Latest science news in Psychology & Sociology
Pivotal study finds link between PTSD and dementia
Results of a study reported in the September issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society suggest that Veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have a greater risk for...
Children raised by gay couples show good progress through school
In nearly every discussion, debate or lawsuit about gay marriage, the talk at some point turns to family values...
The neural basis of the depressive self
Depression is actually defined by specific clinical symptoms such as sadness, difficulty to experience pleasure, sleep problems etc., present for at least two weeks, with impairment of psychosocial functioning. These...
POLL: Stop-smoking drugs: Should governments pay?
Have you ever used drug therapies to help you quit smoking? Do you think government drug plans should cover the costs of stop-smoking drugs?
Reading Arabic isn't easy, brain study suggests
The brain's right hemisphere is not involved in the initial processes of reading in Arabic, due to the graphic complexity of Arabic script. Therefore reading acquisition in Arabic is much...
Brain drained
International mobility is part-and-parcel of particle physics. Introducing Lily who is starting out for Chicago and will hopefully be less 'confused' than I wasOn Saturday I went to a leaving party for Lily...
Is science teaching undermined by religious instruction in some state-funded faith schools? | Dr Evan Harris
The evolution-creationism debate in schools must be about religious education lessons not just science lessons. This is my blueprint for better REFrom time to time there are concerns raised that some state-funded religious...
Faith in science is not enough – people deserve proof | Alom Shaha
Education must be at the heart of science communication, or else we are simply asking people to 'believe'I am an evangelist. But instead of spreading the gospel or any other religious message,...
N.S. won't pay for girl's U.S. surgery
A Halifax couple is threatening to sue the Nova Scotia government for refusing to pay for an out-of-country operation for their daughter.
Study shows skin tone is not the major determinant of perceived racial identity
(PhysOrg.com) -- How do we determine the racial background of a person that we have just met? The facial characteristics of various racial groups differ in many respects, ranging from...
Welcome to my new blarg | GrrlScientist
Like most people, I always wanted to be a success; I was born wanting to accomplish something worthwhile that would justify my existence on this planet. So even though I worked long...
School-based intervention successfully lowers drinking rates in at risk children
The coming weeks mark the return to school for many of our youngest citizens. Sadly the satisfaction of making new friends and obtaining good test scores may be overshadowed by...
Hurts so good - neural clues to the calming effects of self-harm
The notion that cutting or burning oneself could provide relief from emotional distress is difficult to understand for most people, but it is an experience reported commonly among people who...
Eye movements reveal readers' wandering minds
It's not just you... everybody zones out when they're reading. For a new study published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, scientists recorded eye movements...
Roots of gamblers' fallacies and other superstitions: Causes of seemingly irrational human decision-making
Gamblers who think they have a "hot hand," only to end up walking away with a loss, may nonetheless be making "rational" decisions, according to new research.
Devastating psychological effects of BP Gulf disaster explored
Anger, depression and helplessness are the main psychological responses being seen in response to the catastrophic Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, and they are likely to...
Workers rate safety most important workplace issue in new Labor Day study
More than eight of ten workers -- 85 percent -- rate workplace safety first in importance among labor standards, even ahead of family and maternity leave, minimum wage, paid sick...
Feasts at a funeral
Whether the occasion is a wedding reception or another milestone in life, the feast is a time-honored ritual in which a large meal marks a significant occasion. We know that...
Mind: Lasting Pleasures, Robbed by Drug Abuse
Drugs have a competitive advantage over natural rewards and can hijack the brain’s reward system.
Essay: Isolation, an Ancient and Lonely Practice, Endures
For those who are not just infected on the inside but also infested on the outside our state-of-the-art treatment includes a direct carryover from the Middle Ages.
Drug Companies Hunt for Alternatives to Steroids
Drug makers are trying to develop medicines that possess the muscle-building ability of testosterone without its side effects.
Scientist at Work: Dr. Donald A. Redelmeier: Think the Answer’s Clear? Look Again
Dr. Donald A. Redelmeier’s work has debunked preconceived notions and revealed some deep truths about the predictors of longevity, the organization of health care and the workings of the medical...
US grapples with bedbugs, misuse of pesticides
(AP) -- A resurgence of bedbugs across the U.S. has homeowners and apartment dwellers taking desperate measures to eradicate the tenacious bloodsuckers, with some relying on dangerous outdoor pesticides...
Older adults experience “destination amnesia” and over-confidence with false beliefs
I'm sure I told you that already! Older adults are more likely to have destination memory failures -- forgetting who they've shared or not shared information with, according to a...
Diabetes now tops Vietnam vets' claims
(AP) -- By his own reckoning, a Navy electrician spent just eight hours in Vietnam, during a layover on his flight back to the U.S. in 1966. He bought...
Parenting style: Italians strict, French moderate, Canadians lenient
Canadian teenagers enjoy more freedom than French and Italian peers, according to a new study. The investigation examined how parents fashion emotional bonds and exert behavioral control with adolescents.
Immortalize Yourself In Music: Have Your Remains Pressed As a Vinyl Record
Rest In Vinyl AndVinyly.com For those who can't afford to have their ashes sent to space or who may not like the notion of being screwed into the ground post-mortem, here's another...
Tests to assess Down syndrome created
The Arizona Cognitive Test Battery can quickly assess the cognitive abilities of persons with Down syndrome. It gives clinicians and other researchers a tool to help determine the life trajectory...