Latest science news in Psychology & Sociology
Published reports inaccurate concerning alcohol consumption during pregnancy
A national alcohol research group is concerned that the media's misinterpretation of a recent British research study could encourage pregnant women to be more at ease with temperate alcohol consumption...
Possible Genetic Causes Of Borderline Personality Disorder Identified
Scientists have found that genetic material on chromosome nine was linked to BPD features, a disorder characterized by pervasive instability in moods, interpersonal relationships, self-image and behavior, and can lead...
Autism And Schizophrenia Share Common Origin, Review Suggests
The first month of pregnancy forms the basis for disrupted development that can have life-long implications. Schizophrenia and autism probably share a common origin, hypothesizes researchers following an extensive literature...
Woman gets near-total face transplant in Cleveland
CLEVELAND (AP) -- Her injuries were ghastly: no nose, no palate, no way to eat or breathe on her own, a face so hideous that children...
Ho-ho hokum? Gift products that claim to boost health and well-being
Chocolates that lift mood. Lamps that bust stress. Shoes that shed pounds. Can these gifts be for real? ...
Girls Have Superior Sense Of Taste To Boys
The findings of the world's largest study so far on the ability of children and young people to taste and what they like have now been published. Findings include: girls...
New method of scoring IQ tests benefits children with intellectual disabilities
Parents of children with intellectual disabilities have long been frustrated by intelligence quotient (IQ) testing that tells them little to nothing about the long-term learning potential of their children...
Abused women seek more infant health care
Pregnant women who experience intimate partner violence (IPV) before, during or after pregnancy often suffer adverse health effects, including depression, post traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and chronic mental illness. Now,...
Reward-stress link points to new targets for treating addiction
Rewarding and stressful signals don't seem to have much in common. But researchers studying diseases ranging from drug addiction to anxiety disorders are finding that the brain's reward and stress...
Is holiday giving an obligation?
Why do we suddenly become generous during the holidays? Why do gifts often bear greater symbolic than economic value? Why do we anonymously give to strangers?...
A catalyst for families: Experts comment on importance of Christmas dinner
The menu might be different and families might be smaller, but Christmas remains among the most important holidays. 'It is sacred,' says Universite de Montreal Psychologist Luc Brunet. 'It's part...
The way people walked across 'wobbly' bridge led to swaying
The way people walked across London's "wobbly" bridge led to the swaying which marred its opening, a study suggests.
Electronic Prescribing System May Encourage Physicians To Choose Lower-cost Drugs
Clinicians using an electronic prescribing system appear more likely to prescribe lower-cost medications, reducing drug spending, according to a new report.
When It's More Than The 'Terrible Twos'
Could those toddler tantrums be a sign of a more serious developmental problem? A researcher explains more about regressive autistic spectrum disorder, which describes children who have been diagnosed with...
Personal Health: For the Office Visit, 10 Questions on Alcohol Abuse
A test that has proved highly accurate in identifying older people with alcohol-related problems.
Get Along Without a Pinkie? It’s Tougher Than You Might Think
The pinkie, the humble fifth finger, has long been viewed as a decorative accessory, but it should be respected.
Mind: A Crisis of Confidence for Masters of the Universe
It is too soon to gauge the true psychiatric consequences of the economic debacle, but the crisis is leaving its mark on individuals.
Another view: 'Dog listener' Stan Rawlinson on Dean Spanley
Another view: Dean Spanley is a little like Scrooge with a twist: he is visited by memories of his previous life as a dog
Autism study: Fears for the future
When Margaret Martin's son Noah goes down a slide, someone has to be at the top, someone at the bottom and, preferably, a third person standing by to help. Noah...
Technological advances improve sound of music for hearing-impaired children
When Rachel Skergan was diagnosed with congenital deafness shortly after she was born, her parents made a choice that would alter her life: She would not be taught to sign...
Discrimination and Abuse Linked to Higher Rates of Pregnancy Among LGB Teens
(PhysOrg.com) -- Lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) teens in British Columbia are at a higher risk of pregnancy because of discrimination, sexual abuse and harassment compared to heterosexual teens, according...
Going outside -- even in the cold -- improves memory, attention
(PhysOrg.com) -- Go outside: It helps improve your focus—even when it's cold out. University of Michigan psychology research in the December issue of Psychological Science explored the cognitive benefits of...
New research shows how horses recognise their neighbours
(PhysOrg.com) -- A new study into how horses recognise members of the same herd suggests that it's not just humans who use complex memory processes to identify each other.
Real-time gene monitoring developed
Imagine having GeneVision: the uncanny ability to view the activity of any chosen gene in real time through a specially modified camera.
Dude, Where's My Bacon Cheeseburger?
As much as you might like to believe that eating bacon cheeseburgers three times a day (no buns) will magically transform you (and your buns) into a sizzling piece of...
Controversy and transformation at KwaZulu-Natal university
Is a South African row over academic freedom rooted in objections to post-apartheid reforms or to abrasive management, asks Sharon Davis.
Use Weights, Not Aerobics, To Ease Back Pain, Study Suggests
People who use weight training to ease their lower back pain are better off than those who choose other forms of exercise such as jogging.
Decline in Scotland's corncrakes
The number of corncrakes in Scotland falls for the first time in a decade, according to RSPB Scotland.