Psychology News and Research

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

Study: Working during retirement is good for your health

A new study suggests that working full-time or part-time during retirement may be beneficial to your health, The New York Times reports.

20 Oct 2009

Brandeis psychologist receives the 2009 Baltes Foundation Award

The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) - the nation's largest interdisciplinary organization devoted to the field of aging - has chosen Brandeis University Professor Derek M. Isaacowitz, as the 2009 recipient of the Margret M. & Paul B. Baltes Foundation Award in Behavioral and Social Gerontology.

20 Oct 2009

Children restrained in belt-positioning booster seats less likely to get injured

A study released today in Pediatrics by The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia offers updated evidence that children ages 4 to 8 who are restrained in the rear seat of a car in a belt-positioning booster seat are 45 percent less likely to be injured in a crash compared with children using a seat belt alone. Furthermore, the study showed there was no difference in the level of protection offered by backless versus high back booster seats.

20 Oct 2009

Hunt in pairs to find a suitable date

Looking for success on the dating scene? MIT Sloan Assistant Professor Joshua M. Ackerman suggests it might be a good idea to bring a friend.

20 Oct 2009

Philips launches DirectLife fitness program to deliver health benefits

Philips is delivering on their commitment to be the leader in health and well-being with the launch of Philips DirectLife, a new customized, interactive fitness program that offers a fun and simple solution to people eager to adopt a more active lifestyle.

20 Oct 2009

Children with history of diabetic ketoacidosis may have memory problems

Children who have had an episode of diabetic ketoacidosis, a common complication of diabetes, may have persistent memory problems, according to a new study from researchers at the UC Davis Center for Mind and Brain.

19 Oct 2009

Federal grant for ecstasy research

A so-called "club drug" - typically not used all that often by those who take it - can still have the potential to cause a lot of damage among some users, say University of Cincinnati researchers. Trials are underway to trace the effects of ecstasy and to see who's most at risk. The study is supported by $471,000 in federal stimulus funds awarded by the National Institutes of Health and spread out over two years.

19 Oct 2009

Cultural frameworks and institutional practices for quality health care

As health care moves to the forefront of the national discourse, new research in the social sciences argues that the health of the population and the success or failure of many public health initiatives hinges as much on cultural and social factors as it does on doctors, facilities, or drugs.

19 Oct 2009

Psychology researchers reveal the importance of peripheral vision

Two Kansas State University psychology researchers have found that although central vision allows our eyes to discern the details of a scene, our peripheral vision is most important for telling us what type of scene we're looking at in the first place, such as whether it is a street, a mountain or a kitchen.

19 Oct 2009

Exercise prevents memory decline post brain radiation treatments

Exercise is a key factor in improving both memory and mood after whole-brain radiation treatments in rodents, according to data presented by Duke University scientists at the Society for Neuroscience meeting.

19 Oct 2009

New virtual reality training programme test perceptual skills of rugby players

Team members from Ulster Rugby have been working with researchers in the School of Psychology at Queen's on a range of virtual training scenarios that test expert players' perceptual skills.

15 Oct 2009

Research to investigate and improve patient adherence to prescription drug therapies

CVS Caremark is sponsoring research to investigate patient adherence to prescription drug therapies and identify ways to increase adherence. Working with researchers from Harvard and Brigham and Women's Hospital, the company expects knowledge gained from the research will help health professionals better understand patient behavior and lead to developing programs that health care providers and pharmacies can use to improve medication adherence and ultimately help improve patient care and medical outcomes by avoiding costly hospital treatment.

15 Oct 2009

NHC Geriatric Clinical Residency Program receives accreditation

National HealthCare Corporation, one of the nation’s leading operators of long-term health care and assisted living facilities, announced today that the NHC Geriatric Clinical Residency Program (GCRP) for Physical Therapists has successfully received accreditation through the American Physical Therapy Association.

15 Oct 2009

Gelotophobia has no cultural barriers

Laughter is an emotional expression that is innate in human beings. This means laughing at others is also believed to be a universal phenomenon. However, the fear of being laughed at causes some people enormous problems in their social lives. This is known as gelotophobia, a disorder that affects people in all cultures alike.

15 Oct 2009

Five research teams receive $2.4 million to help breast cancer survivors

A total of $2.4 million has been awarded to five research teams in the Canadian Breast Cancer Research Alliance/Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation Special Research Competition on Psychosocial Aspects of Breast Cancer.

15 Oct 2009

Women with breast cancer can improve their mental health through Transcendental Meditation technique

Women with breast cancer reduced stress and improved their mental health and emotional well being through the Transcendental Meditation technique, according to a new study published in the current issue of the peer-reviewed Integrative Cancer Therapies (Vol. 8, No. 3: September 2009).

14 Oct 2009

Study: Psychiatrists can distinguish competent defendants from incompetent ones

Court cases across America often feature expert testimony that offers conflicting conclusions. When this happens in cases involving psychiatric expertise, does it mean that one side or the other is necessarily being less than honest?

14 Oct 2009

Monkeys experience similar uncanny valley effect like humans

Princeton University researchers have come up with a new twist on the mysterious visual phenomenon experienced by humans known as the "uncanny valley." The scientists have found that monkeys sense it too.

14 Oct 2009

National study shows people who work after retiring experience fewer major diseases

Retirees who transition from full-time work into a temporary or part-time job experience fewer major diseases and are able to function better day-to-day than people who stop working altogether, according to a national study. And the findings were significant even after controlling for people's physical and mental health before retirement.

14 Oct 2009

Doctors and scientists form national pain research centre

An expert network of doctors and research scientists is forming the world's first national centre for research into understanding pain in arthritis. Backed by medical research charity the Arthritis Research Campaign and The University of Nottingham, it will aim to improve treatments for arthritis - the most common cause of chronic pain - which affects more than ten million people in the UK.

12 Oct 2009