Latest science news in Psychology & Sociology
Nature, the cure for bad behavior?
Communing with nature not only lifts spirits, it helps people behave better, according to a study published this week.
Teen Attitudes Toward Smoking Linked To Likelihood Of Drinking And Using Drugs
New research looks at the specific ways parents and peers influence teenagers to smoke, drink and use marijuana in combination.
Consciousness Is The Brain's Wi-Fi, Resolving Competing Requests, Study Suggests
Your fingers start to burn after picking up a hot plate. Should you drop the plate or save your meal? New research suggests that it is your consciousness that resolves...
Sugar: Gateway Drug to Violence?
A new study claims that children who eat sweets daily are more likely to commit violent acts as adults [Read more]
Alcoholism's Effect On Sleep Persists During Long Periods Of Sobriety
A new study shows that long-term alcoholism affects sleep even after long periods of abstinence, and the pattern of this effect is similar in both men and women.
Physician-assisted suicide does not increase severity of depression, grief among family members
Unlike other forms of suicide, physician assisted death does not cause substantial regret, or a sense of rejection among surviving family members. In addition, the prevalence and severity of depression...
Increase in 'academic doping' could spark routine urine tests for exam students
The increasing use of smart drugs or 'nootropics,' to boost academic performance, could mean that exam students will face routine doping tests in future, suggests an article in the Journal...
Researchers use computational models to study fear
The brain is a complex system made of billions of neurones and thousands of connections that relate to every human feeling, including one of the strongest emotions, fear. Most neurological...
Location tracking on cell phones raises privacy concerns
I love the location-based features on my iPhone. But after talking with privacy advocates last week, I'm concerned about who's keeping track of my location -- and what they're doing...
Celebrities Spawn Copycat Suicides, Study Confirms
Results of a new study warn against glamorizing celebrity suicides in the media. The study has found evidence that the increasing reach and influence of the media, combined with a...
Ont. cancer drug plan almost cruel: watchdog
Ontario's ombudsman slams the provincial government for placing a limit on payments for the colorectal cancer drug Avastin, a policy he calls unjust and arbitrary.
Video: "The Wizard of Oz" Turns 70
Seventy years after "The Wizard of Oz" rose to fame, the film is still maintaining its popularity among children. Kelly Wallace reports.
Most Americans dislike behavioral advertising: survey
Privacy advocates have long criticized behavioral advertising and a new survey suggests that contrary to the claims of marketers, most Americans don't like it either.
Point your phone to ID places
Imagine seeing a cool-looking building from afar that you want to know more about. Or seeing someone whose name you can't remember coming toward you with their hand outstretched.
UAB professor's book promises solution for teaching evolution without conflict
University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Associate Professor Lee Meadows, Ph.D., is author of a new book that claims it's possible to teach evolution without offending students who have strong...
Don't stand by me: Study explores role of personal connections in failing projects (w/ Podcast)
(PhysOrg.com) -- When business leaders leave organizations following poor decisions, constituents often find comfort in replacing them with insiders - others familiar with the problem and original choices.
The Dollars and Sense of Closing Schools for H1N1
Much has been made of the potential difficulties businesses face if numerous employees are out sick with the H1N1 "swine" flu . But there has been little information on the economic and...
The influence of cultural differences in investigative interviews
(PhysOrg.com) -- In her youth psychologist Karlijn Beune devoured crime stories. Now the world of crime is her field of expertise. She studied how the behaviour of detectives during investigative...
Bye bye modular, hello cognit!
Termed by Fuster in 2006, the construct was created to solve the problematic yet popular view that the human brain is made up of discrete cortical domains dedicated exclusively to...
Stay focused: Researchers sharpen photographs by capturing multiple low-quality images
(PhysOrg.com) -- For photographers, it's sometimes difficult to keep both the foreground and background of an image in focus. Focusing somewhere between the two can ensure that neither is blurry;...
Places To Play, But 'Stranger Danger' Fears Keep Inner-city Kids Home: Study
Fear of dangerous strangers in inner-city neighborhoods is keeping kids and teens from using playgrounds and parks to be physically active.
Good hackers meet to seek ways to stop the bad hackers
The world of hackers is kind of like the "Star Wars" universe: There's a light side and a dark side of cracking computers.
Dramatized ads weave plot lines around product
(AP) -- In television's latest quest to discourage viewers from skipping ads, actors from NBC and ABC shows are appearing in character in commercials to interact with products in...
Doctors hope to make artificial face
PORTLAND, Ore., Sept. 30 (UPI) -- Doctors in Oregon say they hope to give a woman a new face to replace the one she lost to a shotgun blast...
Movie talk stays face-to-face
A study has found that most word-of-mouth talk about movies is offline – a surprise to marketers who focus on social media.
Brain's response to attention is studied
LA JOLLA, Calif., Sept. 30 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists say reductions in the firing rates of the brain's background nerve cells occur when monkeys intensely focus on a visual...
What Porn Users Taught Me
"By Jove, it's the reward circuitry!" A dedicated member of the "to each his own taste" club, I'm all for freedom of speech. However, my website happens to discuss the highs...
Video: "Home Alone" Star Grows Up
Only On The Web: Returning to the silver screen, actor Devin Ratray ("Home Alone," TV's "Law & Order") discusses his new sci-fi action film, "Surrogates," starring Bruce Willis.