Psychology News and Research

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

A pain-free way of tackling dental decay

Researchers at the University of Leeds have discovered a pain-free way of tackling dental decay that reverses the damage of acid attack and re-builds teeth as new.

24 Aug 2011

Clay modelling could help disturbed teenagers deal with mental health problems

Researchers at The University of Nottingham are to investigate whether the therapeutic effects of clay modelling could help disturbed teenagers deal with their feelings of anger, anxiety and depression.

24 Aug 2011

Making mistakes while learning has memory benefits

Canadian researchers have found the first evidence that older brains get more benefit than younger brains from learning information the hard way - via trial-and-error learning.

24 Aug 2011

Boys don't express angst or distress about discussing problems any more than girls

A new University of Missouri study finds that boys feel that discussing problems is a waste of time.

24 Aug 2011

Commuting worst for women with pre-schoolers

Commuting to and from work affects women worse than men and mothers of pre-school youngsters are the worst affected, says a new study. They are four times more likely to suffer mental problems than men with children of a similar age.

23 Aug 2011

Seeing provides the big picture, but exploration burns it into memory

Seeing and exploring both are necessary for stability in a person's episodic memory when taking in a new experience, say University of Oregon researchers.

23 Aug 2011

Disturbing images and threatening anti-smoking messages can 'boomerang'

Health communicators have long searched for the most effective ways to convince smokers to quit. Now, University of Missouri researchers have found that using a combination of disturbing images and threatening messages to prevent smoking is not effective and could potentially cause an unexpected reaction.

23 Aug 2011

Marital bliss triples long-term survival after coronary bypass surgery

Giving your heart to a supportive spouse turns out to be an excellent way to stay alive, according to new research from the University of Rochester. Happily wedded people who undergo coronary bypass surgery are more than three times as likely to be alive 15 years later as their unmarried counterparts, reports a study published online August 22 in Health Psychology, a publication of the American Psychological Association.

22 Aug 2011

Veteran status strongly linked with increased likelihood of extramarital sex, divorce

Veterans were significantly more likely to have ever engaged in extramarital sex and ever gotten divorced than people who were never in the military, according to new research to be presented at the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Sociological Association.

22 Aug 2011

Automated navigation support reduces effort and injuries for surgeons

The Human Factors and Ergonomics Society congratulates Dietrich Manzey, Maria Luz, Stefan Mueller, Andreas Dietz, Juergen Meixensberger, and Gero Strauss on receiving the 2011 Human Factors Prize for their article, "Automation in Surgery: The Impact of Navigated-Control Assistance on Performance, Waorkload, Situation Awareness, and Acquisition of Surgical Skills."

20 Aug 2011

New research articles focus on sport, physical activity participation across the lifespan

In an age of spiraling inactivity levels and escalating obesity rates across the planet, a new collection of research articles focused on participation in sport and physical activity across the lifespan has just been released.

20 Aug 2011

Online brain training reduces depression, improves cognitive functions

CogniFit brain fitness program can improve cognitive functions of everyday living in individuals with depression.

18 Aug 2011

Researchers to unravel how brain makes everyday prognostications

Every day we make thousands of tiny predictions - when the bus will arrive, who is knocking on the door, whether the dropped glass will break. Now, in one of the first studies of its kind, researchers at Washington University in St. Louis are beginning to unravel the process by which the brain makes these everyday prognostications.

18 Aug 2011

Tobacco giants sue FDA over ‘shock tactic’ cigarette pack images

The FDA ruled that by Oct. 22, 2012, every pack of cigarettes sold in the United States will carry one of nine graphic, full color, graphic warnings reminding people of just how horrible smoking is for their health. The image might be a pair of healthy lungs next to a pair of blackened and diseased lungs or a man smoking out of a hole in his throat or a mouth with sores on the lips and teeth all yellowed and decayed.

18 Aug 2011

Addiction – a brain disorder say experts

According to the American Society of Addiction Medicine, addiction is a chronic brain disorder like any other chronic brain disease such as obsessive-compulsive disorder and body dysmorphic disorder. Neurological abnormalities like disruptions in neurotransmission and the reward system drive addiction, the group said in a statement.

17 Aug 2011

Study: Eye contact seems to act as an invitation for mimicry

Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery but how do our brains decide when and who we should copy? Researchers from The University of Nottingham have found that the key may lie in an unspoken invitation communicated through eye contact.

17 Aug 2011

Young stressed females can impair future offspring, also improve resilience

The study found that stress experienced by young female rats can impair their future offspring, but can also improve resilience. The study also showed that providing the young stressed females with an enriched environment, can indeed ameliorate some of the effects.

17 Aug 2011

Alcohol and impulsivity are a dangerous mix

Alcohol and impulsivity are a dangerous mix: People with current drinking problems and poor impulse control are more likely to die in the next 15 years, a new study suggests. However, they could get by with a little help from their friends: The study also found that a strong social support network buffers the toxic effects of impulsivity.

17 Aug 2011

Study explores how some cognitive strategies and abilities boost self-efficacy

Sticking with an exercise routine means being able to overcome the obstacles that invariably arise. A key to success is having the confidence that you can do it, researchers report. A new study explores how some cognitive strategies and abilities increase this "situation-specific self-confidence," a quality the researchers call "self-efficacy."

16 Aug 2011

Regular exercise could help prevent brain damage linked with Alzheimer's

Regular exercise could help prevent brain damage associated with neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's, according to research published this month in Elsevier's journal Brain, Behavior, and Immunity.

16 Aug 2011