Latest science news in Psychology & Sociology
Mixed results for big pharma work on drug access, R&D
The world's largest drug firms have increased spending on drug access in developing countries, but face questions over clinical trial ethics.
Working couples face greater odds of intimate partner violence
Intimate partner violence is two times more likely to occur in two income households, compared to those where only one partner works, a recent study found.
Paul Ceglia ordered to pay Facebook $90,000 in legal fees
The man who claims to own half of Facebook is neck-deep in legal woes
Behavior problems, not depression, linked to lower grades for depressed youths
Behavior problems, not depression, are linked to lower grades for depressed adolescents, according to a study in the December issue [...]
The mind copes with 4 not 7
New research suggests 4 items remain active in our short-term memory, debunking the idea that said 7 was the "magic number".
Moral judgments quicker, more extreme than practical ones, but also flexible
Judgments we make with a moral underpinning are made more quickly and are more extreme than those same judgments based on practical considerations, a new set of studies finds. However,...
Order of psychiatric diagnoses may influence how clinicians identify symptoms
The diagnostic system used by many mental health practitioners in the United States assumes that symptoms of two disorders that occur at the same time are additive and that the...
Help with kids. And pets. And …
When Tessa Lowinske Desmond’s husband was offered a tenure-track position at Harvard in 2010, the opportunity proved too enticing for the academic couple to resist. But the Desmonds’ dream job was also every...
Video: Churches profit from turning steeple into cell tower
Cell phone companies are having a hard time keeping up with the demand for service. Mike Sugerman explains how they're turning to churches for help.
Tight times may influence how we perceive others
From the playground to the office, a key aspect of our social lives involves figuring out who "belongs" and who doesn't. Scientists theorize that these prevalent in-group biases may give...
College students more eager for marriage than their parents
Reaching adulthood certainly takes longer than it did a generation ago, but new research shows one way that parents are contributing to the delay.
UCLA Medical Center gets failing grade on patient safety
Leapfrog, a healthcare quality rating group, gives an F to UCLA Medical Center for performing poorly on several measures. UCLA officials dispute the failing grade.A national report card on patient...
Research criticizes young offenders' institution for gang-related violence
A youth offending facility in the East Midlands has been criticised in a new report for taking criminals from rival gangs in Leicester and Nottingham.
Family's economic situation influences brain function in children
Children of low socioeconomic status work harder to filter out irrelevant environmental information than those from a high-income background because of learned differences in what they pay attention to, according...
Louisiana education court case highlights Bobby Jindal's creationism state
Lawsuit over school voucher programme calls attention to controversial policy, which could hamper governor's ambitionsLouisiana governor Bobby Jindal is rapidly emerging as a new "moderate" Republican voice, but a court case beginning Wednesday is...
Science should be ready to jump off ‘the cliff’
Researchers can find plenty to like in a US budget scenario that scientific societies are comparing to the apocalypse, says Colin Macilwain.Nature 491 639 doi: 10.1038/491639a
The hidden reality: parallel universes and the deep laws of the cosmos by Brian Greene | book review | @GrrlScientist
This engaging book describes several theories of multiverses (because obviously one isn't enough) that physicists have developed over the years, and including a good explanation of string theory and why it's relevant, and...
Research helps businesses optimize benefits of crowdsourcing
(Phys.org)—In today's global marketplace, a growing number of organizations are attempting to gain an edge over their competitors through "crowdsourcing"—the use of large groups of individuals to perform tasks commonly...
Michael Brooks's top 10 time travel books
From Albert Einstein to Douglas Adams, the author picks out the best scientific and fictional accounts of an enduringly compelling dreamTime imprisons us. I never met my paternal grandfather, but I am told...
One in five U.S. adults experienced mental illness in the past year, report says
One in 5 American adults aged 18 or older, or 45.6 million people, had mental illness in the past year, according to a report from the Substance Abuse and Mental...
Dutch gov't: suspects must decrypt computers
The Dutch government says it is planning to make it a crime for a suspect in a child sex abuse or terrorism case to refuse to help decrypt a computer...
Wired SKorea to stem digital addiction from age 3
(AP)—Park Jung-in, an 11-year-old South Korean, sleeps with her Android smartphone instead of a teddy bear. When the screen beams with a morning alarm, she wakes up, picks up her...
Well: Keeping Your Eye on the Ball
Training yourself to keep your eye on the ball -- which most of us don't actually do, it turns out -- can significantly improve golf putting, a new study shows,...
Ladies Prefer Thin Over Macho, Study Suggests
A slim waist could serve men better than a chiseled jaw.
How to buy an ethical diamond
The holidays are a busy time for engagements, and an expert in corporate responsibility, says socially minded consumers have a lot to think about when it comes to finding the...
East Asia faces unique challenges, opportunities for stem cell innovation
A new consensus statement focuses on stem cell innovation and intellectual property rights in Japan and China.
The Climate Change Coffee Connection
Living in Berkeley, I am at high risk of becoming a neo-hippie. There is extreme external pressure to eat raw, [...]
The Hard Road Back: Prosthetic Arms a Complex Test for Amputees
War veterans who have lost their upper limbs have found that replicating their complex actions with robotic arms can be excruciatingly difficult.