Society & Culture - Nov 30, 2009 17:42 - 2 Comments

Antidote for kids’ antisocial behaviors

U. OREGON (US)—A school-based intervention program for young children who display an antisocial behavior pattern or show clear signs of developing one has proven effective at encouraging positive interactions with teachers, parents, and peers, according to a new study. (more…)

Health & Medicine - Nov 25, 2009 12:34 - 1 Comment

Childhood abuse may lead to early aging

BROWN (US)—Children who suffer physical or emotional abuse may be at greater risk of developing a variety of aging-related medical conditions as adults, including cardiovascular disease and cancer. (more…)

Society & Culture - Nov 23, 2009 18:24 - 2 Comments

Skin tone through a political lens

NYU (US)—Political beliefs may affect perceptions of skin tone. People perceive lighter skin tone to be more representative of a candidate with whom they share political ideology than darker skin tone, a new study finds. (more…)

Health & Medicine - Nov 16, 2009 15:37 - 3 Comments

Fight sensibly to stay fit

PENN STATE (US)—Couples who bring thoughtful words to a fight release lower amounts of stress-related proteins, suggesting that rational communication between partners can ease the impact of marital conflict on the immune system. (more…)

Society & Culture - Nov 13, 2009 14:44 - 6 Comments

Avatars behaving badly

TEXAS-AUSTIN (US)—Digital personas, known as avatars, can affect the way people think and feel when interacting in a virtual environment, new research shows. (more…)

Society & Culture - Oct 27, 2009 15:41 - 0 Comments

What are you laughing at?

RUTGERS (US)—Laughing at funny things is universal, but what individuals find funny is not. An anthropologist studying the evolutionary function of laughter has found that for something to be funny, it must ring true. (more…)

Society & Culture - Oct 23, 2009 10:59 - 3 Comments

Lesson in nurture from Mother Nature

U. ROCHESTER (US)—Paying attention to the natural world not only makes you feel better, it makes you behave better, finds a new study. The researchers say the results highlight the importance of creating green spaces in cities and have implication for urban planners and architects. (more…)

Society & Culture - Oct 17, 2009 12:26 - 3 Comments

Too much gaming, too little focus?

IOWA STATE (US)—High-volume action video game players—those who play around 40 hours a week—had more difficulty keeping focused on tasks requiring longer, more proactive attention than those who played video games less than a couple of hours a week. (more…)

Health & Medicine - Oct 15, 2009 18:04 - 8 Comments

Imagination helps kids cope with pain

UNC CHAPEL HILL (US)—Children with functional abdominal pain who combined the use of guided imagery with standard medical treatment were almost three times as likely to improve their pain problem, compared to children who received standard treatment alone. (more…)

Society & Culture - Oct 8, 2009 11:17 - 0 Comments

Shame motivates better than subsidy

DUKE (US)—Government subsidies persuade some people to change habits, but social shame works even better, suggests a recent study of efforts to reduce elevated childhood death and disease rates in rural India blamed on the microbial pathogens that cause diarrhea. (more…)

Health & Medicine - Oct 6, 2009 11:46 - 0 Comments

BPA making toddler girls grow aggressive?

UNC CHAPEL HILL (US)—The first study to examine a possible link between prenatal bisphenol A (BPA) exposure and behavior problems in children finds that daughters of women exposed to BPA early in pregnancy are more likely to have unusually aggressive and hyperactive behaviors as 2-year-olds. (more…)

Health & Medicine - Sep 28, 2009 10:36 - 3 Comments

Wonder drug may treat cancer, addiction

UC IRVINE (US)—A drug in development to treat cancer could have the added benefit of helping prevent relapse in people trying to overcome cocaine addiction. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Aug 26, 2009 11:28 - 1 Comment

Timid teen sharks stay close to home

STONY BROOK (US)—Coastal development on tropical islands may threaten shark populations and surrounding ecosystems, according to a new long-term study that finds young sharks are homebodies, staying near their coastal birthplace for many years. (more…)

Health & Medicine - Jul 22, 2009 15:03 - 4 Comments

Gene linked to aggression in disabled adults

VANDERBILT (US)—A common variation of the gene involved in regulating two neurotransmitters in the brain may be linked to problem behaviors in adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities, new research indicates. (more…)

Health & Medicine - Jul 16, 2009 14:28 - 0 Comments

Brain maps may trace early signs of disorder

NORTHWESTERN (US)—Computer-analyzed measurements of the brain’s topography—its unique dips, swells, and crevasses—may lead to early diagnosis of mental disorders, increasing the likelihood of effective treatment. (more…)

Society & Culture - Jul 10, 2009 17:50 - 0 Comments

Too saintly? A little sin might be in order.

NORTHWESTERN (US)—A new study offers provocative insights into how people with ample moral self-worth in one aspect of their lives can slip into immoral behavior in other areas to balance out all that goodness. (more…)

Society & Culture - Jul 7, 2009 14:55 - 0 Comments

Ask avatars what makes trends trendy

U. MICHIGAN (US)—Scientists are turning to the virtual world Second Life to understand the role social influence plays in the spreading trends because it’s difficult to track how people acquire new items or preferences in the real world. (more…)

Society & Culture - Jun 23, 2009 12:05 - 0 Comments

Test shows many unaware of their racial bias

U. WASHINGTON (US)—A mostly unconscious preference for white people compared to blacks still persists, despite the belief that racial bias is largely a thing of the past, according to new study findings. (more…)

Posts Tagged ‘behavioral science’