Latest science news in Psychology & Sociology
High short-term risk of attempted suicide in teenagers following parents' suicide attempt
The risk that young people attempt to commit suicide is highest within two years after a parent has received inpatient care due to a mental disorder or suicide attempt, according...
Nature sparks creativity
Backpackers who spent time in nature without electronic gadgets showed better scores on creativity tests, U.S. researchers have found.
Optimal Circle of Friends Depends on Socioeconomic Conditions
Some people like to have a few close friends, while others prefer a wider social circle that is perhaps less [...]
Monkey adopts kitten – in pictures
Kimon, an eight-year-old pet female long-tailed monkey, treats a kitten as her baby in Bintan Island, Indonesia
Top social media stories, memes and hashtags for 2012
#BindersFullofWomen, Hurricane Sandy and #Chavril top 2012's most talked about social media stories, hashtags and memes.
Correlation, Causation, Independence
This is a post about basics. That's because I think a point needs to be made which is surprisingly not as well-known as its elementary nature would have you guess.Correlation...
Well: Life, Interrupted: My Mother's Cooking
My mother's cooking has always given me comfort. But cancer treatment not only confuses my taste buds, but the memory and emotions associated with my favorite childhood foods.
More similar than they think: Liberals and conservatives exaggerate perceived moral views
Moral stereotypes about "typical" liberals and conservatives held by both groups are generally correct, but exaggerated both for their own group and the other, according to new research.
People prefer leaders with more masculine voices, even in feminine leadership roles
Male and female leaders with masculine voices are preferred by both men and women. However, even in leadership roles that are typically held by women, both sexes prefer women leaders...
How to stay digitally connected in a natural disaster
If you live in a disaster-prone area, you likely have an emergency kit that includes a medical kit, flash lights and extra batteries.
Stress resilience, susceptibility traced to neurons in reward circuit
A specific pattern of neuronal firing in a brain reward circuit instantly rendered mice vulnerable to depression-like behavior induced by acute severe stress. The same firing pattern had the opposite...
Tool could help uncover bias against female faculty in STEM fields
A new Northwestern University study of professors in STEM fields at top research universities across the country shows that bias against women is ingrained in the workforce, despite a societal...
Vatican Skeptical of Mayan Apocalypse Rumors
They also address concerns regarding the expanding universe.
The Eureka Moment – Science in Society | Video
The Branco Weiss Fellowship awards young researchers around the world generous personal research grants, giving them the freedom to work on whatever topic they choose anywhere in the world, for up...
Midyear graduates recognized
For a small gathering of Harvard College students, their graduation celebration would be different from the norm. But for the 114 students who followed a different path through their undergraduate years at Harvard,...
Justice by committee
The document dump was formidable: 300 boxes holding more than 20,000 pages of colonial-era notes, letters, and reports released by the British government’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The London lawyers of elderly Kenyans...
Psychological therapies improve life for children with post-traumatic stress disorder, study suggests
Children suffering post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a result of traumatic events, including child abuse, may benefit from psychological therapies, according to a new review. In the first systematic review...
What Does A Climate Scientist Think Of Glenn Beck's Environmental-Conspiracy Novel?
Glenn Beck Michael E. Mann, director of Penn State's Earth System Science Center and author of The Hockey Stick and The Climate Wars, reviews Beck's latest work of fiction Agenda 21. When...
Social networks grow in global political debate
Social media like Facebook and Twitter have become important elements in political and social discourse in a number of countries, particularly in the Arab world, a survey showed Wednesday.
Congress examines science behind HGH test for NFL
WASHINGTON (AP) -- A congressional committee has opened a hearing to examine the science behind a human growth hormone test the NFL wants to start using...
The New Old Age Blog: The Gift of Reading
Giving a senior a tablet reader as a holiday gift may be just the ticket, especially if they are complaining of difficulty reading.
Modern families and the winter holidays
Norman Rockwell defined the winter holidays for an entire generation with his depictions of rosy-cheeked children and their doting parents set against a heartfelt winter wonderland.
Mexican-American children lag in preliteracy skills, study finds
(Phys.org)—Mexican-American preschoolers fall behind their white counterparts in terms of early language and pre-literacy skills, but the social competencies between the two groups are indistinguishable, according to new research from...
US Supreme Court wades into same-sex marriage debate
The United States Supreme Court has a history of playing a pivotal role in emotive cultural debates including, for example, abortion (Roe v Wade), racial segregation (Brown v Board of...
Pope sends first tweet from personal account
Pope Benedict XVI has sent out his first tweet from his new account, which read: 'Dear friends, I am pleased to get in touch with you through Twitter. Thank you...
Time and Punishment: Life Without Parole: Four Inmates’ Stories
The cases of four nonviolent offenders sentenced to life without parole illustrate the complaints that rigid formulas for penalties often result in injustice.
Time and Punishment: Mandatory Sentences Face Growing Skepticism
Many scholars say mandatory sentencing policies in the United States lock up nonviolent, low-level offenders for too long and are no longer a cost-effective way to reduce crime.
Pareidolia: Seeing Faces in Unusual Places
Pareidolia is the phenomenon that causes people to see Jesus on toast or the man in the moon.