Psychology

Avoiding Scary Situations Leads To More Anxiety In Kids, Not Less

Familiarity with the unknown, even the scary unknown, reduces anxiety about everyday life, according to surveys of over 800 children ages 8 to 17 conducted by the  Mayo Clinic Department of Psychiatry and Psychology. The scholars developed two eight-quest ...

Article - News Staff - Mar 13 2013 - 10:23am

Gambling Is An Evolutionary Function, Say Psychologists

A new psychology paper evolution and basic survival techniques adapted by early humans influence the decisions gamblers make when placing bets.  So if current counseling options for problem gamblers don't work, we can blame biology. The scholars exam ...

Article - News Staff - Mar 18 2013 - 11:44am

Beauty And Attractiveness

I recently came across some articles, again, that were focusing on human adaptive behaviors regarding our concept of beauty and attractiveness.  All manner of considerations are mentioned from facial symmetry to female hip-to-waist ratios, etc. However, I ...

Article - Gerhard Adam - Mar 21 2013 - 9:06am

On Killing

I recently watched a program on the Science Channel entitled " Human Nature: Born to Kill ".  In this episode, part of the objective was to explore humans killing other humans.  Of course, the usual array of topics were raised, from evolutionary ...

Article - Gerhard Adam - Apr 2 2013 - 1:00am

"Health Halo"- Organic Labels Bias Consumer Perception

"Organic" food and products is a $29 billion big business and its marketing power is very strong: studies have shown that this simple label can lead us to think that a food is healthier, what is known as the 'health halo effect'.  Mark ...

Article - News Staff - Apr 1 2013 - 12:40pm

Neuroscientists Create 'Phantom Limb' Sensation- In Non-Amputees

Almost everyone who has had an arm or leg amputated experiences a phantom limb, a vivid sensation that the missing limb is still present, like having an itch. Neuroscientists at the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have shown that it isn't just for am ...

Article - News Staff - Apr 11 2013 - 10:53am

Structual Balance: Rock Hyrax Has Frenemies Too

Humans navigate complex social situations in deciding who to befriend or to abandon- a "frenemy" is someone who is both friend and enemy while the old military saying is that 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend'. Animal social networks ...

Article - News Staff - Apr 22 2013 - 1:24pm

No Known Benefits Of Suicide Screening In Primary Care Settings

Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States. Statistics show that 38 percent of suicidal adults and 90 percent of youths had visited their primary care physicians in the 12 months prior to committing suicide.   An evidence review finds ...

Article - News Staff - Apr 22 2013 - 9:08pm

Anti-Smoking Ads That Work Are Not The Most Shocking Ones

In a recent study, an area of the brain that initiates behavioral changes had greater activation in smokers who watched anti-smoking ads with strong arguments than ads with clever tricks like loud sounds and unexpected twists- and those smokers had signif ...

Article - News Staff - Apr 23 2013 - 4:54pm

Religion Has Positive Influence On Individuals With Psychiatric Illness

A paper in Journal of Affective Disorders found that belief in God was correlated to improved outcomes for those receiving short-term treatment for psychiatric illness. Dr. David H. Rosmarin, McLean Hospital clinician and instructor in the Department of P ...

Article - News Staff - Apr 25 2013 - 10:36am