Latest science news in Psychology & Sociology
All Terrain Vehicles: Gear Up Before Revving Up ATVs
Whether on vacation or out for recreation, many adults and children are hopping on ATVs for some warm weather fun. But ATVs are not toys.
New System Detects Dementia Risk Among Highly Educated Older Adults
A different cutoff point on an existing mental function assessment may more effectively assess the risk of dementia in highly educated older adults, according to a new article.
Culture and depression
The expectation that East-Asian people emphasize physical symptoms of depression (e.g. headaches, poor appetite or aches/pains in the body) is widely acknowledged, yet the few available empirical studies report mixed...
"Teen Sex" Rising for Cancer-Affected Tasmanian Devils
The animals are mating and dying younger in areas affected by an unusual, contagious cancer, a new study finds.
New study replicates association between genetic variation and antidepressant treatment response
Pharmacogenetics, the study of genetic variation that influences an individual's response to drugs, is an important and growing focus in all of medical research, including psychiatry. It is a...
Growing up amid war affects children's moral development
Colombian children living in war zones exhibited an understanding that stealing or hurting others is wrong. But when asked to consider revenge as a motive, many said it is acceptable...
Family Resources, Parenting Quality Influence Children's Early Cognitive Development
Mothers with greater social and economic resources were found to be more supportive parents than those with fewer resources, which in turn affected young children's cognitive performance. Conversely, children's cognitive...
Aggressive Preschoolers Found To Have Fewer Friends Than Others
Research has shown that as early as preschool, aggressive and inattentive children have fewer friends and difficulty establishing relationships with peers. It is noteworthy that in conducting this study, the...
Immigrant Youths Explore Identity In High School
Research conducted among 380 high school students from Asian and Latin American immigrant families revealed that many adolescents change the labels used to describe themselves from year to year. Teens...
Full-day Kindergarteners' Reading, Math Gains Fade By 3rd Grade
A new analysis of data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study Kindergarten Class of 1998-1999 found that the reading and math benefits experienced by full-day kindergarteners versus part-day kindergarteners diminished...
Parents Should Limit Young Children's Exposure To Background TV
Research conducted among 50 children ages 1, 2, and 3 found that background TV disrupted children's play and may be an environmental risk factor for most American children. A television...
Emma Brockes talks to a stroke victim and neuroanatomist about the left and right parts of the brain
It was only when Jill Bolte Taylor, a neuroanatomist, had a stroke at the age of 37, that she fully understood the huge gulf between the left and the right...
Sociological Research Shows Combined Impact Of Genetics, Social Factors On Delinquency
In one of the first studies to link molecular genetic variants to adolescent delinquency, sociological research identifies three genetic predictors -- of serious and violent delinquency -- that gain predictive...
Passive Learning Imprints On The Brain Just Like Active Learning
It's conventional wisdom that practice makes perfect. But if practicing only consists of watching, rather than doing, does that advance proficiency? Yes, according to a new study.
Closing Coal-fired Power Plants Improves Cognitive Development Of Children, New Study Suggests
Closing coal-fired power plants can have a direct, positive impact on children's cognitive development and health according to a new study. The study allowed researchers to compare the development of...
Language Without Numbers: Amazonian Tribe Has No Word To Express 'One,' Other Numbers
An Amazonian language with only 300 speakers has no word to express the concept of "one" or any other specific number, according to a new study from an MIT-led team.
Young adults with prehypertension are more likely to have atherosclerosis later in life
Prehypertension during young adulthood is common and is associated with subsequent coronary atherosclerosis, according to a study published in today's issue of Annals of Internal Medicine.
Perceived access to cigarettes predicts youth smoking
Kids who see cigarettes as easily accessible are more likely to end up as regular smokers, particularly if they have friends who smoke, according to a new report published in...
Even toddlers get it: Data 'chunks' are easier to remember
Which is easier to remember: 4432879960 or 443-297-9960? The latter, of course. Adults seem to know automatically, in fact, that long strings of numbers are more easily recalled when divided...
Battle of sex in genes and the brain
Sex is good for a lot of things. One of the most important is the way in which sex leads to a shuffling of the genetic cards in every individual....
Visual impairment may be associated with higher suicide risk
Visual impairment may be associated with an increased risk of suicide through its indirect negative effect on health, according to a report in the July issue of Archives of Ophthalmology.
When it comes to putting, Tiger and Nicklaus might not have best advice
Golfers who heed the advice of instructors to keep their heads perfectly still while putting may be hampering their game, according to a study that examined coordination patterns. The research...
The Nature of Fear
If you’re often paralyzed with worry and can’t utter a word in social situations, stop faulting your mother – your lack of intercalated (ITC) neurons is to blame. Neuroscientists from...
Baby's smile gives mom a natural high
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A baby's smile does more than warm a mother's heart -- it also lights up the reward centers of her brain, according to the results...
Science Extra: Ian McEwan on creativity
A full-length interview with novelist Ian McEwan, in which he discusses the differences between the creative process in art and science. Plus, poet Ruth Padel waxes lyrical about Charles Darwin
China demand for ivory tops talks
A proposal to allow China to import elephant ivory legally is among the issues to be discussed at a UN meeting in Geneva.
'Unlearning' important in business
A study has found that 'unlearning', the process of acknowledging and discarding old habits that are no longer effective, is helpful for companies changing procedures.
Brain at work during a good night's sleep
From a series of brain scans, scientists find evidence that 'sleeping on a problem' does work