Psychology News and Research

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

Soy-rich diet can mitigate effects of bisphenol A

New research led by researchers at North Carolina State University shows that exposure to the chemical bisphenol A (BPA) early in life results in high levels of anxiety by causing significant gene expression changes in a specific region of the brain called the amygdala. The researchers also found that a soy-rich diet can mitigate these effects.

10 Sep 2012

Yale researchers to investigate poorly understood nature of autism in females

The reasons why autism spectrum disorders are almost five times more common among boys than among girls may soon be revealed, thanks to a five-year, $15 million National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant awarded to Yale School of Medicine for the Autism Centers of Excellence (ACE) research program.

10 Sep 2012

Bullying prevention experts available for comment

Bullying was once considered a childhood rite of passage. Today, however, bullying is recognized as a serious problem. Up to half of all children are bullied at some point during their school years, according to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. And thanks to tech-savvy kids, cyberbullying and other forms of electronic harassment are now commonplace.

7 Sep 2012

All seniors can enjoy benefits of exercise: Study

A study carried out by Dr. Louis Bherer, PhD (Psychology), Laboratory Director and Researcher at the Institut universitaire de g-riatrie de Montr-al (IUGM), an institution affiliated with Universit- de Montr-al, has shown that all seniors, even those considered frail, can enjoy the benefits of exercise in terms of their physical and cognitive faculties and quality of life and that these benefits appear after only three months.

7 Sep 2012

Study examines relationship between life events and survival after diagnosis of melanoma

A study that is published in the last issue of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics examines the relationship between life events and survival after diagnosis of melanoma, a life-threatening cancer of the skin. Negative, undesirable events are important for health outcomes.

6 Sep 2012

Study sheds light on lingering effects of natural disasters, mass shootings and terrorist attacks

Repeated exposure to violent images from the terrorist attacks of September 11 and the Iraq War led to an increase in physical and psychological ailments in a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults, according to a new UC Irvine study.

6 Sep 2012

People with generalized anxiety disorder have weak brain connections

A new University of Wisconsin-Madison imaging study shows the brains of people with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) have weaker connections between a brain structure that controls emotional response and the amygdala, which suggests the brain's "panic button" may stay on due to lack of regulation.

5 Sep 2012

New strategy for outsmarting cancer through its own social intelligence

In the face of mounting evidence that cancer cells communicate, cooperate and even engage in collective decision-making, biophysicists and cancer researchers at Rice University, Tel Aviv University and Johns Hopkins University are suggesting a new strategy for outsmarting cancer through its own social intelligence.

5 Sep 2012

Motor coordination in children with sedentary lifestyles: an interview with Dr. Luis Lopes

The importance of an adequate motor coordination level in childhood has recently reemerged. In literature on motor skill development, the focus is mostly on the proficiency/competence level in movement skills. Motor competence/coordination can be defined as a person’s ability to execute different motor acts, including coordination of both fine and gross motor skills (Henderson & Sugden, 1992).

4 Sep 2012

Curved glass induces faster consumption of alcohol

Dr Angela Attwood and colleagues from Bristol's School of Experimental Psychology recruited 160 social drinkers aged 18-40 with no history of alcoholism to attend two experimental sessions. At one session they were asked to drink either lager or a non-alcoholic soft drink from either a straight-sided glass or a curved 'beer flute'.

1 Sep 2012

New research about brain and related disorders to be unveiled at Neuroscience 2012

New research about the brain and related disorders will be unveiled at Neuroscience 2012 in New Orleans, Oct. 13-17. Findings will include how the brain weighs complex decisions; progress being made in treating Alzheimer's disease, spinal cord injury, and traumatic brain injury; and novel understanding of how life experiences, diet, and sleep influence brain health and wellness.

31 Aug 2012

Strong neural communication between the hemispheres predicts math performance

A new study by researchers at UT Dallas' Center for Vital Longevity, Duke University, and the University of Michigan has found that the strength of communication between the left and right hemispheres of the brain predicts performance on basic arithmetic problems. The findings shed light on the neural basis of human math abilities and suggest a possible route to aiding those who suffer from dyscalculia-- an inability to understand and manipulate numbers.

30 Aug 2012

Scientists use new method to easily investigate stress systems in babies

After waking up, the concentration of the stress hormone cortisol in saliva rises considerably; this is true not only for grown-ups but for babies as well. A research team from the Ruhr-Universit-t Bochum and from Basel has reported this finding in the journal Psychoneuroendocrinology.

29 Aug 2012

Close contact strategy does not work for young people after suicide attempts

Researchers, doctors and patients tend to agree that during the high-risk period after an attempted suicide, the treatment of choice is close contact, follow-up and personal interaction in order to prevent a tragic repeat. Now, however, new research shows that this strategy does not work. These surprising results from Mental Health Services in the Capital Region of Denmark and the University of Copenhagen have just been published in the British Medical Journal.

24 Aug 2012

Women with Alzheimer's show worse mental deterioration than men

Women with Alzheimer's show worse mental deterioration than men with the disease, even when at the same stage of the condition, according to researchers from the University of Hertfordshire.

24 Aug 2012

A father’s stress can lead to psychiatric disorders in female offspring

A study in mice conducted by researchers at Tufts University School of Medicine (TUSM) suggests that a woman's risk of anxiety and dysfunctional social behavior may depend on the experiences of her parents, particularly fathers, when they were young.

23 Aug 2012

Neuroscientists try to decipher precisely how human brain constructs our sense of self

Ancient Greek philosophers considered the ability to "know thyself" as the pinnacle of humanity. Now, thousands of years later, neuroscientists are trying to decipher precisely how the human brain constructs our sense of self.

23 Aug 2012

New study: Reasoning training does alter brain connections

Intensive preparation for the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) actually changes the microscopic structure of the brain, physically bolstering the connections between areas of the brain important for reasoning, according to neuroscientists at the University of California, Berkeley.

23 Aug 2012

Simple eye tracking test could hold key to early Alzheimer's diagnosis

A simple eye tracking test could hold the key to earlier Alzheimer's diagnosis, according to new research published today in the Journal of the American Aging Association.

23 Aug 2012

APSSLH and Maney collaborate to launch Speech, Language and Hearing journal

Starting in 2013 Maney will be collaborating with the Asia Pacific Society for the Study of Speech, Language and Hearing (APSSLH) to launch Speech, Language and Hearing. This is a significant development for both Maney and the Society.

23 Aug 2012