Latest science news in Psychology & Sociology
Male Monkeys Wash With Urine to Attract Females?
Talk about "eew" de toilette—male monkeys that rub their fur with urine may be making themselves irresistible to females, a new study says.
Some Gmail messages lost due to bug
Some Gmail users may not have received messages sent over the past two days after a bug temporarily deleted all the emails in thousands of accounts.
Self-aware brain helps smokers quit
How the brain responds to a personalized quit-smoking message can show whether someone will still be smoking four months later, a U.S. study shows.
Smartphones: Overcoming loss of connectivity
New research has highlighted the problems of reduced sensitivity in wireless communications, along with developing new solutions to overcome the loss of connectivity.
Binge eaters' dopamine levels spike at sight, smell of food
A brain-imaging study reveals a subtle difference between ordinary obese subjects and those who compulsively overeat, or binge: In binge eaters but not ordinary obese subjects, the mere sight or...
Exploring religion, youth and sexuality
Sexuality and religion are generally considered uncomfortable bedfellows. Now, for the first time, a team of researchers from Nottingham have carried out a detailed study around these issues and how...
Foster parents receive more support than kinship caregivers, UT Southwestern study finds
Children who are placed with a relative because of mistreatment at home fare better in some areas than those placed in foster care, but they may have a higher risk...
Study looks at how homeless kids' use of online social networks can affect sexual behaviour
A new UCLA AIDS Institute study suggests that the use of social networking websites by homeless youth can lead to an increase in risky sexual behaviours. But interestingly, homeless kids...
Gastro-intestinal rumblings digested
Those stomach growls that you think are a sign of digestion or hunger may be trying to tell you something much more profoundSome psychoanalysts can find meaning in the most ordinary-seeming bits of...
The world's largest can crusher test
(PhysOrg.com) -- Place a soda can on the floor in an upright position and then stand on it -- gradually applying weight -- until the can ripples and collapses.
First aid for the under 5s
One of the reasons often given by people for not attempting first aid in emergency situations is a lack of confidence and a fear of doing more harm than good....
'Stupid strategies' could be best for the genes
Blindly copying what your parents did - no matter how stupid it may seem - could be the best strategy for the long-term success of your genes, according to research...
Social optimism during studies supports school-to-work transition
Students' social skills and behaviour in social situations during their university studies contribute to their success in the transition to work. The social strategies adopted during university studies also have...
Why Women Have BFFs
Women's innate preference for one-on-one relationships leaves them vulnerable to exclusion, study indicates.
Experts call for greater pain assessment in hospitals as 65% of patients report problems
Nearly two-thirds of the hospital in-patients who took part in a survey had experienced pain in the last 24 hours and 42% of those rated their pain as more than...
Sidewalk clearing trouble for wheelchairs
More needs to be done to help people with mobility problems get around Charlottetown's winter sidewalks, says the Canadian Parapalegic Association.
The Jewel Hunter [Book Review]
This book is the engaging and amusing narrative of how one man's mid-life crisis gave life to his obsession to see all living species of a small jewel-like songbird: the pittas.Do you...
White House Sweats, and He’s the Cause
President Obama’s personal trainer, Cornell McClellan, has also been working with many aides.
Meningitis: Neisseria meningitidis disseminates itself by sending out 'scouts'
Although, in the majority of cases, the localized presence of Neisseria meningitidis in the throat has no consequence, it can sometimes lead to meningitis or septicaemia. Scientists have recently discovered...
Science Weekly podcast: AAAS 2011, drugs and the sound of the stars
Alok is back from this year's AAAS science festival in Washington DC. He rounds up the highlights of the festival including stuttering mice, dwindling fish stocks and links between being bilingual and Alzheimer's....
Fay Fransella obituary
Pioneer of a radical people-centred theory of psychologyProfessor Fay Fransella, who has died aged 85, devoted most of her life to promoting a view of psychology centred on people. Personal construct psychology (PCP),...
In Your Words
Hypothesis: Religion prevents people from assuming control over their own lives and actions by advocating that we instead rely on a mythical being for everythingThis video interview shows what happens...
Air travelers may have been exposed to measles
(AP) -- Public health officials are warning travelers and workers present at four U.S. airports on two recent days that they may have been exposed to measles from a...
PCBs may affect in vitro fertilization outcomes
Serum polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) at concentrations found in the general U.S. population are associated with the failure of fertilized embryos to implant in the uterus after in vitro fertilization (IVF)....
'Social Vaccine' Protects Women's Interest in Science
New social psychology studies suggest that academic contact with women who have succeeded in science, math and engineering can enhance positive attitudes and boost self-confidence among girls and young women...
Binghamton University Nanoscientist Chosen for the Air Force's Young Investigator Research Program
Changhong Ke, a Binghamton University faculty member with an interest in nanoscience, is among just 43 researchers nationwide chosen for the Air Force's Young Investigator Research Program this year.
The placebo effect works both ways: Beliefs about pain levels appear to override effects of potent pain-relieving drug
Poor expectations of treatment can override all the effect of a potent pain-relieving drug, a brain imaging study has shown. In contrast, positive expectations of treatment doubled the natural physiological...
Think time flies? Well actually, you may be right
Time flies when you're having fun. But you're at work, and work sucks. So how is it 5 p.m. already?