Latest science news in Psychology & Sociology
Great apes 'play' tag to keep competitive advantage (w/ Video)
(PhysOrg.com) -- Gorillas hit-and-run in 'games' of tag in the same way humans do and for the same reason - to keep their competitive advantage, a new study has found.
Lie detection: You can't hide your lyin' eyes
Shifty eyes long have been thought to signify a person's problem telling the truth. Now a group of researchers are taking that old adage to a new level. Educational psychologists...
Method of attempted suicide influences risk of eventual suicide
The method that people use to attempt suicide has a large influence on the risk of later completed suicide, according to a new study published on bmj.com today...
Researchers: Gulf Seafood OK to Eat
Gulf Seafood Tested By Government So Far Shows No Worrisome Levels Of Oil Contamination
For speediest athletes, it's all in the center of gravity
In the record books, the swiftest sprinters tend to be of West-African ancestry and the faster swimmers tend to be white. A study of the winning times by elite athletes...
Rule to Ease Veterans’ Mental Health Claims Doesn’t Go Far Enough, Groups Say
At issue is a provision saying that a determination on whether post-traumatic stress disorder is tied to military service can be made only by a federal clinician.
Expecting the unexpected does not improve one's chances of seeing it, new study finds
A new study finds that those who know that an unexpected event is likely to occur are no better at noticing other unexpected events -- and may be even worse...
Electronic voting no threat yet to the old style ballot box
They held elections within days of each other: The Philippines, a lively democracy where politicians get shot dead in the street and Britain, the rock solid 'mother of all parliaments'.
Online learning supplements watershed program
Are online learning modules beneficial to educational programs? The Arizona Master Watershed Steward program used online learning modules to help increase participant understanding of key watershed concepts. Even though the...
Should the results of individual genetic studies be disclosed to participants?
Individual results of genetic research studies should not be disclosed to participants without careful consideration, according to experts. The view held by many ethicists that individual genetic research findings should...
Stop The Madness - Female Shopping Is Evolution And The Mall Is The Lab?
I just noticed a study from a few months back that correlated male shopping habits to ... evolution. Yes, the necessary survival skills that women used for foraging and...
The Future Scientist as Young Idealist
The Union of Concerned Scientists has opened an advertising campaign that aims to soften the image of climate scientists by portraying future researchers as children and teenagers with an insatiable...
The Dark Side of Perfectionism Revealed
One might assume perfectionists are being models for physical well-being. But new research suggests this is not always the case — the trait seems to bring both perils and profits.
Rituals that target customers not always good for business
Businesses make an impression when they sing "Happy Birthday" to customers or cook up entrees right at diners' tables, but not always a good one, new research has found.
Smelling potential lovers
Tamara Brown helps dating agencies to match couples using an improbable method of establishing compatibilityTamara Brown, 33, is a behavioural geneticist and entrepreneur. Her company, GenePartner, offers a service for dating agencies assessing biological...
How Pleasure Works by Paul Bloom
From art to angel cakes, our fun today is directly related to ancient primal needs. It just takes a little imagination…Evolutionary scientists remind us so often that our brains were made for the...
Scientists expected Obama administration to be friendlier
A culture of politics trumping science, many say, persists despite the president's promises. The use of potentially toxic dispersants to fight the gulf oil spill is cited as just one example. When...
Studied: Moving House, Marring Young Lives?
A study finds the effects of frequent moves on children follow them into adulthood.
Happy people really do work harder
Economists have established a link between workers' happiness and their performance, and say employers should take noteWhere Slough's most famous office manager leads, eminent economists follow. David Brent's declaration that he wanted to...
Students, Meet Your New Teacher, Mr. Robot
Computer scientists are developing highly programmed machines that can engage people and teach them simple skills, including household tasks and vocabulary.
Symbol Stacks And Science Communication In The Scienceblogs Pepsigate Scandal
I happened to be reading Howard Bloom's book The Genius of the Beast when I saw something odd happening in social media - there was a minor blow up on...
Is the Venice Beach weight pen the best literary salon in L.A.?
You've walked past it. If you're a tourist, you probably snapped a picture — if you're a native, you almost definitely haven't. No matter what, chances are you got an...
A Closer Look: How Ecstasy harms
The drug, popular at raves, can make users feel sharp. But that doesn't make it safe. Los Angeles is earning a reputation as a hotbed of raves — those dance parties that...
Why Economists Hate Psychologists
Think you're rational? Think again. Here's but one example, gentle reader, of your brain unbound by reason. Blue Devil basketball tickets are a hot commodity: there are far more fans than...
Muon Tomography: Who Is Leading The Research ?
Sometimes my sympathy for science magazines (in print and online), which try to keep intelligent readers informed on the progress in basic science, gets dampened by observing how they end...
Confident Kim in good position at US Women's Open
By ALAN ROBINSON 2010-07-10T08:06:15Z OAKMONT, Pa. (AP) -- Christina Kim recently co-authored a funny and insightful book about her...
Researchers use robot to determine how human strangers develop trust
What can a wide-eyed, talking robot teach us about trust? A lot, according to psychology professors who are conducting innovative research to determine how humans decide to trust strangers --...
Moms' favoritism tied to depression in adulthood
Whether mom's golden child or her black sheep, siblings who sense that their mother consistently favors or rejects one child over others are more likely to show depressive symptoms as...