Latest science news in Psychology & Sociology
'Nudge' is not enough, it's true. But we already knew that | Jonathan Rowson
The Lords' behavioural change report is a missed opportunity to challenge coalition policy on the adaptive challenges we faceWas it just me, or did Baroness Neuberger sound like she was pulling her punches?...
Good Body Image Helps You Drop Pounds
Behavioral intervention plans that improve body image by addressing issues such as emotional eating help women lose more weight, a new study shows.
Scientists connect gene to Alzheimer’s precondition
Connecting a human gene to the risk of developing the Alzheimer's precondition known as mild cognitive impairment has been somewhat of a holy grail for scientists, but now a team...
Face value: Looks of political candidates are key factor influencing low-information voters
The looks of political candidates are a key factor influencing voters, a phenomenon identified by a number of scholars in recent years. Now, a new study adds to this body...
Chavs, sluts and the war of words | Mind your language
As new words are coined, old ones evolve by stepping out of the dictionary and back into oral cultureLike an expedition to the source of the Nile, any attempt to find the...
Family businesses: 'Success and Familiness Go Hand in Hand' according to new research
Against the backdrop of the toughest economic times in living memory, family businesses seem to be not only surviving, but thriving, according to research conducted by law firm Veale Wasbrough...
Facebook saves the life of a child
Deborah Copaken Kogans Mothers Day wasnt exactly what she was hoping for when she woke up to discover her 4-year-old son Leo was sick with a rash. She posted a...
Nearly 200 patients move into Children's Hospital L.A.'s new pavilion
In a delicate transfer process that took more than a year of planning, nearly 200 patients were moved into the new, high-tech, $636-million facility.A transportation event began early Sunday morning...
Coming Together to Fight for a Troubled Veteran
A novel court program and an unusual coming together of people who wanted to help spared Staff Sgt. Brad Eifert, who was headed for disaster.
Marijuana for Patients Remains Off-Limits
State officials have said mixed signals from the Obama administration have left them unsure whether their programs could draw federal prosecutions.
Where Families Are Prized, Help Is Free
Israel provides free, unlimited in vitro fertilization procedures for up to two “take-home babies” until a woman is 45.
The Broad Autism Phenotype: How Family Members Often Have Some Autistic Traits
In the autism community, it can’t help but be noticed that a good portion of the parents of autistic kids deal with the same kindsread more
David Childs obituary
My husband, David Childs, who has died of cancer aged 64, was head of NHS clinical psychology services in Bath from 1979 until his retirement in 2004, overseeing the provision of psychological therapy...
Kakao is sweet for S. Korean smartphone users
South Korean student Hwang Jin-Joo no longer sends text messages to his extensive circle of friends, he "KaTalks" them.
Tricked-out trikes for older riders
After borrowing Dad, rating uprights and recumbents for the senior set.Whenever I write about bicycles, I inevitably receive emails from older folks who are interested in adult three-wheelers. "I'm a...
Marine is killed in Afghanistan
Cpl. Gurpreet Singh had wanted to be in the military since he was a boy. The immigrant from India hoped to go to college after the service.Quiet and polite, with...
UC Berkeley asks incoming students to say more than 'hello'
5,800 Berkeley freshmen and transfer students are asked to record their voices and accents, which will be mapped and compared to other students' samples. The project is part linguistic experiment,...
Why dog trainers will have to change their ways
Professor John Bradshaw is leading a revolution in the study of canine behaviour. 'Dogs don't want to control people, they want to control their own lives,' he says.Professor John Bradshaw is holding out...
Tanya L Chartrand: Botox impairs our ability to relate to others
Neuroscientist Tanya L Chartrand on how using Botox to paralyse facial muscles makes it difficult to read others' emotions and harms our ability to empathiseTanya L Chartrand is a professor of psychology and...
Opinion: Patrolling Cancer’s Borderlands
Cancer control depends on success in scientific, political and social challenges.
Response to alcohol, peers, expectancies, and coping all contribute to adolescent drinking
A low level of response (LR) to alcohol is one of several genetically influenced characteristics that may increase an individual's risk for heavy drinking and alcohol problems. A new study...
Pets and your health: the good and the bad
House pets can affect your psychological and physical health in many ways.They cuddle and purr. And they shed. They wag their tails and fetch your slippers. And they shed. They...
Medical Muses by Asti Hustvedt - review
Hysterics were performers as well as patientsIn the famous painting of Jean-Martin Charcot by André Brouillet, the doctor stands lecturing an intently observing group of seated men; an unconscious woman is draped over...
Well: Teenagers Prefer Drinks With Caffeine
Super-caffeinated energy drinks with names like Red Bull and Monster are increasingly popular among teens. But is it savvy marketing or the caffeine that keeps teens coming back for more?
Adolescent binge drinking can damage spatial working memory
Binge or "heavy episodic" drinking is prevalent during adolescence, raising concerns about alcohol's effects on crucial neuromaturational processes during this developmental period. Heavy alcohol use has been associated with...
Source of empathy in the brain?
Your brain works hard to help understand your fellow person -- no matter how different they may be. According to a new study, even failing to possess a full complement...
Massachusetts health-care reform increased access to care, particularly among disadvantaged
Recent research conducted at Harvard Medical School and the Harvard School of Public Health may have strong implications for informing the controversial debate currently surrounding national health care reform.
Narcissists need no reality check
Despite inflated egos, they evaluate themselves with unexpectedly clear eyes