Latest science news in Psychology & Sociology
Brain makes up for memory loss
Our memory may deteriorate as we get older, but a new study has found that our brain compensates for this by working harder.
Brain Mechanisms For Behavioral Flexibility Discovered
New research provides insight into how the brain can execute different actions in response to the same stimulus. The study suggests that information from single brain cells cannot be interpreted...
Family Ties Provide Protection Against Young Adult Suicidal Behavior
Adolescents and young adults typically consider peer relationships to be all important. However, it appears that strong family support, not peer support, is protective in reducing future suicidal behavior among...
Cosmic Log: Is Twitter evil?
Science editor Alan Boyle's Weblog: Researchers studying how our brain deals with emotions worry that the rapid-fire pace of texting and tweeting may erode our moral fiber.
Sex Talk at Work Hurts Bottom Line
Some women and many men enjoy good-natured flirtation and sexual innuendoes in the workplace, a new study finds. But whether they like it or not, it is likely dragging them...
Study finds link between Facebook use, lower grades in college
College students who use Facebook spend less time studying and have lower grade point averages than students who have not signed up for the social networking website, according to a...
Imaging reveals abnormalities in pathways connecting brain areas in those with writer's cramp
Abnormalities in the fibres connecting different brain areas may contribute to muscle disorders such as writer's cramp, according to a report in the April issue of Archives of Neurology, one...
Tweet this: Rapid-fire media may confuse your moral compass
Emotions linked to our moral sense awaken slowly in the mind, according to a new study from a neuroscience group led by corresponding author Antonio Damasio, director of the Brain...
Baby's first dreams
After about seven months growing in the womb, a human foetus spends most of its time asleep. Its brain cycles back and forth between the frenzied activity of rapid eye...
How PCBs May Alter In Utero, Neonatal Brain Development
In three new studies researchers provide compelling evidence of how low levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) alter the way brain cells develop. Researchers explain the relationship between PCB exposure, and...
X-rated star Marilyn Chambers dies at 56
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Marilyn Chambers, the pretty Ivory Snow girl who helped bring hard-core adult films into the mainstream consciousness when she starred in the...
Bilingual Babies Get Head Start -- Before They Can Talk
Even before they can babble a single word, babies in bilingual households may get a head start in mental development, scientists report.
Prenatal Testing of Thyroid Is Debated
Most doctors’ groups have not endorsed universal prenatal thyroid screening, but advocates of routine testing see no need to wait for more answers.
18 and Under: Another Awkward Sex Talk: Respect and Violence
A perception that boys need special lessons in manners.
New online drug pharmacy laws in effect
WASHINGTON, April 13 (UPI) -- New rules governing the operation of online pharmacies became effective Monday, designed to prevent the illegal distribution of drugs.
Dogs studied to learn about human behavior
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., April 13 (UPI) -- A Harvard University professor says a study at his Massachusetts school is focused on dogs' thinking to better understand human behavior.
Want to Live Longer? Stop Worrying
Children of centenarians are more outgoing and less neurotic on average, a new study says, supporting previous observations that the long-lived—and their offspring—are likeable people.
Got Nature? Why You Need to Get Out
Studies find that exposure to green spaces leads to better mental and physical health.
Medical researchers face conflicts of interest
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Dr. Bruce Psaty of University of Washington in Seattle knows how easy it can be to fall under the spell of a friendly relationship with drug companies.
Getting The Word Out When The Need For Speed Is Critical To Public Health
Researchers have developed and tested a technology that allows public health officials to abandon a traditional, inefficient paper approach to alerting the medical community about public health crises in favor...
For cancer cells, genetics alone is poor indicator for drug response (w/Video)
In certain respects, cells are less like machines and more like people. True, they have lots of components, but they also have lots of personality. For example, when specific groups...
Diabetes 'impact on brain power'
Failure to control type 2 diabetes may have a long-term impact on a person's memory and brain power, research suggests.
Odor Matching: The Scent Of Internet Dating
Dating websites will soon be able to compare partners in terms of whether the personal body odor of the other party will be pleasant to them. "If everything fits, you...
Activation Of The Prefrontal Cortex Improves Working Memory
Working memory or short-term memory is related to the ability to pass intelligence tests and is stored in the parietal cortex. However, the role of other areas activated during use...
Ants Can Learn To Forage On One-way Trails
Ant trails fascinate children and scientists alike. With so many ants traveling in both directions, meeting and contacting one another, carrying their loads and giving the impression that they have...
Bad mood, better recall, researchers find
People grumbling their way through the grimness of winter have better recall than those enjoying a carefree, sunny day, Australian researchers have found.
Health undervalued in reproductive rights debate
Women's health is increasingly undervalued in conflicts over reproductive rights, including clashes based on moral objections under so-called conscience clauses, a new study by a University of Illinois legal expert...
Atypical antipsychotics: too hard a sell?
Use of drugs such as Abilify, Seroquel and Zyprexa for treatment-resistant depression is gaining ground. Some see an 'unmet need' for medication. Others worry about side effects. ...