Psychology News and Research

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

Kentucky Governor signs license bill to practice diabetes education

Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear signed a bill yesterday that requires a license to practice diabetes education, a move that the American Association of Diabetes Educators says will enhance consumer protection and increase professional recognition.

17 Mar 2011

Videoconferencing can treat individuals with OCD

The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that one in four Americans suffer from an anxiety disorder, and of those more than 2.2 million people with anxiety disorders have obsessive compulsive disorder.

17 Mar 2011

Naltrexone may be effective in women with specific genetic variation

Results from a new study suggest that one of the most prescribed medications for alcohol dependence may be more effective in some people. Preliminary results show that naltrexone, one of the only medications approved for treating people with alcohol abuse problems, may only be effective in women and those with a specific genetic variation.

17 Mar 2011

APAPO honors House Democratic Leader with Outstanding Leadership Award

Representative Nancy Pelosi was honored last night by the American Psychological Association Practice Organization for her advocacy work and legislative accomplishments on mental health issues.

16 Mar 2011

Older adults on cell phones may put themselves at risk while street-crossing

Older adults may put themselves at risk by talking on cell phones while crossing the street, researchers report in a new study. The researchers found that adults aged 59 to 81 took significantly longer than college students to cross a simulated street while talking on a mobile phone, and their heightened cautiousness in initiating crossing did nothing to improve their safety.

16 Mar 2011

Advances in imaging ability to discover heart defects in newborns

The Medical Imaging Laboratory in Trondheim is making advances in imaging methods for both ultrasound and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. One benefit will be an enhanced ability to discover heart defects in newborns.

16 Mar 2011

Classifying gambling subtypes does not predict treatment outcomes

Approximately two million adults in the United States meet criteria for pathological gambling, and another four to six million are considered problem gamblers, according to the National Council on Problem Gambling. A study by researchers at Wayne State University reveals that gambling addiction treatment is not one-size-fits-all, but it is difficult to predict which style of treatment is best for the various forms of gambling addiction.

16 Mar 2011

Bad jobs can make one mentally ill: Study

A latest study shows that a job that provides low control, high demands, complexity and the perception of unfair pay may lead to worse mental health than being unemployed. The study appeared in the journal Occupational Environmental Medicine.

14 Mar 2011

Research links giftedness to prenatal exposure of testosterone

A longstanding debate as to whether genius is a byproduct of good genes or good environment has an upstart challenger that may take the discussion in an entirely new direction. University of Alberta researcher Marty Mrazik says being bright may be due to an excess level of a natural hormone.

14 Mar 2011

Depression: Get a second opinion, 69% of initial diagnoses are incorrect

As he struggled for decades with a depression that often left him despondent, Eric Wilson never thought to get a second opinion.

11 Mar 2011

Testosterone associated with dominant behavior and competitive success in attracting women

Theories have long proposed that testosterone influences competition among males trying to attract females. Findings from a recent study at Wayne State University give a clearer understanding of the links between testosterone and human mating behavior, and how testosterone is associated with dominance and competitive success when men battle for the attention of an attractive woman.

11 Mar 2011

Girls who transit to mixed-gender friendship network early are more likely to develop substance abuse problems

In childhood, boys and girls tend to form friendships almost exclusively with same-sex peers. Around early adolescence, they gradually begin to include other-sex friends in their network. A new study published in Journal of Research on Adolescence suggests that girls and boys experience this transition very differently.

11 Mar 2011

Depression is linked with increased risk of developing kidney failure

Depression is associated with an increased risk of developing kidney failure in the future, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology.

10 Mar 2011

Study links altruism and motor control

A polite act shows respect. But a new study of a common etiquette-holding a door for someone-suggests that courtesy may have a more practical, though unconscious, shared motivation: to reduce the work for those involved.

10 Mar 2011

Predictability can improve multitasking

Researchers from Rice University and Georgia Institute of Technology have found support for the theory that the brain has three concentric layers of working memory where it stores readily available items. Memory researchers have long debated whether there are two or three layers and what the capacity and function of each layer is.

9 Mar 2011

Camp STAR to offer evidence-based therapy for children with ADHD

Camp STAR, the Chicago area's only summer camp offering evidence-based therapy for children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and other behavioral, emotional and social difficulties, begins its fourth season in June.

9 Mar 2011

Study supports DNA mismatch repair test for bowel cancer

Bowel cancer patients whose tumors contain defects in specific DNA repair systems are much less likely to experience tumour recurrence post surgery, results from a major clinical study have demonstrated.

9 Mar 2011

Many American employees feel undervalued and stressed out at work: Survey

Despite promising signs of economic recovery, many employees feel undervalued and stressed out at work and many are dissatisfied with aspects of their job, according to a survey by the American Psychological Association.

9 Mar 2011

Brain's learning capacity recharges during light, dreamless slumber

Scientists have long puzzled over the many hours we spend in light, dreamless slumber. But a new study from the University of California, Berkeley, suggests we're busy recharging our brain's learning capacity during this traditionally undervalued phase of sleep, which can take up half the night.

9 Mar 2011

Text messaging effectively intervenes during smoking urges

A pair of related studies on smoking cessation by researchers at the University of Oregon and other institutions have isolated the brain regions most active in controlling urges to smoke and demonstrated the effectiveness of text-messaging to measure and intervene in those urges.

9 Mar 2011