Latest science news in Psychology & Sociology
The problem with badger culls | Ben Goldacre
We need a badger-cull trial held in the real world ... to give us answers that matter, on results we care about, with the intervention we're actually usingSquabbles between farmers and animal rights' protesters bore...
Chronic pain in homeless people not managed well: study
Chronic pain is not managed well in the general population and it's an even greater challenge for homeless people, according to new research by St. Michael's Hospital.
Can a Genetic Test Help You Lose Weight?
A genetic test claims to help you lose weight, but experts are skeptical.
Study shows voter turnout can be increased with simple word change
(PhysOrg.com) -- A new study by social psychologist Christopher Bryan and his colleagues at Stanford University shows just how easily people can be manipulated using their own vanity; by doing...
Grad students in K-12 classrooms urged
FAIRBANKS, Alaska, July 18 (UPI) -- The National Science Foundation should reverse its decision to cancel a program that put science graduate students in public schools, two U.S. scientists...
Marijuana May Be Studied for Combat Disorder
Researchers are seeking federal approval for what is believed to be the first study to examine the effects of marijuana on veterans with chronic post-traumatic stress disorder.
Researchers Find Neural Signature of ‘Mental Time Travel’
Almost everyone has experienced one memory triggering another, but explanations for that phenomenon have proved elusive. Now, University of Pennsylvaniaresearchers [...]
Child Abuse in Birds: Study Documents 'Cycle of Violence' in Nature
For one species of seabird in the Galapagos, the child abuse "cycle of violence" found in humans plays out in the wild. The new study of Nazca boobies by Wake Forest...
Study examines relationship of acculturation with sun-safe behaviors of US Latinos
Among Latinos living in the United States, acculturation is associated with sunscreen use, but not with use of sun-protective clothing, according to a new study.
Decisions, decisions, decisions ...
We all make numerous decisions everyday; unconsciously or consciously, sometimes doing it automatically with little effort or thinking and yet, at other times, we agonize for hours over another. Why...
'Simon says': Preschool-age kids in different countries improve academically using self-regulation game
Children who regularly participated in a Simon Says-type game designed to improve self-regulation -- called the Head-Toes-Knees-Shoulders task -- may have better math and early literacy scores. A new study...
For dementia, common painkillers may work best: study
Ordinary painkillers such as paracetamol may work better than the risky antipyschotic drugs often prescribed to calm agitation in people with dementia, according to a study released Monday.
Sports doping: Racing just to keep up
Anti-doping researchers are looking for new ways to catch cheaters. Can a biological passport help to save the sport?
Personal Health: Still Counting Calories? Your Weight-Loss Plan May Be Outdated
The most detailed long-term analysis of the factors that influence weight gain shows that conventional wisdom may not be the best approach.
Structure helps new employees adjust, study finds
With people often changing jobs and careers, organizations need to know how to help integrate and engage newcomers in order to retain them. A new study shows that new employees...
Generous lottery winner loses fight with cancer
Violet Large, a Nova Scotia woman who along with her husband gave away nearly $11 million in lottery winnings, has died.
China's unconventional university gets mixed welcome
The university aims to revolutionise higher education but some academics have criticised its approach.
Dot Earth: When Risk Misperceptions Create Risks
Is there a way past policy bottlenecks created when feelings trump science?
The New Old Age: A Guided Tour of the Past
Guided autobiography programs allow the elderly to revisit, and share, their lives.
Personality plays role in body weight, study says
People with personality traits of high neuroticism and low conscientiousness are likely to go through cycles of gaining and losing weight throughout their lives, according to an examination of 50...
CMS Sees No Gluinos - But Will Keep Looking
Blogging from the whereabouts of one of the most beautiful places of the Mediterranean, Balos Beach (see picture below), I wish to draw your attention today to one fun search...
University Research Under Attack (And One Defense)
One of these loons who thinks all university research is worthless managed to get another op-ed to that effect published in the Chronicle of Higher Education. It's worth looking at, not for the...
It's OK to Share a Bed with Your Toddler, Study Finds
This new study of bed-sharing with toddlers shows no significant association with negative behavioral outcome when the data is controlled for socioeconomic status.
Video: Study: Google linked to lower memory retention
Recent studies conducted at Columbia University show the effects Internet search engines have on human memory retention. Joshua Foer, 2006 memory champion, speaks to Chris Wragge about the studies.
When the brain decides
Every day we have to make decisions that involve evaluating or choosing between options, often without much information to go on. So how we do it? How do we prevent...
Being a dominant breeder is costly for female banded mongooses
There's a subtle hierarchy among the women in banded mongoose societies: only older females get to breed, while younger ones have to wait their turn. If a young female mongoose...
Demons In Science And Philosophy
Thought experiments are mental exercises, or imaginative experiments, which are often not possible to perform with current technology. They appear to be particularly popular in physics and philosophy, but are...
Carl Jung, part 8: Religion and the search for meaning | Mark Vernon
Jung thought psychology could offer a language for grappling with moral ambiguities in an age of spiritual crisisIn 1959, two years before his death, Jung was interviewed for the BBC television programme Face...