Psychology News and Research

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

How do newcomers make changes in long-standing groups?

Virtually everyone who joins a new group is sensitive to the fact that, as a newcomer, he or she must tread carefully for a while, keeping a low profile until becoming sufficiently integrated into the group.

23 Jul 2007

Non-suicidal self-injury common in high-school students

Non-Suicidal Self-Injury the deliberate, direct destruction of body tissue without conscious suicidal intent is a relatively common occurrence for adolescents in high school, a new study suggests.

20 Jul 2007

New study on breast feeding and post natal depression

The commonly held belief that mothers suffering from post natal depression will not be able to breastfeed has been challenged by research from the University of Leicester, which also suggests that the manner in which current breastfeeding promotion strategies are communicated may contribute to feelings of guilt and fears of inadequacy by mothers suffering from depression.

20 Jul 2007

Children's memory of long-ago events may be more accurate than previously thought

Children's memories of events that occurred long ago may be more accurate than their recollections of events that took place recently.

20 Jul 2007

Lubert Stryer wins National Medal of Science

Neurobiologist Lubert Stryer, MD, of the Stanford University School of Medicine, will receive the nation's highest scientific honor, the National Medal of Science, for his achievements in a wide range of fields that included the development of a DNA chip used in genetics.

19 Jul 2007

Effectiveness of tailored health messages

Each day, people are bombarded with hundreds of messages, whether it?s through television, e-mail, the Internet or radio.

18 Jul 2007

Eating disorders patients are likely to abuse Alli

Eating disorders patients are likely to abuse Alli, the first over-the-counter diet drug approved by the FDA, predicts a Saint Louis Behavioral Medicine Institute psychologist who specializes in treating these patients.

18 Jul 2007

Girl talk can create more problems than it solves

According to a new study by researchers at the University of Missouri, when young girls share their problems with their friends they increase their risk of developing anxiety and depression.

16 Jul 2007

Prospective associations of co-rumination with friendship and emotional adjustment

A researcher at the University of Missouri-Columbia has found that girls who talk very extensively about their problems with friends are likely to become more anxious and depressed.

16 Jul 2007

Children with Tourette's better at mental grammar skills

Children with Tourette's syndrome may have to put up with some unwanted movement and verbal tics, but neuroscientists at Georgetown University Medical Center and the Kennedy Krieger Institute have found that they are much quicker at processing certain mental grammar skills than are children without the disorder.

16 Jul 2007

Drinking behaviour is affected by culture, upbringing and the immediate social environment.

Men, extrovert people and those with positive expectations regarding alcohol use drink more than others, says Dutch psychologist Sander Bot.

13 Jul 2007

Emotional memories can be suppressed with practice

A new University of Colorado at Boulder study shows people have the ability to suppress emotional memories with practice, which has implications for those suffering from conditions ranging from post-traumatic stress disorder to depression.

13 Jul 2007

Genes play a large role in sour taste perception

Scientists at the Monell Chemical Senses Center report that genes play a large role in determining individual differences in sour taste perception.

12 Jul 2007

How many simple objects can you think about at once?

Even though people feel they have rich visual experiences, researchers have found that the average person is only aware of about four items at a time.

12 Jul 2007

A genetically informed study of the intergenerational transmission of marital instability

The first study to examine genetics as a culprit in the higher-than-usual divorce rate among children of divorced parents found that the parents' divorce itself, not genes or even problems such as parental substance abuse or delinquency, played a key role in the failed unions.

12 Jul 2007

Kids who prefer evenings are more likely to exhibit antisocial behavior

A propensity for activities in the evening rather than in the morning may offer clues to behavioral problems in early adolescence, according to psychologists who have found that kids who prefer evenings are more likely to exhibit antisocial behavior, rule-breaking, and attention problems.

11 Jul 2007