Latest science news in Psychology & Sociology
Colombia to increase 2010 science budget
The country's budget for science will increase by 67 per cent in 2010, with an emphasis on supporting new PhD students.
People work harder when expecting a future challenging task
Consumers will work harder on a task if they're expecting to have to do something difficult at a later time, according to a new study.
Comforted by carpet: How do floors and distance affect purchases?
Consumers who stand on carpeted flooring feel comforted, but they judge products close to them to be less comforting, according to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research.
Are teenagers wired differently than adults?
Parents have long suspected that the brains of their teenagers function differently than those of adults. With the advent of magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, we have begun to appreciate...
To eat or not to eat? Mental budgets help control consumption
If you feel like you're in a losing battle with a triple-chocolate cake, a 'mental budget' can help, according to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research...
Pushing the brain to find new pathways
Until recently, scientists believed that, following a stroke, a patient had about six months to regain any lost function. After that, patients would be forced to compensate for the lost...
Night beat, overtime and a disrupted sleep pattern can harm officers' health
A police officer who works the night shift, typically from 8 PM to 4 AM, already is at a disadvantage when it comes to getting a good 'night's' sleep...
Monetary gain and high-risk tactics stimulate activity in the brain
Monetary gain stimulates activity in the brain. Even the mere possibility of receiving a reward is known to activate an area of the brain called the striatum. A team of...
Talking to ourselves: How consumers navigate choices and inner conflict
From simple decisions like "Should I eat this brownie?" to bigger questions such as "Should my next car be a hybrid?" consumers are involved in an inner dialogue that reflects...
Coed college housing connected to frequent binge drinking
Students placed by their universities in coed housing are 2.5 times more likely to binge drink each week than students placed in all-male or all-female housing.
UM Law professor examines the role of corporate lawyers in the court of public opinion
In today's world, legal issues and controversies are not only tried in the court of law, but also in the "court" of public opinion. However, corporate lawyers tend to separate...
Festival Of Idiots: Suzanne Somers - Wannabe Tragic Hero
Hubris is traditional defined as a man (or woman) acting as if they are the equal of the gods. This flavor of hubris has a tendency to piss off the...
Early voting option can decrease turnout, research shows
(PhysOrg.com) -- Although states are moving quickly to put in place election procedures that allow for early voting, allowing people to cast ballots ahead of Election Day often results in...
Modernization Affects Children's Cognitive Development
(PhysOrg.com) -- Childhood is changing rapidly around the world, and the forces of modernization have a significant impact on shaping the intellectual development of children, researchers at the University of...
Army helps vets with `invisible wounds' find jobs
SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- Richard Martin keeps a rearview mirror on his desk to prevent co-workers from startling him in his cubicle. The walls are papered...
Coaches can shape young athletes' definition of success
Young athletes' achievement goals can change in a healthy way over the course of a season when their coaches create a mastery motivational climate rather than an ego orientation.
The somniloquy hypothesis: How the immature brain learns facts
A while back I wrote about the possible adaptive function of somnambulism or sleep-walking. Well...I've come up with yet another hypothesis addressing an "abnormal" behavior falling under parasomnia.
New research analyzes issues in immigration law
University of Miami Law Professor Rebecca A. Sharpless has recently authored a research paper titled, "Toward a True Elements Test: Taylor and the Categorical Analysis of Crimes in Immigration Law."
4 in 10 US families lack money for essential household expenses when unemployed
Today the Institute on Assets and Social Policy (IASP) at Brandeis University's Heller School released a new research and policy brief which reports that four in ten U.S. families lack...
Unrealistic optimism prompts risky behavior
Unrealistic optimism about drinking behavior can lead to later alcohol-related problems, according to research published in the current issue of Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin (PSPB), the official monthly journal...
Report Says Musicians Hear Better Than Non-Musicians
(PhysOrg.com) -- The Journal of Neuroscience reports this week that musicians are better than non-musicians at recognizing speech in noisy environments. The finding from a study conducted by neurobiologists at...
ESA Bulletin 140 (November 2009)
This issue celebrates the anniversary of the beginning of Europe’s independent adventure into space, the first launch of Ariane 1 in 1979. Read the Bulletin and other publications online, with...
First near-total face and upper-jaw transplant appears successful
More than a year and a half following the first near-total face and upper jaw transplant, the donor tissue appears successfully integrated, according to a report. The recipient has experienced...
Researchers Find Innate Correlations Among Different Power Law Phenomena
(PhysOrg.com) -- Studying the patterns that emerge in natural and social phenomena is a popular area of research, although usually individual phenomena are studied separately from each other. In a...
'Rationalizer' bracelet tells traders when they're stressed
(PhysOrg.com) -- Philips Electronics and the Dutch bank ABN AMRO have joined forces to develop a "Rationalizer" bracelet system that detects stress levels and displays a warning to help day-traders...
Brain cancer disrupts behaviour
New research has revealed that a quarter of brain cancer patients exhibit verbal aggression, while one in five are physically aggressive.
Age of cyber warfare is 'dawning'
Many nations are now arming to defend themselves in a cyber war and readying forces to conduct their own attacks, says a report.
Children Of Attentive Parents Smoke Less Pot, Say Psychologists
Psychologists earlier this month confirmed what most parents likely already know about their teenage children. The more they're involved in their kids' lives (Specifically, by knowing where their children are,...