Latest science news in Psychology & Sociology
Friendship Influences Eating Behavior, Particularly When Friends Are Overweight
A new study of childhood obesity in the United States has found that some social factors, such as the presence of friends, may put overweight youths at greater risk of...
Video Games Lack Female and Minority Characters
A virtual census finds women and minorities largely missing among video game characters.
Study shows a third of Americans regularly nap
Sleeping for as little as 20 or 30 minutes can 'improve mood, alertness and performance,' according to the National Sleep Foundation. If you find yourself fighting the urge to catch 40 winks in...
Online suicide support needed
Online suicide support is more important to helping people than shutting down pro-suicide websites, according to an expert.
Today’s Parents ‘not To Blame’ For Teenage Problem Behavior
Poor parenting is not the reason for an increase in problem behavior amongst teenagers, according to new research. Researchers found no evidence of a general decline in parenting.
Study shows how college major and religious faith affect each other
College students who major in the social sciences and humanities are likely to become less religious, while those majoring in education are likely to become more religious...
Scientists Announce Mass Participation Experiment To Cheer-up The UK
British psychologists are inviting the public to take part in an ambitious five-day experiment that aims to boost the UK’s happiness.
August angst: When therapists go on vacation
Patients often must fend for themselves. But for some, that can be a good thing. ...
Treating depression can be hit or miss
Doctors have more than 20 medications to choose from. But finding the right one is a process of trial and error. George Porter, a 47-year-old engineering librarian from La Cañada Flintridge, first became...
Artificial babies are so last century
The best way to understand the recent fuss about 'artificial sperm' and the 'end of men' is to consider old versions of the same debate, says Philip Ball.
Pharma supplier accused of multi-million pound fraud
South African pharmaceutical ingredient supplier accused of a £1.2 billion investment fraud
Family planning a major environmental impact
CORVALLIS, Ore. -- Some people who are serious about wanting to reduce their "carbon footprint" on the Earth have one choice available to them that may yield a large...
Abuse of drug used by Michael Jackson growing among medical professionals
• Some addicts inject drug more than 100 times a day • Use among medical professionals increasing
The suicide tourist trap
The international media report that citizens from across the world are travelling, or seeking to travel, to Switzerland, where they hope to be helped to die. But this 'suicide tourism'...
Why Does Coke From a Glass Bottle Taste Different?
It doesn’t. That’s what Coca-Cola’s spokespeople say, anyway. “The great taste of Coca-Cola is the same regardless of the package it comes in,” they insist. Rather, they say, “the particular way that people...
Britain to outlaw most private organ transplants
LONDON (AP) -- The British government said Friday that it plans to ban private organ transplants from dead donors to allay fears that prospective recipients can...
Experts: UN program to save children didn't work
(AP) -- The U.N. unveiled a multimillion dollar strategy a dozen years ago to save children worldwide, but a new study has found the program had surprisingly little effect...
NY taxpayers to pay donors for stem cell studies
(AP) -- Hanqi Miao said she wanted to donate her eggs to help infertile couples reproduce, but she acknowledged the money is good, too: She said she'll be paid...
RU486 abortion drug to be allowed in Italy
(AP) -- Italy's health and drugs authorities have approved the use of the abortion drug RU486, drawing immediate protests by the Vatican.
Just Expecting A Tasty Food Activates Brain Reward Systems
Exposing rats to a context associated with eating chocolate activates a part of the brain's reward system known as the orexin system. The results have implications for the development of...
Hepatitis Group Is Harassed in China
The raid on the office of a group that advocates for people with hepatitis comes at a precarious time for China’s civil society groups.
iPods may help Asperger's kids navigate life
Sue Pederson knows that the teenage boys in her treatment program have trouble making conversation. They may not know what to talk about; or once they get started, when to...
U r pwned: text messaging paves way for hacking
(AP) -- Getting a text message is akin to someone sliding a piece of mail under your door: You may not have asked for it, you can't stop its...
You Don't Have to Struggle With Social Anxiety
(PhysOrg.com) -- To a certain extent, just about everyone has some sort of social anxiety -- from the reluctance to chat with an airplane seat mate to the nervousness that...
Seriously ill Briton wins landmark ruling on assisted suicide
A British multiple sclerosis sufferer won a landmark victory Thursday in her long-running legal battle to clarify the law on assisted suicide.
Researchers study how children view and treat their peers with undesirable characteristics
A study by Kansas State University researchers is looking at how children perceive and interact with peers who have various undesirable characteristics, such as being overweight or aggressive.
Yukon announces 1st elk hunt
Yukon hunters will be offered permits to shoot elk this fall in the first formal hunt of the territory's two elk herds.
Mother Amygdala, Have Mercy Upon Us
Is remission in depression simply the separation of mind and brain, so that the mind feels just fine, even though the brain behaves as problematically as ever? If so, is this a...