Latest science news in Psychology & Sociology
T'is The Season To Be Jolly?
As the party season approaches, a timely reminder of the issues surrounding the binge drinking culture are again highlighted by research into "young people and alcohol" a team lead by...
Family Response Key to Health of Gay Youth
Even modest attempts by family members to accept a teen’s sexual orientation helped improve health, researchers found.
Facial expressions of emotion are innate, not learned, says new study
Facial expressions of emotion are hardwired into our genes, according to a study published today in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. The research suggests that facial expressions of...
Secrecy of manual's changes criticized
WASHINGTON, Dec. 29 (UPI) -- Revisions to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders should be made openly instead of hidden from the public, a critic of...
Most families want doctors to be honest about uncertain prognoses
Families of critically ill patients overwhelmingly want doctors to be honest with them about uncertainties around their loved ones' prognoses, says a new study.
Charity highlights times when celebs and science did not mix
Celebrities make "misleading" scientific claims which then "travel widely", the charity Sense Against Science warns.
Letters: Myths, religion and scientific rationality
Letters: Your report of a survey of science teachers' attitudes towards creationism made certain assumptions which would not, I hope, be shared by most teachers of science
Fear: Hobbyists Will Create New Life Forms
Amateur biologists are goofing around with genetics. Some fear could unleash new and dangerous life forms.
Greatest gift for Iraqi Christians -- returning home
Hundreds of families are returning from exile. Security has improved and worshipers at Christmas services hope for peace. But violence is never far away. ...
Men, Women Give To Charity Differently, Says New Research
To whom would you rather give money: a needy person in your neighborhood or a needy person in a foreign country? If you're a man, you're more likely to give...
We Are Better Able To Detect Racial Tension In Members Of Our Racial Group
Is it more difficult for members of different races to understand each others' emotions and intentions? A new study in Psychological Science reveals that we are better able to detect...
How We Make Proper Movements
How do we make proper movements? A new study in Psychological Science suggests that when we see an object, a number of motor programs in the brain are involuntarily activated...
College Students Find Comfort In Their Pets During Hard Times
A new study suggests that college students may handle stressful situations better if they have a pet. Research has already shown that pets can improve the quality of life for...
Influential US political scientist Samuel Huntington dies
Influential US political scientist Samuel Huntington, author of "The Clash of Civilizations" and a professor at Harvard University, has died at the age of 81, the university announced on its...
Can Nintendo Wii game consoles improve family fitness?
Consumer research suggests the Nintendo Wii Fit video game console was among this year's most popular Christmas gifts, but could it also be a way to improve overall family fitness?...
Researchers Revisit Male Bisexuality
While the Kinsey Scale has become a fixture in sexuality textbooks and even popular culture, the rating system and Alfred Kinsey's findings regarding male bisexuality and cultural influences on male...
Genes don't determine your child's ability - nurture is key
You might imagine that where you stand on the nature-nurture debate is purely academic. You would be very wrong.
Ben Goldacre: Vintage year for iffy studies and selective reporting
It's only when you line these jokers up side by side that you realise what a vast and unwinnable fight we face. There was the miracle pixie dust which made...
Expansion of Clinics Shapes Bush Legacy
President Bush has doubled federal financing for community health centers, enabling the creation or expansion of 1,297 clinics in underserved areas.
An unconscionable conscience rule
Doctors take an oath to put their patients' interests first. A new Bush administration rule will change that. The so-called "conscience rule" is one of a host of last-minute regulatory...
Black women in the U.S. appear to be shrinking, data show
Call her The Incredible Shrinking African-American Woman. In an age when the adult populations of most industrialized nations have grown significantly taller, the average height of black women in the...
No breakfast, earlier sex: Japan study
There are many theories on the links between food and sex, but Japanese researchers have came up with a new finding -- young people who skip breakfast tend to lose...
Asia at risk of era of mega-disasters: report
The Asia-Pacific faces an era of large-scale natural disasters which could kill up to one million people at a time, with Indonesia, the Philippines and China most at risk, according...
Medical Myths For The Holiday Season: True, False Or Unproven?
In a new study, researchers applied rigorous search methodology to explore the science behind six medical myths commonly associated with the holidays yet relevant year-round.
Published Reports Inaccurate Concerning Alcohol Consumption During Pregnancy, Experts Warn
A national alcohol research group is concerned that the media's misinterpretation of a recent British research study could encourage pregnant women to be more at ease with temperate alcohol consumption.
Sleep pods offer respite from HK's frantic pace of life, work
As Hong Kong's already-frantic workers cling to their jobs amid the global economic downturn, the hectic and the exhausted are being offered a haven of relaxation in the overcrowded finance...
SNP calls for spaceport in Moray
The Scottish National Party is calling for an RAF airbase in Moray to become the UK's first commercial spaceport.
Reward-stress Link Points To New Targets For Treating Addiction
Investigators have discovered a functional link between reward and stress. They found that dopamine -- the brain's chief reward signal -- works through corticotrophin-releasing factor -- the brain's main stress...