Latest science news in Psychology & Sociology
Doctors Must Be Held Accountable For Complying With Torture, Experts Argue
Doctors who assist in torture or other forms of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment should face prosecution and licensing punishments, says a new editorial.
Watching Too Much TV Is Causing Some University Students To Pack On The Pounds
What's causing some university students to pack on the pounds? University of Alberta researchers say the culprit could be television commercials. Researchers discovered students who reported medium or high television...
Free Academic Articles Get Read But Don't Generate More Citations
When academic articles are "open access" or free online, they get read more often, but they don't -- going against conventional wisdom -- get cited more often in academic literature,...
Study: To sleep better, perchance to live longer
(AP) -- Shakespeare once called sleep the "balm of hurt minds." Bodies, too, apparently. People with the severe form of apnea, which interferes with sleep, are several times more...
Biological Fathers Not Necessarily The Best, Social Dads Parent Well Too
Men who marry a child's mother parent just as well, if not better than biological fathers. A new study examined differences in the parenting practices of four groups of fathers...
Brain tweak lets sleep-deprived flies stay sharp
Staying awake slows down our brains, scientists have long recognized. Mental performance is at its peak after sleep but inevitably trends downward throughout the day, and sleep deprivation only worsens...
Living With A Partner Reduces Risk Of Alzheimer’s
Living with a spouse or a partner decreases the risk of developing Alzheimer's and other dementia diseases. This according to a study by Krister Håkansson, researcher in psychology at Växjö...
Mothers not asked to stop drinking
One in two pregnant Australian woman drink alcohol during despite risks for the baby, and many obstetricians do not ask or inform, according to research.
New division of labour by gender
Analysis of the working patterns of Australian families shows women are doing proportionally less housework than before in some households, but not others.
Internet in New Zealand explored
A study has thrown light on New Zealand's Internet habits and attitudes, showing for instance that 22 per cent of New Zealanders don't use the Internet at all.
U.S. Pols Wary Of In-Flight Cell Phone Use
Members of Congress are making the case that cell phone calls on airplanes can be both unsafe and annoying and should be permanently banned.
More cities move aggressively to stop heat deaths
(AP) -- The homeless woman was nauseated, dizzy, drenched with sweat, dehydrated and sobbing with fear. She had heat exhaustion and was on the verge of heat stroke. But...
Olympic Games: Have we reached a plateau in terms of speed?
The world-record pace for the marathon continues to improve for both men and women. For men, the record pace for the marathon is now about as fast as the record...
Factors that influence whether people define unwelcome sexual joking in the workplace as harassment
A new study in Law & Social Inquiry shows that how people define sexual harassment is directly related to the extent to which they view sexual harassment rules as ambiguous...
Keeping Hands Where You Can See 'Em Alters Perception
Psychologists have shown that to see objects better, you should take them into your own hands. Humans are compelled to closely analyze objects near our hands, they say, because we...
Respiratory Illnesses And Dog Bites A Concern For Travelers To China For 2008 Olympics
As 600,000 visitors and athletes gear up to travel to China for the 2008 Olympic Games, travelers should be most concerned about respiratory illnesses and dog bites, according to a...
Julian Baggini: Truth stranger than falsehood
Julian Baggini: At the World Congress of Philosophy everyone at least tries to pretend to take strange beliefs seriously
Chinese conferences 'unsatisfactory', say participants
A new survey reveals that many Chinese science academics and students are dissatisfied with the quality of domestic academic conferences.
Never Give in to the Enemy
I kept thinking of killing myself for 15 years or so, driving off the road, instigating fights, fingering my gun and imaging the relief I would feel if I just...
SKorea court rules parents may know baby's sex
South Korea's top court ruled Thursday that parents have the right to know the sex of their unborn babies, sparking concerns the decision might result in more sex-selection abortions.
Jim Al-Khalili: While our scientists struggle with ethics, the Islamic world forges ahead
Jim Al-Khalili: Stem cell researchers are branded by the Catholic church as playing God, but Iran's geneticists are unhindered by doctrine
Reality Check: Offshore Drilling
A new poll shows two out of three Americans agree with President Bush and want to lift the ban on offshore drilling. But what difference would that actually make on...
Understanding prescription drug misuse in older adults
The marriage of geriatric medicine/gerontology and drug physiology is critical when determining if an adverse event has taken place; and how to treat and manage the patient thereafter. Furthermore,...
Religion Plays Strong Role in Gay Unions
Same-sex couples with strong religious beliefs most likely to ritualize their partnerships.
Senators Want Johnson To Step Down
Attorney general asked to investigate whether agency administrator gave misleading statements to Congress
Physics Professor Uses Technology to Increase Students' Knowledge
If you step into one physics classroom on Florida State University's campus, you may not recognize it as the same course you took in high school or college. Making use...
Automatic imitation is not only a human trait, research finds
(PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists have shed new light on a process known as 'automatic imitation' — and discovered that we have more in common with the humble budgerigar than previously thought.
Alberta's health minister says low wages didn't drive doctors away
Four top public health doctors are not leaving because of low wages, said Alberta Health Minister Ron Liepert.