Latest science news in Psychology & Sociology
Obesity linked to depression
Obesity and depression are strongly linked, and doctors should pay more attention to the connection between the two, according to scientists.
While adolescents may reason as well as adults, their emotional maturity lags
A 16-year-old might be quite capable of making an informed decision about whether to end a pregnancy - a decision likely to be made after due consideration and consultation with...
Unnatural selection: Birth control pills may alter choice of partners
There is no doubt that modern contraception has enabled women to have unprecedented control over their own fertility. However, is it possible that the use of oral contraceptives is interfering...
Good, and bad, news on the 'science gap'
New figures on research spending show that the gap between rich and poor countries is closing — but not fast enough.
Simple tool can boost motivation, improve health in older adults
Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have identified a tool, the 'Getting-Out-of-Bed (GoB) measure' to assess motivation and life outlook in older adults. The study, which appears in...
Falling public support for health-care reform can be turned around
Survey results published this week in the journal Health Affairs show that while only 27 percent of adults currently support the U.S. Senate Finance Committee's proposed healthcare legislation, an amended...
Gender discrimination still a factor in modern organisations - 'that's what she said'
The World Economic Forum's Gender Gap Report states, 'No country in the world has yet managed to eliminate the gender gap.' In the U.S., the Bureau of Labor Statistics cites...
Will giving coffee to babies keep them awake as adults?
An F1000 evaluation looks at a Canadian study on how giving caffeine to newborn rats has a long-lasting and detrimental effect on sleep and breathing in adulthood.
French Senate wants cellphone ban for kids
France's Senate wants to forbid children in primary and middle schools from using cellphones, amending a sweeping environment bill to include such a ban.
Score one for sanity
Lo and behold, looky what was aired on American public television last night: an
More attention, better treatment for concussions
(AP) -- The days of a football player getting his bell rung, taking a whiff of smelling salts and getting back on the field are gone.
Tech tinkers with daily routines
High-school classmates from 30 years ago connect daily on Facebook. Cable customers report outages on Twitter. A father text messages his daughter to gently tell her it's time for her...
The Church is still popular
Despite decline in numbers of worshippers and increased secularisation the church is still valued and appreciated as an institution which protects and preserves common values in the public sphere. This...
Singing During Pregnancy May Be Harder Due To Hormones
The question of how hormones affect a woman's voice is relevant to professional singers because hormonal fluctuations may place them at risk of injury. Knowing when the risks are greatest...
Insured African Americans more likely to use emergency room than other insured groups
(PhysOrg.com) -- African Americans enrolled in HMOs are far more likely to use the ER and to delay getting needed prescription drugs than HMO-insured members of other racial and ethnic...
An explanation for near-death experience
Many people consider the experience spiritual in nature, but a study published this week reveals physiological markers of the event.
Church Attendance, Marital Status Can Affect Mood of Older Adults
(PhysOrg.com) -- UA graduate student Rita Law's study to evaluate long-term effects of marital status and church attendance is among very few that have considered such a correlation.
Singularity Summit 2009: Ten Unanswered Questions For Our Future Robot Overlords
If you could ask the product of the robot-human merge ten questions, what would they be? While I undoubtedly learned a lot at the Singularity Summit, the conference's greatest benefit was the...
There Oughta Be A Law. And, Actually, There Is One
They say the world is changing. Let’s check that out empirically.We might run a couple of sample surveys, to see how people’s behaviors or attitudes change between the two questionnaire mailings. A colleague,...
High Rates Of Childhood Exposure To Violence And Abuse In United States, New Study Finds
A new study finds that US children are routinely exposed to even more violence and abuse than has been previously recognized, with nearly half experiencing a physical assault in the...
Health in low-income countries: Outsourcing and cash incentives may help
Contracting private providers of healthcare services and giving cash incentives to patients are two strategies that have been proposed to increase access to healthcare in low income countries. In two...
Casting light on social blame
(PhysOrg.com) -- Mothers whose children suffer from emotional and behavioral disabilities say they shoulder a tremendous social burden of responsibility to remedy their kids` problems, says Linda Blum, associate professor...
Places to play, but 'stranger danger' fears keep inner-city kids home
(PhysOrg.com) -- Kids and teens in inner-city neighbourhoods have parks and places in which to play and be physically active, but their perceptions of "stranger danger" keep many of them...
Study shows performance affects perception
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind., Oct. 6 (UPI) -- A U.S. psychologist says the performance of people trying to accomplish a physical task can often affect their perception of the task...
Goal Posts Appear Smaller After Kicker Misses
Failed field-goal attempts can change an athlete's perception of the goal size.
Outreach van makes sex trade workers safer: research
(PhysOrg.com) -- A van that circled Vancouver streets frequented by sex trade workers made them feel safer and reduced their likelihood of being attacked, according to a University of British...
Keeping DNA 'all in the family'
Scientists look for clues about therapies and cures for life-threatening childhood illnesses in children's DNA -- it seems only logical to do so. But the decision as to who should...
CGIAR reforms make research decision-making distant
CGIAR reforms take research decisions too far away, says Hartmann, director-general of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA).