Latest science news in Psychology & Sociology
Sex linked to racial cancer survival gap
BALTIMORE, Aug. 4 (UPI) -- Social and cultural characteristics of U.S. blacks and whites, including sexual practices, may account for a gap in cancer survival, experts said.
Mum's mental health affects kids
Teenagers whose mothers have mental health problems are likely to suffer behavioural issues, research has revealed.
Invisible Ink? What Rorschach Tests Really Tell Us
One of the most well-known psychological tools is the Rorschach Inkblot Test. A viewer looks at ten inkblots, one at a time, and describes what they see. However, does the...
Hospital dramatically increases transplant donations by integrating bereavement and donor services
A UK hospital that combined its bereavement and donation services saw a forty-fold increase in tissue donations, such as corneas, in just five years, according to research in the August...
Risk of frailty in older women dependent on multisystem abnormalities
July 30, 2009 -- A study published online ahead of press in the Gerontology Society of America's Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences reports that the condition of frailty in older...
Human language and dolphin movement patterns show similarities in brevity
Two researchers from the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC) and the University of Aberdeen in the United Kingdom have shown for the first time that the law of brevity in...
iCub, the Open-Source Robot Child
It takes a village to raise a robot. At least, that's the belief of the creators of iCub, a humanoid robot the size of a 3-1/2-year-old child, who are making its development...
Men better at distance vision due to hunter-gatherer past: study
Men are better at seeing things in the distance due to their hunter-gatherer past chasing animals, while women are better focusing on things at close range, a British study said...
Chimps born to appreciate music
A study of infant chimpanzees suggests that an appreciation of music is not a uniquely human trait.
When it comes to going green, people want smaller gains now, not bigger gains later
People make environmental choices the same way they manage money, preferring smaller gains right away to bigger gains later, according to new research published by the American Psychological Association...
What happened to Arab science fiction?
Despite its many fantastical stories, Arab culture has produced few truly futuristic sci-fi works. Let's fill the gap
PeeWee Pivot Tablet Laptop could be a hit with your kids
Netbooks are a popular choice for people buying laptop computers, and they seem sized appropriately for kids.
Buenos Aires Journal: Lost in an Abyss of Drugs, and Entangled by Poverty
Paco, a highly addictive drug, has become the greatest social challenge facing shantytowns in Buenos Aires.
Fitness: The Trapeze, the Catwalk, the Gym
Health club members who are looking for novelty in their workouts are flocking to the unorthodox classes.
New Poll Finds Growing Unease on Health Plan
President Obama’s ability to shape the debate on health care appears to be waning as opponents portray the effort as a government takeover, according to a Times/CBS News poll.
GPS phone apps gaining ground
I got my first GPS device just two years ago, and I like it a lot. Nonetheless, I'm ready to replace the gadget with something better: my phone.
New research reveals mothers need infant feeding information
A systematic literature review of mothers' experiences with bottle-feeding found that while mothers recognize the benefits of breastfeeding, those who bottle-feed with infant formula do not receive adequate information and...
Overconfidence Among Teenage Students Can Stunt Crucial Reading Skills
(PhysOrg.com) -- Too much confidence among teenage students can be harmful. In a study that reinforces the danger of indiscriminately bolstering a child's self esteem -- whether the child earns...
High-tech swimsuits are 'bad news', expert says
Joel Stager, director of the Counsilman Center for the Science of Swimming at Indiana University, says it's about time elite swimmers come around to the idea that high-tech swimsuits are...
NYU physicists show way to count sweets in a jar - from inside the jar
How many sweets fit into a jar? This question depends on the shapes and sizes of the sweets, the size of the jar, and how it is filled. Surprisingly, this...
Video game minority report: Lots of players, few characters
If the future of entertainment is interactive media, some minorities are still headed back to the past.
Why we learn more from our successes than our failures
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- If you've ever felt doomed to repeat your mistakes, researchers at MIT's Picower Institute for Learning and Memory may have explained why: Brain cells may only...
Early warning: Key Alzheimer's brain changes observed in unimpaired older humans
New research has uncovered an early disruption in the process of memory formation in older humans who exhibit some early brain changes associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD) but show little...
Scientists obtain real time snapshot of the learning process
To learn from experience, it is essential to know whether a past action was associated with a desired outcome. Now, scientists have demonstrated how this information can be coded by...
Freshly Crushed Garlic Better For The Heart Than Processed
Freshly crushed garlic has more potent heart-healthy effects than dried garlic, according to a new study. The research also challenges the widespread belief that most of garlic's benefits are due...
Childhood Adversities Have Predictive Role In Peptic Ulcer
Childhood adversities have a predictive role in peptic ulcer, according to new research. The most common adversities were long-lasting financial difficulties in the family, serious conflicts in the family, and...
Let's Talk About Rectal Cancer, Shall We?
There is a new attitude that protecting your life is more important than protecting your sensibilities.
Government watchdog considers ban on IQ booster drugs
The government's official experts on illegal drugs have been asked to look at whether intelligence-enhancing drugs, such as those used by students to boost performance in exams, should be banned.