements in overall sexual function, most reproductive hormones and in psychological status were maintained over two years following surgery.

5 Nov 2013

Rat study shows compulsive gambling behaviours can be reduced in humans

With the help of a rat casino, University of British Columbia brain researchers have successfully reduced behaviours in rats that are commonly associated with compulsive gambling in humans.

31 Oct 2013

Neuroscientist receives $1.7M NIH grant to continue groundbreaking visual perception research

A University of California, Riverside neuroscientist has been awarded a five-year, $1.7 million grant by the National Institutes of Health to continue groundbreaking research that may lead to new therapies for individuals with amblyopia (lazy eye), dry macular degeneration and cataracts.

31 Oct 2013

Video gaming increases spatial orientation, memory formation and motor skills

Video gaming causes increases in the brain regions responsible for spatial orientation, memory formation and strategic planning as well as fine motor skills.

30 Oct 2013

Eyetrack study maps visual behavior of both men and women

Usually, women can tell when someone's eyes aren't on her face and are, well, focused elsewhere on her body. In other words, there's a reason the saying on the t-shirt is My Eyes Are Up Here.

30 Oct 2013

Unrealistic pessimists less likely to take preventive action after receiving good news

Patients who are unrealistically optimistic about their personal health risks are more likely to take preventive action when confronted with news that is worse than expected, while unrealistic pessimists are less likely to change their behavior after receiving feedback that is better than expected, according to researchers at the University of California, Riverside and Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Mich.

30 Oct 2013

Penn Medicine-led panel reports that noise exposure is a serious public health threat

The combined toll of occupational, recreational and environmental noise exposure poses a serious public health threat going far beyond hearing damage, according to an international team of researchers writing today in The Lancet.

30 Oct 2013

Study: Light enhances brain activity during cognitive task even in blind people

Light enhances brain activity during a cognitive task even in some people who are totally blind, according to a study conducted by researchers at the University of Montreal and Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital.

29 Oct 2013

Cognitive reappraisal may have negative effects on psychological health

Being able to regulate your emotions is important for well-being, but new research suggests that a common emotion regulation strategy called "cognitive reappraisal" may actually be harmful when it comes to stressors that are under our control. The study is published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.

29 Oct 2013

Rutgers scientists provide new information about rare genetic childhood disorder

Scientists at Rutgers University studying the cause of a rare childhood disease that leaves children unable to walk by adolescence say new findings may provide clues to understanding more common neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's and developing better tools to treat them.

28 Oct 2013

Participation in CARE for Teachers program reduces stress, improves teachers' well-being

Teacher well-being, efficacy, burnout-related stress, time-related stress and mindfulness significantly improve when teachers participate in the CARE (Cultivating Awareness and Resilience in Education) for Teachers program, according to Penn State researchers.

25 Oct 2013

Scientists to converge at nation's first conference on computational psychiatry

More than 70 scientists from around the world and from a range of intellectual traditions will convene in Miami this week for what is believed to be the nation's first conference on computational psychiatry, an emerging field in neuroscience.

23 Oct 2013

Special issue highlights crucial problem of obesity in children and adolescents

New studies of factors affecting the risk of obesity in children and adolescents—as well as promising approaches to prevention and treatment—are assembled in the special October Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics, the official journal of the Society for Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics.

23 Oct 2013

Psychology News and Research

Further Reading

Tel Aviv University researchers study long-term effects of torture on human pain system

Imaginative play with medically themed toys may improve recovery in chronically ill children

Gambling addiction leads to brain function abnormalities that affect decision-making capacity

Research: Chronic stress changes gene activity in immune cells before reaching bloodstream

Health anxiety therapies: an interview with Professor Peter Tyrer, Imperial College, London

Study: Clinicians' decision making could be affected by method of conception

Researchers find way to omit unnecessary lab tests, improve care and reduce costs for patients

Women with poorest quality of sexual function saw greatest improvements after bariatric surgery

Rat study shows compulsive gambling behaviours can be reduced in humans

Neuroscientist receives $1.7M NIH grant to continue groundbreaking visual perception research

Video gaming increases spatial orientation, memory formation and motor skills

Eyetrack study maps visual behavior of both men and women

Unrealistic pessimists less likely to take preventive action after receiving good news

Penn Medicine-led panel reports that noise exposure is a serious public health threat

Study: Light enhances brain activity during cognitive task even in blind people

Cognitive reappraisal may have negative effects on psychological health

Rutgers scientists provide new information about rare genetic childhood disorder

Participation in CARE for Teachers program reduces stress, improves teachers' well-being

Scientists to converge at nation's first conference on computational psychiatry

Special issue highlights crucial problem of obesity in children and adolescents

Bringing real-time analytics to downstream bioprocess monitoring

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

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