Psychology News and Research

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

New study finds mate guarding common in societies which practice arranged marriages

Mate guarding is classified as excessive or unwarranted jealous or protective behavior towards a spouse or mate. This is common among many different species and can be useful to defend territory, guarantee paternity, or prevent disease. The authors of a new study published in Personal Relationships have discovered that this behavior is more common in societies which practice arranged marriages or in cultures that place a high value on parental influence in the choice of mate for their children.

2 Feb 2011

Study identifies effects of multiple previous concussions on high school students

A previous study of ex-NFL players showed that the damage caused by concussions occurs in the same region of the brain as damage caused by Alzheimer's disease, resulting in increased concern over post-concussion related injuries and trauma of athletes. Philip Schatz Ph.D., professor of psychology, and his associates recently published a study in Neurosurgery that identifies potentially enduring effects of multiple previous concussions on high school students.

2 Feb 2011

Software can predict future of sports concussion: New research

With the Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers poised to do battle for the Super Bowl XLV crown, concern about recognizing and minimizing the incidence of concussions in sports could once again be back in the spotlight. Media coverage of concussion awareness rose to a fever pitch earlier this season fueled by an Associated Press report that this type of traumatic brain injury (TBI) had risen 21 percent in the first eight weeks of the regular season.

1 Feb 2011

MSPP announces formation of spirituality and psychotherapy center

Most people have some form of spiritual practice or belief system that helps them find meaning in life. This orientation can profoundly impact the psychotherapeutic process, according to the founders of a formal center for the study of spirituality and psychotherapy at the Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology in West Roxbury.

1 Feb 2011

Walk briskly to boost memory

Researchers have found that older adults who took a brisk walk three times a week did better on memory tests and increased the size of their hippocampus, a portion of the brain involved with memory formation.

1 Feb 2011

Brain scans can predict smokers' behavior change: New study

Brain scans showing neural reactions to pro-health messages can predict if you'll keep that resolution to quit smoking more accurately than you yourself can. That's according to a new study forthcoming in Health Psychology, a peer-reviewed journal.

1 Feb 2011

Men more distressed by type of infidelity that threatens paternity of offspring

Men are more than twice as likely to continue dating a girlfriend who has cheated on them with another woman than one who has cheated with another man, according to new research from a University of Texas at Austin psychologist.

28 Jan 2011

New insight on rehabilitating brain function in addicts

People with addictions to stimulants tend to choose instant gratification or a smaller but sooner reward over a future benefit, even if the future reward is greater. Reduced value of a future reward, called "delay discounting" by neuroscientists, is the major challenge for treatment of addiction. A new study in the February 2011 (Vol. 69, Issue 3) Biological Psychiatry appears to present a strategy for increasing the value of future rewards in the minds of addicts.

28 Jan 2011

Workers in high hazardous jobs can benefit from hands-on safety training, say researchers

Hands-on safety training for workers in highly hazardous jobs is most effective at improving safe work behavior, according to psychologists who analyzed close to 40 years of research. However, less engaging training can be just as effective in preparing workers to avoid accidents when jobs are less dangerous.

27 Jan 2011

Parents who share caregiving for preschool children may experience more conflict

Parents who share caregiving for their preschool children may experience more conflict than those in which the mother is the primary caregiver, according to a new study.

27 Jan 2011

Massive drinks mean massive calories

When you're ordering the new Starbucks "trenta" you're not only getting a massive drink (31 ounces) but massive calories (up to 600) - with the potential to pack on more than 60 extra pounds in one year.

25 Jan 2011

Majority of Americans unaware of law mandating equal coverage of mental health benefits

An overwhelming majority of Americans remain unaware of a law mandating equal coverage of mental health benefits by insurance companies, a cause for concern by psychologists at a time when one-quarter of Americans are reported to have a mental health disorder and only a minority are receiving treatment.

25 Jan 2011

UB's therapeutic program helps teens with ADHD to become better drivers

A University at Buffalo researcher's work with a state-of-the-art driving simulator is making better drivers among those considered to be the most risky motorists on the road: teens with ADHD.

25 Jan 2011

Unrealistic optimism appears common in early cancer trials

Can optimism be ethically problematic? Yes, according to a new study, which found unrealistic optimism prevalent among participants in early-phase cancer trials and suggested that it may compromise informed consent.

24 Jan 2011

Psychological Science journal releases new research findings

The insula has been implicated in evaluative and affective processes. New findings indicate that the insula may be broadly involved in integrating affective and cognitive processes. Participants rated the positivity and negativity of picture stimuli and how emotionally arousing they found the pictures to be.

24 Jan 2011

University of Granada research warns about negative effects of benevolent sexism

Research conducted at the University of Granada warns about the negative effects of the so-called "benevolent sexism", a term used for apparently "positive" ideas and attitudes of men towards women, which are based on the assumption that men must take care of and sacrifice themselves for women.

21 Jan 2011

Study finds positive emotions can influence health outcomes in later adulthood

The notion that feeling good may be good for your health is not new, but is it really true? A new article published in Current Directions in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, reviews the existing research on how positive emotions can influence health outcomes in later adulthood.

21 Jan 2011