Latest science news in Psychology & Sociology
Triple-Murder Stuns Silicon Valley Firm
A fatal workplace shooting has saddened friends, colleagues, and family members, and left Silicon Valley employees shook up.
Political temperature may be just right for healthcare overhaul
Experts say the nation's hard times may paradoxically quicken a sweeping reform of the healthcare system. ...
Research on low-income homeowners suggests need for support after home purchase
Programs that help low-income and minority individuals and families purchase a home may be doing more harm than good, according to a Kansas State University economist.
Study examines working couple's retirement patterns
When retiring, men are more likely than women to move directly from work to retirement, but overall the retirement patterns for dual-income married couples are complex and call for additional...
New tool trains athlete brains to react 53 percent faster
All great athletes know that in order to perform well, they can't just depend on their physical capabilities. Speed and efficiency in decision-making are just as essential. Two researchers from...
Rats identify specific sounds in noisy environments
A study conducted on hundreds of rats could help us understand how the brain identifies specific sounds in a noisy environment. The investigation, soon to be published in the journal...
Researchers report on how to improve long-term learning
Combine the aphorisms that 'practice makes perfect' and 'timing is everything' into one and you might get something resembling findings published in this month's issue of Psychological Science. Proper spacing...
The Psychology Of Deja Vu
All of us have experienced being in a new place and feeling certain that we have been there before. A new report published in Current Directions in Psychological Science describes...
Sex appeal of Action Man scars revealed
They give Action Man a certain ruggedness and bestow instant testosterone on movie heroes, but according to psychologists, facial scars can also make men more attractive to the opposite sex.
Color perception shifts from right brain to left
(AP) -- Learning the name of a color changes the part of the brain that handles color perception.
Taboo Lifts on Sex in Nursing Homes
Researchers hope to help nursing homes accommodate sex of residents.
Scientists self-censor in response to political controversy
A survey of scientists whose studies became the focus of a public debate about NIH grant funding has found that many of them engaged in self-censorship as a result of...
TWAS calls for one per cent GDP investment in science
On its 25th anniversary, TWAS has called on governments to put science at the centre of their policy-making.
Discovery of a "Transsexual Gene" Raises More Questions Than Answers
A few weeks ago, Hanna Rosin's wrenching and well-researched article about young transsexuals—including a girl named Bridget (née Brandon), whose first words were "I like your high heels"—zipped around the...
'I am actually afraid of myself': Teen pleads for more services
A teenager who is battling depression and an eating disorder says the Newfoundland and Labrador government has to provide more services to young people with mental illnesses.
Two-tier home care in wings, NDP fears
The VON's withdrawal from a government-paid home support program proves the government needs to move quickly to protect low-income residents, the leader of the NDP says.
Survey Highlights Support For Nanotech In Health Fields But Disapproval Elsewhere
A landmark national survey on the use of nanotechnology for "human enhancement" shows widespread public support for applications of the new technology related to improving human health. However, the survey...
Helping Children And Teens Deal With Stress In An Uncertain Time
A psychologist whose research focuses on the relationship between psychological thriving and coping processes during major life transitions says that in these uncertain times, children of any age, including teens,...
Children Distressed By Family Fighting Have Higher Stress Hormones
A new study found that children who are very distressed when their parents fight have higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Distress, hostility, and level of involvement parental arguments...
Zune could lend Microsoft a rare rhythm infusion
(AP) -- A video for the title track on hip-hop veteran Common's forthcoming album, "Universal Mind Control," begins with a digital music player pulsing to the beat. The viewer...
Britain shelves organ donor opt-out plan
LONDON, Nov. 17 (UPI) -- British Health Secretary Alan Johnson said Monday he supports an organ donor task force recommendation against an opt-out system for organ donation.
How is our left brain is different from our right?
Since the historical discovery of the speech center in the left cortex in 150 years ago, functional differences between left and right hemisphere have been well known; language is mainly...
Prof: 'Twilight' film may really bring vampires to life for some
The upcoming "Twilight" film may not only entertain moviegoers, but it also has the potential to encourage people to really believe in vampires, says a Purdue University mass media expert.
Non-white med students reject therapies associated with their culture
Non-white medical students are more likely to embrace orthodox medicine and reject therapies traditionally associated with their cultures. That is one finding from an international study that measures the...
Award-Winning Researcher Says Relationships with News Media, Public Are Critical
Relationships between scientists and the news media have evolved tremendously over the past 25 years, and scientists should continue to improve communications with both the media and the lay public,...
Health office warns against tanning drug
LONDON, Nov. 17 (UPI) -- British residents craving a suntan are jeopardizing their health by injecting themselves with an illegal tanning drug, health officials said Monday.
Your body is mine
A new experiment indicates that, under the right circumstances, people feel like they have swapped bodies with someone else
Virtual ears and the cocktail party effect
(PhysOrg.com) -- Oxford University research has helped understanding of the so-called ‘cocktail party effect` - how our brains develop the ability to pinpoint and focus on particular sounds among...