Psychology News and Research

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

Neural differences may help explain prevalence of mental disorders in boys

Many mental health disorders, such as autism and schizophrenia, produce changes in social behavior or interactions. The frequency and/or severity of these disorders is substantially greater in boys than girls, but the biological basis for this difference between the two sexes is unknown.

18 Nov 2010

Researchers use brain images to identify neural signature of achieving 'positive emotional attractor'

Effective coaching can lead to smoothly functioning organizations, better productivity and potentially more profit. In classrooms, better student performance can occur. Doctors or nurses can connect more with patients. So, doing coaching right would seem to be a natural goal, and it has been a major topic of research at Case Western Reserve University's Weatherhead School of Management since 1990.

18 Nov 2010

History of child abuse linked to alcohol abuse in women

Women who suffered sexual or physical abuse as children are more likely to abuse alcohol than are others, according to a new study of 3,680 women.

18 Nov 2010

Dim light at night linked to depression

Exposure to even dim light at night is enough to cause physical changes in the brains of hamsters that may be associated with depression, a new study shows.

18 Nov 2010

Special glasses to spot people at risk for PTSD

Around 30 percent of people surviving a traumatic event, such as a serious car crash, will go on to develop Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Doctors don't know who is susceptible and treating people who don't have PTSD can make things worse. However, new research by psychologist Dr Peter Naish, of the Open University, and his colleague Dr Ksenja da Silva, may help.

18 Nov 2010

Children's heart disease affects mental health of mothers

Mothers of children with severe heart disease are more likely to suffer from anxiety and depression than mothers of healthy children, even once any medical interventions are over.

18 Nov 2010

Obesity linked to heightened sense of smell for food

New research shows that obese and overweight people have a greater sense of smell for food. The study at the University of Portsmouth explains why some people struggle to stay slim. The researchers say that it is known that part of the brain that processes information about odour is also connected to the feeding centres of the brain. This study adds to the knowledge and is published in the journal Chemical Senses.

17 Nov 2010

Study finds infants' sleep associated with cognitive functions

At ages 1 and 1-1/2, children who get most of their sleep at night (as opposed to during the day) do better in a variety of skill areas than children who don't sleep as much at night.

16 Nov 2010

SMI launches high-speed remote eye tracker

Just in time for the SfN Neuroscience 2010 Conference in San Diego, USA, SMI launches the RED500. The RED500 is the world's first high-performance and high-speed remote eye tracker, with 500Hz sampling rate, binocular tracking and a large tracking range.

16 Nov 2010

Health IT reshaped veterans health; What will it do for 'mobile telephony'?

Health IT reshaped the United States system for caring for veterans, The Toronto Globe and Mail reports. "Ken Kizer is the miracle man of U.S. health care. Mr. Kizer brought in bold reform that transformed the vast and woeful Veterans Health Administration into an efficient, effective model institution with sky-high patient satisfaction. Starting in 1994, it took him five years to reduce costs and increase quality of care, while nearly doubling the number of patients."

15 Nov 2010

NIMH intramural researcher to receive National Medal of Science

National Institutes of Health intramural researcher Mortimer Mishkin, Ph.D., will be awarded the National Medal of Science at a White House ceremony later this month. Mishkin is chief of the National Institute of Mental Health's (NIMH) Section on Cognitive Neuroscience, and acting chief of its Laboratory of Neuropsychology.

15 Nov 2010

Researchers find structural deficits in gray matter may be associated with daytime sleepiness

Patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) may blame their daytime difficulties on simple sleepiness, but new research suggests that their brains may be to blame. Specifically, their cognitive challenges may be caused by structural deficits in gray matter, brought on by the intermittent oxygen deprivation that comes with OSA. The good news is that these deficits may be partially or fully reversible with early detection and treatment, according to Italian researchers

15 Nov 2010

Scientists find sleep helps consolidate memories

Scientists have found that sleep helps consolidate memories, fixing them in the brain so we can retrieve them later. Now, new research is showing that sleep also seems to reorganize memories, picking out the emotional details and reconfiguring the memories to help you produce new and creative ideas, according to the authors of an article in Current Directions in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.

15 Nov 2010

People with anxiety disorders require additional cardiac test: Study

People affected by anxiety and depression should receive an additional cardiac test when undergoing diagnosis for potential heart problems, according to a new study from Concordia University, the Universit- du Qu-bec - Montr-al and the Montreal Heart Institute.

12 Nov 2010

Weight bullying develops negative self image among children

Bullying about weight is not uncommon. Remuda Ranch Programs for Eating and Anxiety Disorders reports when children are teased about their weight, they are more reluctant to exercise or engage in physical activity.

12 Nov 2010

New report highlights effectiveness of bed rest for pregnant women

Despite lack of evidence about bed rest's effectiveness, doctors annually prescribe it for roughly 1 million pregnant women to delay preterm births. Judith Maloni, professor at the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing at Case Western Reserve University, said a comprehensive review of more than 70 evidence-based research articles challenges whether this is healthy for mothers or their babies.

12 Nov 2010

Tobii launches TX300 Eye Tracker for linguistics and behavioral research

Tobii Technology, the global market leader in eye tracking, announced today its new Tobii TX300™ Eye Tracker. The TX300 is the first higher-frequency eye-tracking hardware that allows research subjects the freedom of head movement, which helps scientists create more realistic testing environments for detailed and efficient research of natural behavior and higher definition samplings at 300 hertz.

11 Nov 2010

70% of Quebecers gamble

The initial findings of a survey on the prevalence of gambling in Quebec have been released. The study also deals with behavior problems associated with gambling. The study reveals that nearly 70 percent of Quebec adults report having bet or spent money on gambling during the previous 12 months. It also found Quebecers spend an average of $483 annually on gambling activities.

11 Nov 2010

Students perceive beer cans packaged and displayed in university colors as less dangerous

Underage and heavy drinking on college campuses continue to be issues for college administrators. While some campuses, such as the University of Missouri, have made strides in efforts to reduce heavy drinking on campus, administrators are continually trying to educate students about the risks of excessive drinking. Now, two MU psychologists have found that students who viewed images of beer cans packaged and displayed in university colors believed that drinking beer was less dangerous than those students who saw images of regular beer cans.

11 Nov 2010