Psychology News and Research

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

HRT boosts libido but not memory

Hormone therapy in early post-menopause increases sexual interest, but does not improve memory, according to a study in the Sept. 25 issue of the journal Neurology.

25 Sep 2007

Genetic risk for fetal alcohol spectrum disorder identified

New research in primates suggests that infants and children who carry a certain gene variant may be more vulnerable to the ill effects of fetal alcohol exposure.

24 Sep 2007

Growth hormone does not improve physical performance

Anyone who injects growth hormone with the intention of gaining muscle mass and improving performance should think again.

24 Sep 2007

Brain atrophy in elderly leads to unintended racism, depression and problem gambling

In a study appearing in the October issue of Current Directions in Psychological Science, University of Queensland psychologist, Bill von Hippel, reports that decreased inhibitory ability in late adulthood can lead to unintended prejudice, social inappropriateness, depression, and gambling problems.

24 Sep 2007

Sensitivity of brain center for 'sound space' defined

While the visual regions of the brain have been intensively mapped, many important regions for auditory processing remain “uncharted territory.”

21 Sep 2007

Legal proceedings can be calming and supportive

It may seem that therapy and law do not share a common bond, but one University of Arizona law professor is making that connection by developing a body of knowledge to prove that legal proceedings can be calming and supportive.

21 Sep 2007

Exercise as effective for depression as drugs

A study of adults suffering from depression has found that regular exercise is just as effective as medication for improving symptoms.

20 Sep 2007

Higher education brings healthier behaviors

Both education and income can determine whether a person will remain healthy, but those who stay in school longer have the best odds, largely because education so strongly influences income, say the authors of a new study.

18 Sep 2007

Grapheme-color synaesthesia

A psychological phenomenon known as "grapheme-color synaesthesia" describes individuals who experience vivid colors whenever they see, hear, or think of ordinary letters and digits.

18 Sep 2007

Most children with cancer are well-adjusted expert says

Children under treatment for cancer are generally emotionally well-adjusted and no more depressed or anxious than other children their age, according to researchers at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

18 Sep 2007

Early childbearing, marital status, and women's health and mortality after age 50

Women who have their first child before age 20 are at a higher risk of chronic diseases and death when they reach middle age, a new study shows.

18 Sep 2007

Chronic stress can steal years from caregivers' lifetimes

The chronic stress that spouses and children develop while caring for Alzheimer's disease patients may shorten the caregivers' lives by as much as four to eight years, a new study suggests.

18 Sep 2007

Goals in Action program shows promise in helping struggling students

What can colleges and universities do to help their low-performing students set and attain higher academic goals while transitioning successfully to campus life?

18 Sep 2007

Cell death in sparrow brains may provide clues in age-related human diseases

A remarkable change takes place in the brains of tiny songbirds every year, and some day the mechanism controlling that change may help researchers develop treatments for age-related degenerative diseases of the brain such as Parkinson's and dementia.

18 Sep 2007

Attentional adhesion to mates and rivals

Whether we are seeking a mate or sizing up a potential rival, good-looking people capture our attention nearly instantaneously and render us temporarily helpless to turn our eyes away from them, according to a new Florida State University study.

18 Sep 2007

Ringxiety - phantom rings from your cell phone

A new study found that two thirds of the people surveyed, reported hearing their phone ring or feeling it vibrate when it had not actually rung.

17 Sep 2007

New findings on visual perception

International research co-led by professor Alejandro Maiche, of the Department of Basic, Evolutionary and Educational Psychology at the UAB, has put forward the hypothesis that the brain responds to the possibility that two objects might collide, in a different way to how it would react to two objects in movement with divergent trajectories.

13 Sep 2007