Psychology News and Research

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

Sensing and following motion

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have shed new light on how the brain and eye team up to spot an object in motion and follow it, a classic question of human motor control.

29 Jun 2007

How mentally ill patients' own perceptions affect their well-being

Each year, one in four U.S. adults suffers from a diagnosable mental disorder according to the National Institute of Mental Health.

29 Jun 2007

Prospective predictors of long-term abstinence versus relapse among smokers who quit as young adults

A non-smoking spouse and smoke-free workplace play key roles in long-term success for young adults who quit smoking, according to Indiana University research, which found environmental factors to be more influential than individual behaviors and beliefs when it comes to kicking the habit.

29 Jun 2007

Delinquency in children now linked to biology

How do sweet children turn into delinquents seemingly right before our eyes. A unique study appearing in the June issue of Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, shows that, in children, a highly reactive autonomic nervous system, which regulates our cardiovascular, digestive and respiratory functions, paired with a stressful family environment leads to increased instances of maladaptive personality change.

29 Jun 2007

Toddlers learn first words better from people than TV

Toddlers learn their first words better from people than from Teletubbies, according to new research at Wake Forest University.

28 Jun 2007

Mothers' second-hand smoke exposure while pregnant linked to children's ADHD

Children whose mothers were exposed to second-hand smoke while they were pregnant have more symptoms of serious psychological problems compared to the offspring of women who had no prenatal exposure to smoke, according to a new University of Washington study.

28 Jun 2007

Emotions can affect recovery from hip surgery

A patient's emotional state plays a significant role in his or her recovery from hip surgery, suggests Saint Louis University research published this month.

27 Jun 2007

Print and phone programs help increase physical activity

As Americans struggle to become more physically active, simple programs that provide feedback and motivation can play a crucial role in getting people off to a good start, according to a study of the July issue of Health Psychology.

27 Jun 2007

Emotional state plays a significant role in recovery from hip surgery

A patient's emotional state plays a significant role in his or her recovery from hip surgery, suggests Saint Louis University research published this month.

27 Jun 2007

Thirsty Thursdays - Problematic alcohol use on college campuses

The high prevalence of problematic alcohol use on college campuses across the United States is well known.

26 Jun 2007

Link between teenage violence and domestic violence

Adolescents who engaged in violent behavior at a relatively steady rate through their teenage years and those whose violence began in their mid teens and increased over the years are significantly more likely to engage in domestic violence in their mid 20s than other young adults, according to a new University of Washington study.

26 Jun 2007

Neurological reason for doing mindfulness meditation

Talking with a therapist or friend, writing in a journal, help us to feel better! A new brain imaging study by UCLA psychologists reveals why verbalizing our feelings makes our sadness, anger and pain less intense.

23 Jun 2007

Racial disparities in the U.S.

How much do white Americans think it “costs” to be black in our society, given the problems associated with racial bias and prejudice?

23 Jun 2007

Two complementary commanders in charge of the brain

A probe of the upper echelons of the human brain's chain-of-command has found strong evidence that there are not one but two complementary commanders in charge of the brain, according to neuroscientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

20 Jun 2007

Specific behaviors have an effect on adolescents self-perceived age

A Canadian study has confirmed what parents have long suspected: dating, sexual activity and substance use seem to make teens feel older than they really are. And, as adolescents get older, the gap between their chronological age and their self-perceived age widens.

19 Jun 2007

Autistic children have a capacity to understand other people through stereotypes

The research shows that autistic children are just as able as others to predict people's behaviour when stereotypes, such as gender and race, are the only available guide.

19 Jun 2007

Dreaming about sex .....we all do!

Canadian researchers say men and women have the same amount of dreams of a sexual nature.

18 Jun 2007

Exposure to smokers in movies increases likelihood of smoking in the future

A new study appearing in the July issue of Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, reports that watching an actor smoke on the big screen may make smokers more likely to continue smoking in the future, and make nonsmokers more favorably disposed toward smoking.

17 Jun 2007

Gaps in diabetes care identified

A symposium, sponsored by the American Journal of Nursing (AJN) in collaboration with the American Diabetes Association, the American Association of Diabetes Educators, Joslin Diabetes Center and the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing identified barriers to, and strategies for, more effective diabetes self management and reaffirmed the nurse's critical role to facilitate better patient self care.

17 Jun 2007