Psychology News and Research

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

Changes in dopamine levels linked to infant learning patterns

When do you first leave the nest? Early in development infants of many species experience important transitions-such as learning when to leave the protective presence of their mother to start exploring the wider world. Neuroscientists have now pinpointed molecular events occurring in the brain during that turning point.

27 Oct 2009

AdherenceRx announces the development and integration of Patient Adherence Index

AdherenceRx (www.adherencerx.com) is pleased to announce the development & integration of the Patient Adherence Index™ (PAI™). This new index brings together evidence-based patient behavior mapping scores associated with Positive Psychology & Behavior Change… and the Patient Activation Measure™ (PAM™) developed by Judith Hibbard, Ph.D., and her colleagues at the University of Oregon.

27 Oct 2009

Rates of binge eating among adult women identical across race but not among college age women

Existing research shows that rates of binge eating among adult women is virtually identical across race. However, among college age women, it's a different story: Caucasian women are more apt to exhibit binge eating behaviors than African American women, according to a study presented at this month's annual scientific meeting of the Obesity Society.

26 Oct 2009

New Living 4 Life wellness program to make life better for seniors

Aegis Living, a national leader in senior living and assisted living communities, is pleased to announce that it's partnering with Bastyr University, renowned institution of natural health arts and sciences education and research, to make life better for seniors through its new innovative Living 4 Life program. With this collaboration, new programs and activities will enhance the mind, spirit and physical health of residents at Aegis Living.

24 Oct 2009

Strict adherence in taking HIV medication; extremely difficult for many individuals

Highly active antiretroviral therapy has increased the longevity and quality of life for people living with human immunodeficiency virus. But it requires strict adherence in taking the medicine, something that is extremely difficult for many individuals to do.

23 Oct 2009

Designers should develop new technological products based on older adult needs

While more older adults than ever are using cell phones and computers, a technology gap still exists that threatens to turn senior citizens into second-class citizens, according to Florida State University researchers.

23 Oct 2009

Play less video games to keep your focus

Parents have long lectured their children about the mind-numbing effects of playing video games all day. And a new Iowa State University study has found that high volume action video game players -- those who play around 40 hours per week -- actually had more difficulty keeping focused on tasks requiring longer, more proactive attention than those who played video games less than a couple of hours a week.

23 Oct 2009

Person-centered planning practices to promote organizational change and innovative service delivery

Today the JBFCS Alan B. Siskind Symposium, "Person in the Center: Innovation and Change," with Keynote Speaker Beth Mount, Ph.D., will explore person-centered planning and organizational innovation followed by a panel discussion that features innovative practice at JBFCS.

22 Oct 2009

New study suggests potential treatment for blindsight patients

Although we assume we can see everything in our field of vision, the brain actually picks and chooses the stimuli that come into our consciousness. A new study in the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology's Journal of Vision reveals that our brains can be trained to consciously see stimuli that would normally be invisible.

22 Oct 2009

Constant light at night can increase depressive symptoms

Researchers found that mice housed in a lighted room 24 hours a day exhibited more depressive symptoms than did similar mice that had a normal light-dark cycle.

22 Oct 2009

Sexual dysfunction in cancer survivors rarely addressed by internists

Few internists who care for cancer survivors address issues of sexual dysfunction with their patients, according to a study led by Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) researchers. In their article appearing in a November 2009 cancer survivor supplement to the Journal of General Internal Medicine, now available online, the investigators report that more than half the internists responding to a survey indicated they rarely or never discussed sexual problems with their patients who had survived cancer.

22 Oct 2009

New tools needed to identify men and women at risk for the most aggressive cancers

Twenty years of screening for breast and prostate cancer - the most diagnosed cancer for women and men - have not brought the anticipated decline in deaths from these diseases, argue experts from the University of California, San Francisco and the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio in an opinion piece published in the "Journal of the American Medical Association."

21 Oct 2009

Effect of work-related stress in older individuals

In the first comprehensive report into age related stress and health at work to be carried out in Britain researchers from the Institute of Work, Health and Organisations also found that the effects of stress in our working lives can stay with us well into retirement.

21 Oct 2009

Study: Working during retirement is good for your health

A new study suggests that working full-time or part-time during retirement may be beneficial to your health, The New York Times reports.

20 Oct 2009

Brandeis psychologist receives the 2009 Baltes Foundation Award

The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) - the nation's largest interdisciplinary organization devoted to the field of aging - has chosen Brandeis University Professor Derek M. Isaacowitz, as the 2009 recipient of the Margret M. & Paul B. Baltes Foundation Award in Behavioral and Social Gerontology.

20 Oct 2009

Children restrained in belt-positioning booster seats less likely to get injured

A study released today in Pediatrics by The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia offers updated evidence that children ages 4 to 8 who are restrained in the rear seat of a car in a belt-positioning booster seat are 45 percent less likely to be injured in a crash compared with children using a seat belt alone. Furthermore, the study showed there was no difference in the level of protection offered by backless versus high back booster seats.

20 Oct 2009

Hunt in pairs to find a suitable date

Looking for success on the dating scene? MIT Sloan Assistant Professor Joshua M. Ackerman suggests it might be a good idea to bring a friend.

20 Oct 2009

Philips launches DirectLife fitness program to deliver health benefits

Philips is delivering on their commitment to be the leader in health and well-being with the launch of Philips DirectLife, a new customized, interactive fitness program that offers a fun and simple solution to people eager to adopt a more active lifestyle.

20 Oct 2009

Children with history of diabetic ketoacidosis may have memory problems

Children who have had an episode of diabetic ketoacidosis, a common complication of diabetes, may have persistent memory problems, according to a new study from researchers at the UC Davis Center for Mind and Brain.

19 Oct 2009

Federal grant for ecstasy research

A so-called "club drug" - typically not used all that often by those who take it - can still have the potential to cause a lot of damage among some users, say University of Cincinnati researchers. Trials are underway to trace the effects of ecstasy and to see who's most at risk. The study is supported by $471,000 in federal stimulus funds awarded by the National Institutes of Health and spread out over two years.

19 Oct 2009