Latest science news in Psychology & Sociology
Foxconn to give Chinese workers another pay raise
(AP) -- Foxconn workers in China will get another pay raise in coming months, on top of an increase that just took effect in response to recent worker suicides,...
Apologies may fuel settlement of legal disputes, study says
Apologies may be good for more than just the soul, according to research by a University of Illinois professor of law and of psychology...
Meditation reduces the emotional impact of pain
People who meditate regularly find pain less unpleasant because their brains anticipate the pain less, a new study has found...
Explained: Knightian uncertainty
The global economic crisis of the last two years has stemmed, in part, from the inability of financial institutions to effectively judge the riskiness of their investments. For this reason,...
Survey highlights major Canada-US differences in people in middle age
Middle-aged Canadians are much less worried about the future than their American counterparts, some of whom are close to panic, says an Alberta researcher who has just finished a survey...
New cause of cognitive decline reported
NEW YORK, June 2 (UPI) -- U.S. medical investigators say they've found a new cause of cognitive decline among older people.
Grassroots programs to encourage minority organ donation prove successful
Minority organ donations have more than doubled since the institution of grassroots awareness and education programs, according to a new retrospective study published in the May issue of the Journal...
Sociological study reflects high financial malfeasance rates in largest US corporations
The need to "fix" or restate financial statements is an admission by corporate management that these reports (prior to their being corrected) to the government and the investing public misrepresented...
Cognitive ability, not age, predicts risky decisions
Just because your mother has turned 85, you shouldn't assume you'll have to take over her financial matters. She may be just as good or better than you at making...
World view: Defending democracy
Government surveillance technology programmes must aim to protect privacy and civil rights from the start, says Daniel Sarewitz.
Afghanistan peace jirga comes under attack
Three insurgents armed with suicide bombs and rocket-propelled grenades attempt to disrupt President Hamid Karzai's meeting with tribal elders. Two militants are killed; one is arrested, and the Taliban claims responsibility for the...
The social dreaming experiment | Alison Flood
Two therapists believe that sharing our dreams can help make society less violent. Are they away with the fairies?Falling. Flying. Running away from monsters. I have been listening to people share their dreams...
Drinking coffee doesn't make you any more alert
Coffee addicts are merely staving off the effects of caffeine withdrawal, suggests study. They're no more alert than people who regularly do withoutThe millions of us who depend on a shot of coffee...
Cheerleaders at Risk for Eating Disorders, Study Finds
College cheerleaders are at high risk for body image issues and eating disorders.
Human Mind 'Time Travels' When Pondering Movement
Just thinking about moving through space can make your mind wander in time as well, called mental time travel.
3 Namibian women with HIV say they were sterilized
WINDHOEK, Namibia (AP) -- Supporters of three HIV-positive women in Namibia who say they were sterilized without their consent held protests to support the women's decision...
Olive View-UCLA staffers allegedly accepted gifts from nursing home employees
County officials are investigating three hospital workers who have been accused of receiving gifts in exchange for referring Medi-Cal and Medicare patients to at least three facilities. Los Angeles County officials are investigating...
From the archive, 31 May 1924: A good word for slang
Originally published in the Manchester Guardian on 31 May 1924FLEET STREET, FRIDAY.With reverent faces the audience at the meeting of the English Society at Bedford College this evening settled themselves to hear Mr....
Reith Lectures | Radio review
Astronomer Royal Martin Rees decries the tendency for debates to be run by 'celebrities and newspaper people,' writes Elisabeth MahoneyMartin Rees, giving the first of his Reith Lectures (Radio 4), spoke to Sue...
Fear Grips a Family as Relatives With Alzheimer’s Slip Away
For those in a Colombian clan, the anguish of Alzheimer’s may be hardest on those who do not have the disease, but know they are likely to get it.
Al and Tipper Gore announce separation
The high school sweethearts, married for 40 years, say it's 'a mutual and mutually supportive decision.' Friends and associates seem shocked. ...
Reports: Japan Prime Minister Hatoyama intends to resign
Unpopular Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama intends to resign, public broadcaster NHK said on Wednesday, after a slide in the polls threatened his party's chances in an upcoming election.
Brain powered robot
(PhysOrg.com) -- A squat, circular robot scurries along the floor of a laboratory, moving left, then right, then left again, before coming to a stop. A Northeastern University student researcher...
Brain Scans Not Acceptable for Detecting Lies, Says Judge
In the first decision of its kind, a federal magistrate judge has ruled that...
Protein-Lipid Alliances
Computer simulations provide a better picture of the poorly understood dynamics of biological membranes.
Supreme Court backs off strict enforcement of Miranda rights
Once the suspect has been informed of his rights, he has the duty to invoke them, justices say. The decision reinstates a murder conviction based mostly on a suspect's one-word answer to...
Math patterns found in some human behavior
BOSTON, June 1 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists say they have found mathematical patterns in human preference behavior -- a finding that may help in diagnosing psychiatric disorders.
Family to appeal in Facebook case
A 15-year-old Nova Scotia girl and her family say they will appeal a judge's decision to reject a request for a publication ban in a case of alleged Facebook bullying.