Psychology News and Research

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

Study evaluates humor and laughter in patients with COPD

Having a sense of humor is associated with improved emotional functioning and an enhanced quality of life among patients with a chronic lung illness, but the actual act of laughing out loud can reduce lung function, at least in the short term, research suggests.

3 Aug 2011

Prison research to examine neural circuitry of criminal psychopaths

A leading University of Chicago researcher on empathy is launching a project to understand psychopathy by studying criminals in prisons.

2 Aug 2011

New insight into causes of pronoun confusion in autism

Autism is a mysterious developmental disease because it often leaves complex abilities intact while impairing seemingly elementary ones. For example, it is well documented that autistic children often have difficulty correctly using pronouns, sometimes referring to themselves as "you" instead of "I."

2 Aug 2011

New neurobehavioral model for obesity counseling

Current approaches to dietary counseling for obesity are heavily rooted in the notion of personal choice and will power - the ability to choose healthy foods and portion sizes consistent with weight loss while foregoing sweets and comfort foods.

1 Aug 2011

Chronic fatigue researchers bullied, intimidated by protesters

British researchers who were focusing on psychological and mental issues linked to chronic fatigue syndrome have received death threats from protesters angry at their research area. The condition termed myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) has been studied for many years now with unclear reasoning into its causation and pathology.

31 Jul 2011

Researchers cite stress from 'collective trauma' of terrorist attacks

The events of Sept. 11, 2001, changed the way Americans travel and view the world. They may also have made us sicker and more likely to access healthcare services, according to a new UC Irvine study.

30 Jul 2011

Motorcycle helmets may contribute to hearing loss

Motorcycle helmets, while protecting bikers' brains, may also be contributing to hearing loss. Scientists mapped the airflow and noise patterns to find out why.

30 Jul 2011

Physiological instability precedes an hour before naturally occurring panic attacks

Panic attacks that seem to strike sufferers out-of-the-blue are not without warning after all, according to new research.

28 Jul 2011

Roux-en-Y gastric bypass appears to reduce dietary fat intake

Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, the most common type of bariatric surgery in the United States, is currently considered the most effective therapy for morbid obesity.

28 Jul 2011

Yoga reduces symptoms of chronic pain in women with fibromyalgia

A new study by York University researchers finds that practicing yoga reduces the physical and psychological symptoms of chronic pain in women with fibromyalgia.

28 Jul 2011

Smokers are misinformed about safety and efficacy of nicotine replacement therapy

Nearly half of all smokers in the United States attempt to quit at least once per year, yet the majority of these efforts fail. One factor contributing to the low annual rate of successful cessation is that the majority of quit attempts are made without evidence-based treatment such as nicotine replacement therapy.

28 Jul 2011

Early intervention can prevent childhood anxiety: Macquarie colloquium series

Join Professor Ron Rapee, Director of the Centre for Emotional Health, who will be sharing his insights about risk factors for anxiety in one of society’s most vulnerable groups – children.

28 Jul 2011

ADHD severity impacts child's health-related quality of life

The greater the severity of a child's Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) symptoms, the more negative impacts on the child's health-related quality of life from the perspective of the child and the parent, a new study by a Baylor University psychologist has found.

28 Jul 2011

Cardiac rehab can prolong patients' lives and reduce risk of second heart attack

Twenty-eight year-old Alex Holton is an active young Torontonian, but five years ago, shortly after receiving life-saving heart surgery, Alex Holton was unsure he'd ever be active again.

28 Jul 2011

Innovative MD leadership program for medical students

The first medical students enrolled in SELECT, an innovative program designed to educate the physician leaders of the future, will arrive on the USF Health campus this week.

27 Jul 2011

Interpersonal relationships in individuals with generalized anxiety disorder: Study

Most people worry from time to time. A new research study, led by a Case Western Reserve University faculty member in psychology, also shows that worrying can be so intrusive and obsessive that it interferes in the person's life and endangers the health of social relationships.

27 Jul 2011

Less than 10% on a diet actually lose weight!

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26 Jul 2011

Interesting look at gender issues: AskMen/Cosmo survey results

According to the latest survey results revealed Tuesday, men are more concerned with their partner's body type than women but they also seem to value family more highly. Nearly half of men questioned in the poll of 70,000 people said they would ditch a partner who gained weight, compared to only 20 percent of women. Two-third of men also said they had fantasized about their partner's friends, while only one-third of women had done so.

26 Jul 2011

Wealthiest countries most depressed!

The average age at onset of depression was nearly two years younger in low-income countries, the investigators found. Women were twice as likely as men to suffer depression, and the major contributing factor was loss of a partner because of death, divorce or separation.

26 Jul 2011

BUSM researchers find risk factors for PTSS among OEF/OIF male, female veterans

Researchers affiliated with Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have found that risk factors for post-traumatic stress symptomatology (PTSS) among Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF)/Operational Iraqi Freedom (OIF) male veterans were relatively similar to what was observed in a prior group of Vietnam veterans.

26 Jul 2011