Latest science news in Psychology & Sociology
Why you can listen at cocktail parties: Songbirds' individual brain cells are tuned to particular sounds
Nerve cells in the brains of songbirds are sensitive to specific sounds, and only respond when those sounds occur during communication, a recent study shows. The finding helps explain people's...
Teenage amphetamine abuse affects adult brain cell function
Amphetamine abuse during adolescence permanently changes brain cells, according to new animal research. The study shows drug exposure during adolescence, but not young adulthood, altered electrical properties of brain cells...
Smoking among some adults dropped dramatically in past three decades
Smoking among some adults dropped during the past three decades, with greater decreases among those with higher incomes and more education. Even those who continued to smoke dramatically reduced the...
Mental introspection increases as brain areas begin to act in sync
Neuroscientists at Georgetown University Medical Centre can now show, using functional MRI images, why it is that behaviour in children and young adolescents veers toward the egocentric rather than the...
What makes brains of business leaders tick
Ground-breaking research will scan the brains of influential people to explore how they make decisions, using often complex and conflicting information.
Women with high job strain have 40 percent increased risk of heart disease, study finds
Women who report high job strain have increased risk of heart disease. Job strain is having high job demands and feeling underused or powerless to make decisions on the job....
The truth about sex difference is that if men are from Mars, so are women | Madeleine Bunting
Grasping after certainty about gender roles has fostered some bad science and sterotyping that harms both sexesType "men" and "hardwired" into Google and you tap into a wonderfully absurd catalogue of assertions about male...
Black colleges look to increase online ed presence
(AP) -- When Michael Hill needed a doctoral program with the flexibility to let him continue working full-time as a Lincoln University administrator, he chose an online degree from...
Finger Length Correlated To Financial Risk Taking
Gad Saad, who likes to link evolution to consumption and marketing phenomena, says the length between the second and fourth finger is an indicator of high levels of prenatal testosterone and...
Richard Dawkins, The Would-Be Vegetarian?
T-Day is right around the corner again, and while it's a holiday that means different things to many of us, for those of us who are vegetarians like myself, it...
Atheism: In Your Words
"Searching for the truth is what led me to atheism."The Thinking Atheist asked their subscribers about their own experiences regarding atheism. Hear the stories of everyday people...in their own words....
The Political Gene: How Darwin's Ideas Changed Politics by Dennis Sewell – review
Can this father of modern science be blamed for the uglier consequences of his theories?Given his position as one of the presiding deities of the scientific mainstream, many are keen to absolve Darwin...
Crows can distinguish male, female faces
TOKYO, Nov. 13 (UPI) -- Researchers in Japan say they have found that crows can tell the difference between men and women.
Why Do Some Women Who Undergo In Vitro Fertilization Get Depressed?
In vitro fertilization (IVF) has brought children to millions who otherwise had difficulty conceiving so it should be a happy time. Yet over 20% of women who undergo IVF...
Autism Cure Claimed by Therapy Group
Study offers hope to parents of autistic children, but not everyone is convinced the results represent a cure.
Clinical Evidence Of Intuition: The Iowa Gambling Task
In the Iowa Gambling Task, a participant is presented with four, facedown decks of cards. He or she can flip over cards from any deck. Most cards earn a reward...
Sleep makes your memories stronger
As humans, we spend about a third of our lives asleep. So there must be a point to it, right? Scientists have found that sleep helps consolidate memories, fixing them...
Mid East reality show promotes science
A new reality show, where young Arab entrepreneurs compete to see who can create the best new scientific invention, has become a hit across the Middle East.
Are patient surveys a reliable way to assess the performance of doctors and practices?
To assess the performance of general practices, it is better to ask patients about their actual experiences of care rather than ask for satisfaction ratings, according to new research.
Fearless children show less empathy, more aggression, research finds
Preschool-aged children who demonstrate fearless behavior also reveal less empathy and more aggression towards their peers, new research shows.
Your Money: When a Safety Net Is Yanked Away
Plan for the possibility of long-term care costs, but don’t assume that insurance will be the guaranteed answer.
Doctors' ties to drug industry remain strong, study finds
Fewer physicians say they've accepted samples, gifts and travel expenses from pharmaceutical companies, but 84% still report some type of relationship.Fewer doctors report accepting drug samples, gifts, meals and all-expenses-paid...
A look at four psychology fads: est, primal therapy, Transcendental Meditation, lucid dreaming
The basics of est, primal therapy, Transcendental Meditation and lucid dreaming.Now and then, a new psychology movement bursts onto the popular scene and shakes up the mental health establishment. Typically...
Availability Heuristic At Play In The Autism-Vaccine Wars
Writing balanced posts can be tricky, especially in relation to vaccines. Vaccines, like religions and politics, have become a hot-button topic in social discussions, and these three areas are absolutely...
Business Briefing | Company News: Lupus Drug Benefits Questioned by F.D.A.
The agency had concerns about suicide and other possible risks from the drug, Benlysta, but analysts said they still expected approval.
Employers ready to raise the stakes for health incentives
Employee rewards for hitting health targets will likely increase over the next few years.Your employer wants you to stop smoking and lose some weight. And the boss is willing to...
Whose bright idea was that?
How does it feel to invent something you later regret? Simon Hattenstone talks to the people who knowLabradoodleIf Wally Conron had known what was going to become of the labradoodle, he wouldn't have bred...
Queen of Soul — and body
When the title track from Aretha Franklin’s 1967 album “I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You” was released, fans in Boston lined up around the block to buy a...