Latest science news in Psychology & Sociology
Babies And Beethoven: Infants Can Tell Happy Songs From Sad
A new study shows that 5-month-old babies can distinguish an upbeat tune, such as "Ode to Joy" from Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, from a lineup of gloomier compositions. By age 9...
Learning How Not to Be Afraid
Why do some people have the ability to remain calm and relaxed even in the most stressful situations? New experiments in mice by Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) researchers are...
Brainy genes, not brawn, key to success on mussel beach
It's hard being a mussel: you have to worry about hungry starfish and even hungrier humans, not to mention an environment that can change your body temperature 50 degrees Fahrenheit...
Deathways Open Doors To Unexpected Cultural Practices
Cremation, "air burial," grave cairns, funeral mounds, mummification, belief in life after death -- death practices sacred to one culture are often considered "odd" or even terrifying by another. In...
Gene-testing startup's study responds to critics
(AP) -- A Silicon Valley gene-testing startup is responding to criticism that the tests could spur bad health-care choices by teaming up for a broad study of how the...
Experts Conclude Pfizer Manipulated Studies
The drug maker manipulated the publication of studies to bolster use of its epilepsy drug Neurontin, according to expert witnesses in a lawsuit against the company.
Oscars will take movie ads, ending 50-year ban
The decision by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences comes as TV advertising budgets tighten and viewership falls. ...
Robot created to look like young girl
OSAKA , Japan, Oct. 9 (UPI) -- Japanese scientists say they've created a life-like robot resembling a 5-year-old girl.
Psychologists Show Experience May Be The Best Teacher For Infants
There's a lot of truth in the old proverb "experience is the best teacher," and apparently it even applies to 10-month-old infants.
The X Chromosome and the Case against Monogamy
Researchers report genetic evidence bolstering the socially contentious idea that polygyny--the mating practice where some males dominate reproduction by fathering children with several women--was the norm for sexual behavior throughout...
Cocaine addicts' brains predisposed to abuse: study
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Cocaine addicts may have brain deficits that predispose them to drug abuse, and abusing drugs appears to make matters worse, U.S. researchers said on Wednesday.
The pepperoni pizza hypothesis
What's the worst that could happen after eating a slice of pepperoni pizza? A little heartburn, for most people.
Mice overcome fear, depression with natural Prozac
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The brain can produce antidepressants with the right signal, a finding that suggests that meditating, or going to your "happy place," truly works, scientists reported on Wednesday.
Online players beware the video game police
Xbox Live's head cop discusses how he keeps law and order in an online world.
Insider trading: Another glass ceiling?
(PhysOrg.com) -- Martha Stewart notwithstanding, female executives who legally trade on inside information make nice, tidy profits—but not as much as men in the same positions, say researchers at the...
Horse moms tend to be nicer to sons
Do mothers inherently favor sons over daughters? They do if the mom is healthy and she is a wild horse, according to a new study on literal horseplay.
IT workers paid less in P.E.I.
A new study on the information technology labour force on P.E.I. shows workers are paid less on the Island, and employers are having a hard time filling positions.
Major research project highlights the changing face of nurses in films over the last 100 years
An extensive study of how the nursing profession has been portrayed in films over the last century has shown that unflattering stereotypes are becoming less common and nurses are now...
GPs and patients getting older
Not only are patients getting older, the number of general practitioners under 45 has also declined over the past decade, new research has found.
Emory University psychiatrist accused of conflict of interest
Dr. Charles B. Nemeroff failed to report a third of the income he received from companies whose drugs he was evaluating, a congressional investigation finds. ...
Fertile women raise their voice pitch
Study links voice changes to ovulation and suggests human behaviour is similar to other animals in displaying signs of fertility
Research ethics must still apply in disaster zones
Disaster research can help future interventions, but urgency should never excuse exploitation of survivors, says Athula Sumathipala.
Plunge in markets brings another kind of depression
Porter Ranch murder-suicide is an extreme example of the stresses gripping the American psyche, experts say. Mental health professionals say referrals have soared. ...
University: Stem-cell study used falsified data
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- The University of Minnesota has concluded that falsified data were used in a 2001 article published by one of its researchers on adult...
Business Cool Toward McCain’s Health Coverage Plan
Business leaders fear that John McCain’s proposal to revamp taxation of health benefits would help to erode employer-sponsored health insurance.
Report: Human evolution has ended
LONDON, Oct. 7 (UPI) -- British geneticist Steve Jones says human evolution appears to have come to an end, mainly because fewer older men are fathering children.
Scientists go chatting to hear kids' drug concerns
(AP) -- It's nothing to LOL about. Students these days often have ready access to marijuana, alcohol and tobacco but they don't feel comfortable talking about the ramifications. So,...
World-first device may help solve child language mystery
(PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers are one step closer to understanding why children can learn languages far more easily than adults, thanks to a world-first device that allows scientists to measure the...