Latest science news in Psychology & Sociology
Support For Masters Of Science
Professional science master's degree programs are vital and must be funded, NRC report states
Fear Factor: Dopamine May Fuel Dread, Too [News]
A brain chemical linked to pleasure and depression may also trigger fear, according to a new study. Researchers say this may explain why the neurotransmitter dopamine, known to cause addictive...
Who Dares Sings, And Who Sings Wins: Bold Birds Get The Girl
Humans often choose partners based on behavioural keys that are displayed during social interactions. The way we behave in different social contexts can reflect personality traits or temperament that may...
Game characters get smarter and less predictable
(AP) -- In the upcoming video game "Star Wars: The Force Unleashed," the evil Stormtroopers are smart enough to keep players guessing.
Scientists Generally Happy With Their Media Interaction
Scientists and journalists get along much better than the anecdotal 'horror stories' would lead us to believe, according to new research published in the journal Science, which has found that...
Fitness: Samba Lines at the Gym
Zumba, the exercise class defined by its Latin rhythms, is a cardio-dance workout with a party atmosphere.
Psychiatric Group Faces Scrutiny Over Drug Industry Ties
Probing into the financial relationship between drug companies and psychiatrists, senators are demanding that the American Psychiatric Association give an accounting of its financing.
Children are naturally prone to be empathic and moral
Children between the ages of seven and 12 appear to be naturally inclined to feel empathy for others in pain, according to researchers at the University of Chicago, who used...
Ben Goldacre: Testing the plausibility effect
Ben Goldacre: Week in, week out, we see apparently scientific claims being made as if they were based on evidence, when in reality they are based on nothing more than...
Autism Genes That Control Early Learning [News]
A new genetic analysis of large, inbred Middle Eastern families found that genes linked to a heightened risk of autism are crucial to a child's ability to learn.
Binge Drinking Tied To Conditions In The College Environment
Heavy alcohol use, or binge drinking, among college students in the United States is tied to conditions in the college environment. The review of a landmark 14-year study cites factors...
Dog Meat Off Menus During Olympics
Canine cuisine is being sent to the doghouse during next month's Beijing Olympic Games.
Lightning claims 5 young lives in a week
(AP) -- Five young lives have been ended by lightning in less than a week, a deadly reminder of one of summer's leading hazards.
Reducing Global Warming And Working For Common Good: What Inspires Collective Cooperation?
No one enjoys paying taxes. Even so, we need taxes if we want our streets clean, a proper public health care system, an educated population or the maintenance of Earth's...
Fear of Food: Allergies Grow Deadlier, Fashionable
Back in the old days, planning a dinner party was a pleasure.
New doctors choose to stay in N.L.
A bursary program designed to keep new doctors in Newfoundland and Labrador, appears to be paying off, according to Health Minister Ross Wiseman.
The Brain Hides Information From Us To Prevent Mistakes
When we notice a mosquito alight on our forearm, we direct our gaze in order to find its exact position and quickly try to swat it or brush it away...
Program Discourages HIV Transmission In Russia
Sexual behavior counseling during drug addiction treatment should be considered an important component among Russian substance-dependent individuals, in order to decrease risky sexual behavior in the HIV at-risk population, according...
How Ritalin Works
You’d think that a drug prescribed to 10 million Americans would be well understood. But until now, scientists haven’t firmly grasped why Ritalin helps the scatterbrained. In a University of...
Study reveals potential reasons for school absenteeism
A questionnaire of Swiss schoolchildren has revealed the extent of truancy and school fear. The research, published in BioMed Central's open access journal Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health,...
Learning to talk to teens about sex -- while at work
Sex is one of the most difficult topics a parent can bring up with an adolescent, but a new study finds that parents who are taught specific communication skills can...
When reporters attack
Scientists and the media have a notoriously difficult relationship, but maybe they get on better than we think, says Philip Ball.
Scientists Predict New Uses For Existing Drugs From Their Side Effects
Researchers have discovered a new way to make use of drugs' unwanted side effects. They developed a computational method that compares how similar the side effects of different drugs are...
Special needs costs vary by state
ST. LOUIS, July 10 (UPI) -- A U.S. study found the extra costs of raising a child with special needs can vary widely depending on the state in...
Child Porn "Discussion Groups" Purged
Two of the largest U.S. Internet providers have eliminated access to discussion groups that featured child pornography, New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo said.
Quote me fairly, I'm a scientist!
Survey indicates that scientists get along with the media better than they thought
'Learned fear' tied to brain circuits
BASEL, Switzerland, July 10 (UPI) -- Learned fear is triggered by a rapid switching in the activity balance between two brain circuits, a Swiss study published Thursday found.
Fewer nonsmokers breathe cigarette fumes, CDC says
ATLANTA (AP) -- Nearly half of nonsmoking Americans are still breathing in cigarette fumes, but the percentage has declined dramatically since the early 1990s, according to...