Psychology News and Research

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

Sleeping less than nine hours affects children's academic skills

A study by the Autonomous University of Barcelona and Ram-n Llull University have researched the relationship between the sleeping habits, hours slept, and academic performance of children aged between six and seven years of age. Experts have found that sleeping less than nine hours, going to bed late and no bedtime routine generally affects children's academic skills.

14 Sep 2011

Neuroscientists use fMRI to identify how brain figures out scene recognition

Research conducted by Boston College neuroscientist Sean MacEvoy and colleague Russell Epstein of the University of Pennsylvania finds evidence of a new way of considering how the brain processes and recognizes a person's surroundings, according to a paper published in the latest issue of Nature Neuroscience.

14 Sep 2011

Children with more ADHD symptoms twice as likely to get hurt

Injury kills more 11-year-olds in the United States than all other causes combined, and a new study from University of Alabama at Birmingham reveals ADHD almost doubles the risk of serious injury among this age group.

14 Sep 2011

Lifelong musicians experience less age-related hearing problems: Study

A study led by Canadian researchers has found the first evidence that lifelong musicians experience less age-related hearing problems than non-musicians.

14 Sep 2011

Smoking cessation improves overall personality: Study

University of Missouri researchers have found evidence that shows those who quit smoking show improvements in their overall personality.

14 Sep 2011

ADI releases World Alzheimer Report 2011

The World Alzheimer Report 2011, released today by Alzheimer's Disease International (ADI), shows that there are interventions that are effective in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease, some of which may be more effective when started earlier, and that there is a strong economic argument in favor of earlier diagnosis and timely intervention.

13 Sep 2011

Researchers discover that recognisable facial expressions develop before birth

Babies in the womb develop a range of facial movements in such a way that it is possible to identify facial expressions such as laughter and crying. For the first time a group of researchers were able to show that recognisable facial expressions develop before birth and that, as the pregnancy progresses from 24 to 36 weeks gestation, fetal facial movements become more complex.

12 Sep 2011

UC research: Physicians report similar degrees of work intensity

Although society's perception might be that surgeons endure greater mental challenges and stress in their work duties than a primary care doctor, new research from experts at the University of Cincinnati (UC) shows that this isn't necessarily the case.

9 Sep 2011

Study: 40% of adult Canadians experience one or more symptoms of insomnia

Sleep disorders affect 40% of adult Canadians according to a study conducted by Universit- Laval researchers under the supervision of Dr. Charles M. Morin.

9 Sep 2011

HJF selects three promising USU doctoral students to receive 2011-12 fellowships

The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc. has selected three promising Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) doctoral students to receive fellowships for the 2011-12 academic year.

9 Sep 2011

Many people cultivate an “illusion of control”, even in situations when they are clearly not, depression research shows

A study into depression is shedding new light on a fascinating facet of human psychology – our propensity to delude ourselves into thinking we control events, even when we know we do not.

8 Sep 2011

Simple universal test to detect Alzheimer’s early

A ten-minute memory test that gives early warning of Alzheimer’s in people as young as 50 is being piloted in GP surgeries. Using a touch-screen computer or an iPad, it can distinguish between normal forgetfulness and the more dangerous memory lapses that signal dementia in its earliest stages. If trials are successful, it could be in widespread use in under a year. The developer, Cambridge Cognition, said the mobile electronic test will allow GPs to access patients presenting memory problems more quickly, simply and accurately than with tradition paper-based tests.

8 Sep 2011

New review article assesses alcohol's causal role in sexual assault perpetration

A new review article published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Review assesses the extent to which alcohol plays a causal role in sexual assault perpetration. Results found that men who are already prone to anger, who have hostile attitudes toward women, and who are in social environments that accept sexual aggression are most likely to engage in sexual aggression when intoxicated.

8 Sep 2011

Study: Family meals may encourage children to try new types of food

A study has found that eating together as a family may encourage children to be more open to trying new types of food. This finding will be presented at the Developmental Psychology Section Annual Conference to be held at Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne from 7-9 September.

8 Sep 2011

UC Merced, UCSF to examine effectiveness of state and local antismoking programs

Researchers with the University of California, San Francisco, and UC Merced will examine the effectiveness of state and local antismoking programs across the United States in an effort to make sure health authorities are able to use their increasingly limited resources to support and defend the most effective approaches.

8 Sep 2011

Alcohol's role in sexual violence perpetration

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7 Sep 2011

Study suggests sexual orientation infiltrates automatic impression

Studies by psychologists at the University of Toronto reveal that when it comes to white men, being straight may make you more likable but in the case of black men, gays have a likability edge.

3 Sep 2011

Study reveals why bad eating habits persist even when the food does not taste good

Do you always get popcorn at the movies? Or snack while you're on the couch watching television? A new paper by USC researchers reveals why bad eating habits persist even when the food we're eating doesn't taste good. The study also reveals the surprisingly simple ways we can counter our habits to gain control over what we eat.

3 Sep 2011

Novel analysis of MRI scans reveals distinct features of autistic brain

Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital have used a novel method for analyzing brain-scan data to distinguish children with autism from typically developing children.

3 Sep 2011

Tempo of puberty linked to anxiety, depression

Children who go through puberty at a faster rate are more likely to act out and to suffer from anxiety and depression, according to a study by researchers at Penn State, Duke University and the University of California, Davis. The results suggest that primary care providers, teachers and parents should look not only at the timing of puberty in relation to kids' behavior problems, but also at the tempo of puberty -- how fast or slow kids go through puberty.

2 Sep 2011