Latest science news in Psychology & Sociology
Instant messaging 'chatspeak' no danger to spelling: study
Texting and instant messaging using short-forms and "chatspeak" have no effect on teens' ability to spell properly and could even provide "a little brain workout," researchers at the University of...
Poor Money Management May Be Early Indicator Of Alzheimer's Disease, Say UAB Researchers
Inability to handle financial transactions or manage money may be an early indicator that a person with mild memory problems soon is likely to develop Alzheimer's disease, according to new...
Actual people physically gather to talk Twitter
(AP) -- Twitter was a trending topic Tuesday - and not just on Twitter.
Video: Loaded: Facebook gaydar
Sony Ericsson releases motion-censored earbuds, Google Earth makes you an oceanographer, and how to tell someone's sexual orientation over Facebook. Or maybe how not to do that?
Watching Your Weight? Beware Of Skinny Friends With Big Appetites
Thin friends who eat a lot could put your waistline at risk, according to a new study which examines how other peoples' weight and food choices influence how much we...
Cancer Predisposition From Particular Genetic Variation Shows Strong Gender Bias
Cancer predisposition resulting from the presence of a specific gene variant shows a strong gender bias, researchers have demonstrated.
You can't trust a tortured brain: Neuroscience discredits coercive interrogation
According to a new review of neuroscientific research, coercive interrogation techniques used during the Bush administration to extract information from terrorist suspects are likely to have been unsuccessful and may...
Perceptual learning relies on local motion signals to learn global motion
Researchers have long known of the brain's ability to learn based on visual motion input, and a recent study has uncovered more insight into where the learning occurs...
Moody memories? New study shows that mood has limited effect on memory
Whether we're deciding to return to a restaurant or to purchase a DVD, many consumers rely on memory when they're making decisions. A new study in the Journal of Consumer...
A Conversation With Martin Chalfie: Watching Life in Real Time
Martin Chalfie may have slept through the notification that he had won a Nobel Prize, but his career has been one of alert discovery.
Comfort Food Fallacy: Upheaval Leads To Less-familiar Choices
You'd think in times of uncertainty, people would gravitate toward familiar favorites. But a new study shows that stress and upheaval actually lead people to choose less-familiar foods over "comfort...
PHOTOS: Kenya Wildlife, People Hurt by Major Drought
Drastic drought conditions are killing iconic African animals and adding to political and ethnic tensions, according to relief workers who say Kenya is on the verge of disaster.
Study reveals complexities of female arousal
(PhysOrg.com) -- Challenging the idea that women's sexual motivations are tied exclusively to romantic emotions or reproduction, a new study by psychologists at The University of Texas at Austin found...
Really?: The Claim: Lack of Sleep Increases the Risk of Catching a Cold.
As cold season approaches, many Americans stock up on their vitamin C and echinacea, but heeding the advice on getting more sleep could be more important.
Tie to Pets Has Germ Jumping to and Fro
A germ that used to be of concern only in humans but has leaped to pets can be curtailed with hand washing.
Cases: Pain Beyond Words, and an Impulse Just to Endure
There’s pain, and then there’s serious, gosh-awful, don’t-know-how-you’ll-live-through-this pain. And you don’t learn anything about yourself from the latter. It just is.
Well: In TV Series, Some Reality on Weight
A new dramatic series is challenging the conventional notions about dieting and willpower.
Nationwide study examines youth access to indoor tanning
Many indoor tanning businesses require parental consent for teenagers to use their facilities, but most would allow young tanners more than the government-recommended amount of exposure during the first week,...
What are you getting? Consumer behavior in restaurants
Consumers follow a predictable pattern when it comes to ordering food and drinks, according new study in the Journal of Consumer Research. It seems people in groups tend to seek...
Public Misunderstanding Of Studies
Over at Bioephemera, Jessica Palmer agree with Language Log’s Mark Liberman in his admonition against the use of “generic plurals” in science reporting. read more
Wild Musical Inventions From Berlin Hackday
As much as our 'Project Calliope' satellite is a science project, it's also a music experiment. We are, after all, flying scientific instruments on a picosatellite specifically to make music. ...
H.G. Wells Birthday Quiz: The Man Behind the Fiction
How well do you know H.G. Wells? Test your knowledge of the life and works of one of the fathers of science fiction today, his 143rd birthday.
Squid Drama In Washington State Continues Apace
I'm starting to suspect that my study organism, Dosidicus gigas, is a bit of a diva. It seems like every other day there's a news story on Humboldt squid, jumbo squid,...
Have We Become a Nation of Narcissists?
What rapper Kanye West, tennis star Serena Williams, and Congressman Joe Wilson have in common.
Genes May Explain Why Children Who Live Without Dads Have Earlier Sex
Using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, researchers used a novel and complex study design to better understand the association between fathers' absence and children's sexuality. Contrary to...
Children Under Three Can't Learn Action Words From TV -- Unless An Adult Helps
Using modified clips from the program Sesame Beginnings, researchers studied children's ability -- with and without adult support -- to learn a new verb and apply that word to a...
Video: Kids in a Candy Store
"The Tomorrow Show" host Mo Rocca gave two girls in a candy store $50 to find out what kids really like to eat.
Drug-affected kids need help
A report has revealed that children who have a family member with an alcohol or drug problem struggle to get help and can feel disconnected.