Psychology News and Research

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

Virtual reality appears to dramatically change how the brain physically registers pain

The work, which used a specialized type of magnetic resonance imaging to track pain-related brain activity, showed drops of as much as 97 percent in such activity in some brain centers. The study marks the first time that scientists have documented a link between virtual reality and pain reduction in terms of an actual physiological response.

21 Jun 2004

Second language that can be learned quickly and with amazing ease

The study, which is one of the first to look at how fast second-language words are learned and how the brain responds to words with increasing experience with the new language, was published June 13 in the on-line edition of the journal Nature Neuroscience.

15 Jun 2004

Being bilingual helps keep the brain sharper with age

Most will agree that two heads are better than one in solving problems. The same logic may be true for language and retaining cognitive processes as we age. Being fluent in two languages seems to prevent some of the cognitive decline seen in same-age monolingual speaking persons, according to the findings of a study appearing in this month’s journal of Psychology and Aging.

14 Jun 2004

Research looks at why people gamble

The team is investigating what causes people to become gamblers and what causes the shift from social or recreational gambling to problem gambling.

14 Jun 2004

New insights into the way the brain blends and balances information from different senses

New research has found that the brain continues to accept ambiguous visual information about an object in motion even when it conflicts with more reliable information that we can touch.

12 Jun 2004

Study finds sports injuries preventable through psychology

A University of Auckland PhD student has shown that psychology has an important part to play in injury vulnerability for sportspeople and their ability to recover.

3 Jun 2004

Treating post-traumatic stress disorder

Trinity Western University researchers are conducting comparative studies for three treatments of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) that, in the last 10 years, have helped reduce and eliminate PTSD symptoms in female victims of sexual assault.

2 Jun 2004

Why do grandparents systemically prefer some grandchildren to others?

“Maternal grandmothers are closer to their grandchildren than other grandparents. The next closest relationship between grandparents and grandchildren is by maternal grandfathers, then paternal grandmothers and, last of all, paternal grandfathers.”

2 Jun 2004

Perfectionism bad for your health

York University psychology professor Gordon Flett says that perfectionists are prone to health problems because they are under constant stress.

2 Jun 2004

Australian researchers to help people overcome their phobias

What do spiders, heights and elevators have in common? All three can make some people sick to the stomach with fear.

1 Jun 2004

Discovery that body temperature has a vital role in the onset of sleep

Insomnia affects up to a quarter of the population in Australia and can have a severe impact on the quality of life and health of long term chronic sufferers, who often cannot stay alert enough to remain in the workforce.

28 May 2004

Genes and family support can buffer children against behavioral problems for which poverty puts them at risk

According to a new study, the genes and warm support received from parents also can buffer these children against many of the cognitive and behavioral problems for which poverty puts them at risk. The findings are published in the May issue of the journal Child Development.

26 May 2004

In the years between adolescence and adulthood, about three men die for every woman

In the years at the dangerous border between adolescence and adulthood, about three men die for every woman, according to a new University of Michigan study of the ratio of male to female mortality rates in 20 nations, including the United States.

25 May 2004

Children's behaviour is linked to contact with real father

The importance of a father figure in children's lives has been demonstrated by a new study of families with separated parents in Bristol.

25 May 2004

Food colourings and preservatives make kids hyperactive

Artificial food colourings and preservatives have a "significant" impact on hyperactivity levels in very young children, finds research in Archives of Disease in Childhood.

25 May 2004

Statistics show 81 percent of 10 year-olds are afraid of being fat, while 72 percent of 7 year-olds are dieting

Statistics show 81 percent of 10 year-olds are afraid of being fat, while 72 percent of 7 year-olds are dieting. Research also indicates that young girls would rather be dead than fat. In the U.S., the number of children with eating disorders and related issues continues to increase.

24 May 2004