Psychology News and Research

RSS

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

Babies of stressed pregnant mums may have lasting effects

According to a new study high levels of stress during pregnancy can cause an unborn child to have lifelong mental scars. Researchers have found that a mother facing unnecessary crises can leave an imprint in the brains of her children, making them less able to cope as they get older.

20 Jul 2011

Patients who use anti-depressants more likely to suffer relapses

Patients who use anti-depressants are much more likely to suffer relapses of major depression than those who use no medication at all, concludes a McMaster researcher.

20 Jul 2011

Family members, dementia patients can benefit from adult day care services

Adult day care services significantly reduce the stress levels of family caregivers of older adults with dementia, according to a team of Penn State and Virginia Tech researchers.

19 Jul 2011

First neurobiological evidence for theory of episodic memory

Almost everyone has experienced one memory triggering another, but explanations for that phenomenon have proved elusive. Now, University of Pennsylvania researchers have provided the first neurobiological evidence that memories formed in the same context become linked, the foundation of the theory of episodic memory.

19 Jul 2011

Online therapy programs revolutionise access to mental health services

A team of Macquarie University psychologists has developed a growing range of therapy programs that are being delivered online through the University’s new eCentreClinic.

19 Jul 2011

Married men with heart attack seek help sooner: Study

A new study implies that married men tend to live longer than their unwed counterparts, they're more likely to see their doctor regularly, and they even have a lower risk of dying from a heart attack or stroke. The study shows that men who experience chest pains while having a heart attack tend to get to a hospital sooner if they're married or in a common-law relationship. A woman's marital status, by contrast, was not associated with how quickly she sought treatment after experiencing heart-attack-related chest pains, according to the study, which was published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

19 Jul 2011

Propranolol can block brain from retrieving cocaine-associated memories

New discoveries by researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) offer potential for development of a first-ever pharmacological treatment for cocaine addiction.

16 Jul 2011

Lap Band surgery less expensive than other obesity-related treatments

By being safe, minimally invasive, and extremely effective, the Lap Band has become one of the most accessible means for obese individuals with a BMI of 35 or higher to shed their excess weight and lead healthier lives.

16 Jul 2011

Female teens more vulnerable to negative effects of binge drinking

Binge or "heavy episodic" drinking is prevalent during adolescence, raising concerns about alcohol's effects on crucial neuromaturational processes during this developmental period.

16 Jul 2011

Babies have far less ability to recognize rapidly changing images than adults

Babies have far less ability to recognize rapidly changing images than adults, according to research from the UC Davis Center for Mind and Brain. The results show that while infants can perceive flicker or movement, they may not be able to identify the individual elements within a moving or changing scene as well as an adult.

15 Jul 2011

Being an alpha male stressful: Primate study

A nine year old tracking study of five troops of baboons in Kenya found that the top-ranked alpha males had more stress than the second-place beta males. In fact the top baboon was just as ‘on-edge’ as those unfortunate primates at the bottom of the pecking order. Thore Bergman, a biological psychologist at the University of Michigan who was not involved in the study said, “Being at the top may not be all it's cracked up to be.”

14 Jul 2011

Study examines psychological problems among adopted children

Over 4,000 international adoptions take place in Spain every year. Although the process of adaptation of these children is very similar to that of those living with their biological parents, some studies show that they are more prone to being hyperactive, to having behavioural problems, a low self-esteem and doing poorly in school.

14 Jul 2011

New driving simulator for patient rehabilitation

Clemson University researchers, working with simulation technology company DriveSafety, have developed a new driving simulator designed for patient rehabilitation that now is being used at 11 Army, Navy and Veterans Affairs facilities. The program recently expanded to Europe with the addition of a driving simulator at Charit- Hospital in Berlin, Germany.

14 Jul 2011

Fish oil consumption helps reduce inflammation, anxiety in healthy young people

A new study gauging the impact of consuming more fish oil showed a marked reduction both in inflammation and, surprisingly, in anxiety among a cohort of healthy young people.

14 Jul 2011

Regular exercise may help prevent panic and related disorders

Regular exercise may be a useful strategy for helping prevent the development of panic and related disorders, a new study suggests.

13 Jul 2011

Adopting dominant poses may help reduce pain

Mothers have been telling their children to stop slouching for ages. It turns out that mom was onto something and that poor posture not only makes a bad impression, but can actually make you physically weaker. According to a study by Scott Wiltermuth, assistant professor of management organization at the USC Marshall School of Business, and Vanessa K. Bohns, postdoctoral fellow at the J.L. Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto, adopting dominant versus submissive postures actually decreases your sensitivity to pain.

13 Jul 2011

New owl study reveals advantage of stereopsis

Using owls as a model, a new research study reveals the advantage of stereopsis, commonly referred to as stereovision, is its ability to discriminate between objects and background; not in perceiving absolute depth.

12 Jul 2011

KiDA to host Third Annual Summit on Autism

Kids Institute for Development and Advancement (KiDA), a premier center for autism treatment, hosts its Third Annual Summit on Autism Saturday, September 17, 2011, at the University of California, Irvine's Bren Events Center, beginning at 8:00 am.

12 Jul 2011

Wisdom psychology offers an approach to treat PTED

In the current issue of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics Prof. Michael Linden and collaborators at the University of Berlin present the first randomized controlled trial on a new approach based on wisdom psychology and hedonia strategies.

12 Jul 2011

Liquor industry body suggests warnings on bottles

The Australian liquor industry-funded organization DrinkWise is proposing the introduction of labels displaying new consumer warnings on alcoholic drinks. The warnings would include messages that alcohol should not be drunk by children, can cause self-harm and should be avoided...

12 Jul 2011