Psychology News and Research

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

Unexpected discovery holds promise for PTSD, other anxiety disorders

An unexpected discovery by UCLA life scientists holds promise for the future development of treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder and other anxiety disorders, and potentially for Alzheimer's disease and other memory-impairment diseases.

7 Jan 2011

Low incentive fails to 'switch off' brain regions involved in mind-wandering among ADHD children

Brain scans of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have shown for the first time why people affected by the condition sometimes have difficulty in concentrating. The study, by experts at The University of Nottingham, may explain why parents often say that their child can maintain concentration when they are doing something that interests them, but struggles with boring tasks.

7 Jan 2011

Study examines link between media consumption, eating disorders among adolescent girls in Fiji

For parents wanting to reduce the negative influence of TV on their children, the first step is normally to switch off the television set. But a new study suggests that might not be enough. It turns out indirect media exposure, i.e., having friends who watch a lot of TV, might be even more damaging to a teenager's body image.

7 Jan 2011

First web-based TBI screening tool for veterans

A team of researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine has developed the first web-based screening tool for Traumatic Brain Injury. This instrument has recently been used by soldiers returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan who participated in the Sixth Annual Road to Recovery Conference and Tribute in Orlando to determine if they sustained a TBI.

6 Jan 2011

Breakthrough in MRI allows brain scans more than seven times faster

An international team of physicists and neuroscientists has reported a breakthrough in magnetic resonance imaging that allows brain scans more than seven times faster than currently possible.

6 Jan 2011

Winter depression is more common in women than men

As the winter months approach bringing holidays and good cheer, certain health issues may arise that women should have on their radar. From mental health issues like stress, depression and seasonal affective disorder (SAD), to physical concerns like skin care, the winter can certainly pack a punch.

6 Jan 2011

Delay sex to strengthen marriage: Study

A new study that appeared in the Journal of Family Psychology finds that couples who wait until exchanging vows to have sex are “are happier with the quality of sex” and enjoy a “stable, happier marriage”. The team of researchers assessed 2,035 married couples in an online questionnaire based study called ‘RELATE’.

5 Jan 2011

Way of experiencing internal state of body influences perception of body from the outside

A new study, led by Dr Manos Tsakiris from Royal Holloway, University of London, suggests that the way we experience the internal state of our body may also influence how we perceive our body from the outside, as for example in the mirror. The research appears today (5 January) in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B.

5 Jan 2011

Soldiers with positive outlook in traumatic situations less likely to suffer anxiety, depression

In the first combat-zone study of its kind, a research team led by Michigan State University found that soldiers with a positive outlook in the most traumatic situations were less likely to suffer health problems such as anxiety and depression.

5 Jan 2011

Polsa Pura Bracelet is an effective tool for healthy weight loss

The Polsa Pura Bracelet is a new entry into the health and weight loss market, and is proving to be the secret weapon that many dieters need to develop healthy eating habits and lose weight for good.

5 Jan 2011

People fail to understand consequences of social trauma felt by bullied victims

Taunted, harassed, and pushed to a deadly breaking point. Last year, stories of teen bullying brought to life the heartbreaking consequences of young lives cut short by ruthless and unchecked behavior. While recent media coverage of these violent acts has increased national awareness of bullying's deadly consequences, it has done little to stop it from happening.

4 Jan 2011

New innovative program to identify and treat combat veterans suffering from PTSD

An innovative program to identify and treat combat veterans suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder - but who have not sought treatment - has been started by U.S.VETS, the nation's largest nonprofit devoted to providing housing and other services to homeless and at-risk veterans.

29 Dec 2010

Amygdala may contribute to rich, varied social life among humans: Scientists

Scientists have discovered that the amygdala, a small almond shaped structure deep within the temporal lobe, is important to a rich and varied social life among humans. The finding was published this week in a new study in Nature Neuroscience and is similar to previous findings in other primate species, which compared the size and complexity of social groups across those species.

27 Dec 2010

Delayed sex among couples leads to better marriages

While there are still couples who wait for a deep level of commitment before having sex, today it's far more common for two people to explore their sexual compatibility before making long-term plans together.

23 Dec 2010

Brain regions that 'fire up' due to suppression of automatic behaviour

Research from York University is revealing which regions in the brain "fire up" when we suppress an automatic behaviour such as the urge to look at other people as we enter an elevator.

23 Dec 2010

Novel method to analyze fatigue through speech

What can scientists learn from watching a group of people sitting around, chatting, playing movies, reading, and happily making new friends? Quite a lot, says University of Melbourne, Australia acoustician Adam Vogel, who carefully observed this sort of group in a fatigue management study he and his colleagues describe this month in The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America.

22 Dec 2010

Ketamine tried on college students in experiments sparks outrage

Department of Psychiatry at Cambridge University designed experiments to investigate treatment methods for schizophrenia. Like schizophrenics who sometimes believe that external objects have become part of their body, injection of ketamine – an anesthetic agent also produces similar feelings. Ketamine is a hallucinogenic drug.

22 Dec 2010

Ability to recognize and remember faces peaks at age 30 to 34

Scientists have made the surprising discovery that our ability to recognize and remember faces peaks at age 30 to 34, about a decade later than most of our other mental abilities.

22 Dec 2010

86.9% of adults express support for melanoma genetic testing in minors

The vast majority of parents who tested positive for a genetic mutation that increases the risk of melanoma support genetic testing of their children or grandchildren.

22 Dec 2010

Smoking can increase pain severity in cancer patients

The relationship between smoking and cancer is well established. In a study published in the January 2011 issue of PAIN, researchers report evidence to suggest that cancer patients who continue to smoke despite their diagnosis experience greater pain than nonsmokers.

22 Dec 2010