Psychology News and Research

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

Symbolic math connected to evolutionarily primitive general magnitude system

The ability to learn complex, symbolic math is a uniquely human trait, but it is intricately connected to a primitive sense of magnitude that is shared by many animals, finds a study to be published by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

1 Nov 2012

BWH researchers propose new model that shifts how we think about mindfulness

Achieving mindfulness through meditation has helped people maintain a healthy mind by quelling negative emotions and thoughts, such as desire, anger and anxiety, and encouraging more positive dispositions such as compassion, empathy and forgiveness. Those who have reaped the benefits of mindfulness know that it works. But how exactly does it work?

31 Oct 2012

Hormone therapy increases risk of heart attack or dying in women with metabolic syndrome

A new analysis of the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) trials show that women who had metabolic syndrome before they started hormone therapy had a greatly increased risk of heart attack or dying of heart disease. Women who didn't have metabolic syndrome beforehand showed no increased risk.

31 Oct 2012

Behavioural treatment can be very effective for severely obese children

A new study from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden shows that behavioural treatment for inducing weight-loss can be very effective for severely obese children. However, the treatment to change dietary and exercise habits must be given in time, as it showed to have little effect on adolescents with the same problem.

31 Oct 2012

Animals adjust their sense of smell through sniffing techniques

Animals use their noses to focus their sense of smell, much the same way that humans focus their eyes, new research at the University of Chicago shows.

31 Oct 2012

Telephone-based tinnitus-management program shows promise

Results from a pilot study suggest that people with tinnitus benefit from a progressive management program including cognitive behavioral therapy.

30 Oct 2012

New study offers hope for lonely older adults at increased risk of health problems

Always look on the bright side of life. Thanks to a new study from Concordia University, this catchy refrain offers a prescription for staying healthy during one's golden years.

26 Oct 2012

Extended exercises may improve people’s satisfaction with life

Had a bad day? Extending your normal exercise routine by a few minutes may be the solution, according to Penn State researchers, who found that people's satisfaction with life was higher on days when they exercised more than usual.

26 Oct 2012

Maternal mental health important to successful motherhood but overlooked

In the Huffington Post's "Global Motherhood" blog, Christy Turlington Burns, founder of Every Mother Counts, writes, "On the list of health risks women are subjected to, mental health seldom reaches the top. And while there are a lot of stigmas around many diseases, there may not be a close rival to the stigma those with diseases of the mind face each day. Mental illness pushes those who are already marginalized in developed and developing societies, even further into the margins."

25 Oct 2012

Hypnosis can help cut hot flashes by as much as 74%

Hypnosis can help cut hot flashes by as much as 74%, shows a study supported by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

25 Oct 2012

Social or daily drinking may be more harmful to brain health

Drinking a couple of glasses of wine each day has generally been considered a good way to promote cardiovascular and brain health. But a new Rutgers University study indicates that there is a fine line between moderate and binge drinking - a risky behavior that can decrease the making of adult brain cells by as much as 40 percent.

25 Oct 2012

Hot flashes and night sweats can return after SSRI treatment in women

Hot flashes and night sweats can return after women stop using escitalopram-an antidepressant-to treat these menopause symptoms, according to a study published online this month in Menopause, the journal of the North American Menopause Society.

25 Oct 2012

Recent victimization may increase risk of suicidal ideation in adolescents

An increased risk of suicidal ideation -- thoughts of harming or killing oneself -- in adolescents appears to be associated with recent victimization, such as by peers, sexual assault, and maltreatment, according to new research conducted by the University of New Hampshire Crimes Against Children Research Center.

24 Oct 2012

New project aims to devise programs that help reduce risk of cancer

Most people know that smoking, a bad diet, and physical inactivity can lead to catastrophic personal health consequences, including cancer. Yet millions continue to smoke, eat poorly, and fail to get enough exercise.

24 Oct 2012

SLU medical students to raise awareness about teen suicide among tech savvy millennials

Two Saint Louis University medical students are taking the multimedia route to raise awareness about teen suicide among tech savvy millennials.

23 Oct 2012

Thin ideal internalization: an interview with Jessica Suisman and Kelly Klump

Thin-ideal internalization is the extent to which a person identifies with the cultural ideal that thinness is equivalent to attractiveness.

23 Oct 2012

Emotion and perception not fully dissociable in the mind

That snake heading towards you may be further away than it appears. Fear can skew our perception of approaching objects, causing us to underestimate the distance of a threatening one, finds a study published in Current Biology.

22 Oct 2012

Individualized education model optimizes chances of success for children with autism

Students with autism have the best chances of success in school through an individualized education model that involves teachers, service providers and parents, according to a new book co-authored by John McGrew, Ph.D., and a psychology professor at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis.

20 Oct 2012

Brain Injury Research Center of Mount Sinai receives fund to research on TBI

The Brain Injury Research Center of Mount Sinai has received two prestigious grants totaling $6.65 million to fund research on traumatic brain injury over the next five years.

20 Oct 2012

Survey: Nearly 38% of lesbians less likely to have routine cervical cancer screening

Nearly 38 percent of lesbians polled in a national survey were not routinely screened for cervical cancer, putting them at risk of developing a highly preventable cancer, according to a University of Maryland School of Medicine study being presented at the 11th Annual AACR International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research.

19 Oct 2012