Latest science news in Psychology & Sociology
Dutch probing Iranian hacker's claims
The Dutch government is investigating claims by a suspected Iranian hacker that he falsified Internet security certificates at a Dutch company, a government spokesman said Friday.
How we control fear — at the molecular level
When healthy people are faced with threatening situations, they react with a suitable behavioural response and do not descend into a state of either panic or indifference, as is the...
Protecting adolescent girls from unwanted unprotected sex
Partner abuse leads to HIV infection, and black women are most at risk. A new study at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing has found that 46 percent of...
More woman turning to sex surrogates for help
Female patients turning to sex therapy where treatment involves hands-on approach with surrogate partners
Remembering the past can worsen health, Spanish study suggests
Going back to work after the holidays is a nightmare for many. Can you improve your health by remembering the past in a positive way? A study by researchers in...
Revisiting the David Nutt debate: Is it possible to rank different drugs by the harm they cause?
The scientific and political worlds were transfixed in late 2009 when UK drugs advisor Dr. David Nutt was sacked by Home Secretary Alan Johnson for his controversial views on the...
Brain waves control the impact of noise on sleep
During sleep, our perception of the environment decreases. However the extent to which the human brain responds to surrounding noises during sleep remains unclear. In a study published this week...
Ritalin abuse on campus akin to cheating
University and college students who abuse stimulants like Ritalin are often unaware of the risks, a medical journal editorial says.
Anti-inflammatory drugs taken in early pregnancy more than double risk of miscarriage
The risk of miscarriage is 2.4 times greater for women who took any type and dosage of non-aspirin non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in early pregnancy, according to a new study.
John Turner obituary
He developed theories of social change and intergroup behaviourHow do individual minds make possible groups and society, and how does society change individual minds? For four decades, the social psychologist John Turner, who...
Do Songs About Sex Affect Kids?
Some cultural activists like Hollywood director Rob Reiner believe smoking is so influential it should be the target of modern-day McCarthyism and banned from films and television. What about sexualized...
Do You Really Remember Where You Were on 9/11?
Memories of national events like 9/11 may seem frozen in time, but they do decay.
Vietnam holds 59 Chinese, Taiwanese for fraud
Vietnamese police have detained 29 Chinese and 30 Taiwanese suspects in the region's latest Internet fraud scam, an officer said on Tuesday.
Did the use of psychedelics lead to a computer revolution? | Wendy M Grossman
Steve Jobs and a host of computer pioneers believed LSD helped their creativity – but coincidence does not imply causality " … in terms of our view of the universe – or...
Wynton Marsalis returns to Harvard
Harvard University announced today that Wynton Marsalis will continue his two-year lecture series with an appearance at Sanders Theatre on Sept. 15. Currently the artistic director of Jazz at Lincoln Center, Marsalis is...
New research sheds light on teenage friendship networks
The University of Bristol study identified these as the three most influential factors when teenagers choose their friends, while income and parents occupational class proved to be insignificant.
The origins of pleasure [video]
Why do we like an original painting better than a forgery? In this video, psychologist Paul Bloom argues that human beings are essentialists -- that our beliefs about the history of an...
The Battle of the Morphogens: How to Get Ahead in the Nervous System
If you think today's political rhetoric is overheated, imagine what goes on inside a vertebrate embryo. There, two armies whose agendas are poles apart, engage in a battle with consequences...
Op-Ed Contributor: Revive Home Economics Classes to Fight Obesity
We remember the stereotypes about home economics, while forgetting the movement’s crucial lessons on healthy eating and cooking.
Non-epileptic seizures may be misdiagnosed longer in veterans
Psychogenic non-epileptic seizures may go undiagnosed for much longer in veterans compared to civilians, according to a new study. This type of seizure is different from seizures related to epilepsy...
Well: School Curriculum Falls Short on Bigger Lessons
Many child development experts worry that the ever-growing emphasis on academic performance means many children aren't developing life skills like motivation, focus and resilience, predictors of long-term success.
Observatory: Roots of Memory Aren’t Fully Developed Until Adulthood
Children have memories, but the ability to remember the origin of memories develops slowly, a study shows.
Letter: Schizophrenia denial
You claim (Unthinkable? Rehabilitating RD Laing, 27 August) Laing and Esterson's Sanity, Madness and the Family "set out [Laing's] most controversial idea: that family life plays an important part in the development of...
First Mention: First Mention - Human Papillomavirus, 1985
Articles as early as 1912 discussed experiments linking viruses with cancer.
The New Old Age Blog: The Caregiver's Bookshelf: A Doctor's Decline
In "Turn of Mind," Alice LaPlante offers a haunting portrait of a woman suffering from dementia.
For People With Misophonia, a Chomp or a Slurp May Cause Rage
People chewing, chomping, slurping, gurgling can send people with a condition known as misophonia into a blood-boiling rage.
Personal Health: Distinguishing Cognitive Impairment From Normal Aging
For millions with a neurological condition called mild cognitive impairment, lapses in word-finding and name recall are often common.
Really?: No Eating Near Bedtime to Prevent Heartburn
It's long been advised that people who get nighttime heartburn eat no later than three to four hours before bed. Recent studies have indicated that's sound advice.