Latest science news in Psychology & Sociology
Realistic Picture Of Dementia: Video Can Help Patients Make End-of-life Decisions
Viewing a video showing a patient with advanced dementia may help elderly patients plan for end-of-life care, according to a new study. The investigators found that participants who watched such...
Pressure to look attractive linked to fear of rejection in men and women
People who feel pressure to look attractive are more fearful of being rejected because of their appearance than are their peers, according to a new study by researchers at the...
British Chef Plays with the Psychological Taste of Words to Enhance Flavor
A chef and a professor are teaming up to create a dining experience that capitalizes on synaesthetic perception that links tastes to certain sounds. Synaesthesia is the association of different...
Partner status influences women's interest in men
A study by Indiana University neuroscientist Heather Rupp found that a woman's partner status influenced her interest in the opposite sex...
Time Warner CEO hints at online fees for magazines
(AP) -- One of the world's largest magazine publishers appears to be having second thoughts about giving away most of its articles on the Internet.
Flipping the brain's addiction switch without drugs
When someone becomes dependent on drugs or alcohol, the brain's pleasure centre gets hijacked, disrupting the normal functioning of its reward circuitry...
Brain's Object Recognition System Activated By Touch Alone
Portions of the brain that activate when people view pictures of objects compared to scrambled images can also be activated by touch alone, confirms a new report.
Americans Choose Media Messages That Agree With Their Views
A new study provides some of the strongest evidence to date that Americans prefer to read political articles that agree with the opinions they already hold. Researchers found that people...
Probing Question: Should society regulate reproductive technologies?
It is not generally considered polite to ask people how their children were conceived. We tend to view reproduction as a private matter, something that happens behind closed doors, and...
Flawed Survey Says 99% of Women Don’t Like Their Looks
You just ask them, right? Wrong. Welcome to the science of polling.
Using your mood to operate a computer game
(PhysOrg.com) -- Brain Computer Interfaces measure electrical signals from the brain and convert them into data that can be used by a computer. You can move a cursor on your...
Doctor and Patient: Talking Frankly at the End of Life
“Death” and “dying” are words that can echo in a room long after they are said.
Did a Fictional Crime Inspire a Real One?
What would inspire a woman to perpetrate a hoaxed abduction, like Bonnie Sweeten did?
Long-distance Brain Waves Focus Attention
Just as our world buzzes with distractions -- from phone calls to e-mails to tweets -- the neurons in our brain are bombarded with messages. Research has shown that when...
Government concerned by eHealth spending: McGuinty
Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty admitted his government is concerned with news of nearly $5 million in apparent untendered contracts by newly minted eHealth Ontario and wants to speed up a...
Honduras 'must push for more research'
Honduras must encourage science research and incorporate it into a national plan, say scientists.
People With Parents Who Fight Are More Likely To Have Mental Health Problems In Later Life
People with parents who were violent to each other are more likely to have mental health problems when they grow up, reveals new research.
Africa Analysis: Continental science fund forgotten?
As African science ministers prepare to meet in Burundi, Linda Nordling asks what has happened to the idea of a pan-African science fund.
Study checks firefighter fitness
Researchers have found that firefighters typically work a 14-hour day at 40 degrees, but only need about average fitness.
Music Soothes Circumcision Pain
Music may reduce pain for babies during certain procedures, research suggests
Neuroscience arms race could lead to guilt-free soldiers
The science of the brain is poised to play a major role in the wars of the future, according to Jonathan Moreno at Penn State University
Opinion: Can experts be trusted?
Expert opinions in environmental decision-making are a necessary evil. We can do better to harness expert knowledge to avoid its worst social and psychological pitfalls.
Cigarettes in Popular Films Are Target of Health Groups
The advocacy arm of the American Medical Association unveiled a campaign intended to publicly shame movie studios for depicting images of smoking.
Warring Sides on Health Care Carry Their Fight to TV and Radio Ads
Interest groups are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on advertisements supporting or attacking health care legislation they expect to emerge from Congress.
The nail in the coffin for group selection?
Benefits to an individual and its family may be enough to account for altruistic behaviour.
Cat in China grows a pair of wings
A kitty in Chongqing, China, is getting some extra-special attention these days: The furry feline has developed wings!
'DTXTR' translates teen text into English
Wot r ur kids txting? If you're wondering -- or 1dering -- there's a new online translation tool that helps decipher the code.
Review: New headsets let you shoot the breeze
(AP) -- Bluetooth wireless headsets have become a lot better in the last few years at picking out the user's voice from noisy surroundings.