Latest science news in Psychology & Sociology
Exposure to two languages carries far-reaching benefits
People who can speak two languages are more adept at learning a new foreign language than their monolingual counterparts, according to research conducted at Northwestern University. And their bilingual advantage...
Past Experience Is Invaluable For Complex Decision Making, Brain Research Shows
Researchers have shown that past experience really does help when we have to make complex decisions based on uncertain or confusing information. They show that learning from experience actually changes...
ACLU -- Myriad Genetics lawsuit will become landmark case
The American Civil Liberties Union action in filing a lawsuit yesterday against Myriad Genetics is going to lead to one of the most important legal battles in the history of...
New study urges new thinking over UK government widening participation policy
Widening participation efforts in UK universities should do more than simply create a 'wow moment' for young people, according to a new study led by the University of Leicester.
Science writer accused of libel may take fight to European court
Ginseng -- nature's anti-inflammatory?
Laboratory experiments have demonstrated the immunological effects of ginseng. Researchers writing in BioMed Central's open access Journal of Translational Medicine have shown that the herb, much used in traditional Chinese...
Cognition already seriously impaired in first episode of schizophrenia
Significant and widespread cognitive problems appear to exist in schizophrenia in its earliest phase, making it very hard for people with the disorder to work, study or be social, according...
No longer afraid to be a bridesmaid or travel with the boss
One of Laurie Keefer's patients was afraid to be a bridesmaid in a friend's wedding, others worried about travelling with the boss or even going to parties in peoples' homes...
Obituary photos suggest growing bias against ageing faces
A new study that looked at obituary photographs published in one metropolitan newspaper suggests that Americans may have become more biased toward youthful appearance, particularly for women...
An amnesic patient with an extraordinary distorted memory
If somebody asks you 'Do you remember what you did on March 13, 1985?' you are very likely to answer 'I don't know,' even if your memory is excellent. In...
Engaged employees are good, but don't count on commitment
The notion that highly engaged workers will continue to work tirelessly for organisations despite diminishing resources often isn't true, according to Clemson University psychology professor Thomas Britt...
Negative Mood-related Drinking May Mean Vulnerability For Major Depression And Alcohol Dependence
Major depression and alcohol dependence are strongly connected to one another. New research looks at how mood-related drinking may explain the overlapping familial risk for MD and AD. Drinking related...
Age-related Difficulty Recognizing Words Predicted By Brain Differences
Older adults may have difficulty understanding speech because of age-related changes in brain tissue, according to new research. The study shows that older adults with the most difficulty understanding spoken...
Principles for the Pursuit of Happiness
What might principles for the pursuit of happiness look like? Some suggestions follow. The key idea is that we do not know that all is hopeless, we just...
Games and Fun
Stress is an outcome of a diverse and complex interface physiology and psychology that results in increased cortisol, anxiety, depression, cognitive dysfunction, and adverse bodily functions.
Is Torture Okay? Depends on Your Religion
15 percent say it's often justified. But among white evangelical Protestants, the number is higher.
Chimp That Mauled Woman Was on Drugs
A chimp mauled a Connecticut woman while on the anti-anxiety drug Xanax, according to blood tests.
Saving Lucas: Parents at wit's end amid therapy shortage
The parents of a central Newfoundland boy are pleading for services that they say could save their son's life.
Best Visual Illusion of the Year: How a Curveball Works
(PhysOrg.com) -- Visual illusions sometimes seem to have a magical element to them, but they're actually just the brain's way of interpreting reality. In an effort to promote public knowledge...
Study focuses on how kids perceive accents
BLOOMINGTON, Ind., May 13 (UPI) -- A U.S. scientist says she has received federal funding to study how children perceive various varieties of foreign-accented English.
Furlong considers hiring 2 doctors to lead new N.B. trauma system
The search to find someone to lead New Brunswick's new trauma system has taken a twist, as the advisory committee tasked with the hiring is now considering two people.
Sacred principle of science's independence
In view of the dreadful facts
Meditation May Increase Gray Matter
Researchers report that certain regions of the brain in long-term meditators were larger than non-meditators. Specifically, meditators showed significantly larger volumes of the hippocampus, and within the orbito-frontal cortex, thalamus...
Reasons To Keep A Landline
What I'm about to say may make me seem like a Luddite or curmudgeon, but I'm disturbed by the news that an increasing number of Americans are reachable only by...
Policies on organ donation after cardiac death vary considerably among children's hospitals
Although a large number of children's hospitals have developed or are developing policies regarding organ donation after cardiac death, there is considerable variation among policies, including the criteria for declaring...
Meditation increases brain gray matter
Push-ups, crunches, gyms, personal trainers -- people have many strategies for building bigger muscles and stronger bones. But what can one do to build a bigger brain? Meditate.