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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2009
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NEWS ABOUT: psychology

psychology stories: 107 news summaries

41 - 60 of 107 Stories | << Prev 1 2 3 4 5 6 Next >>

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Cartoons Could Help Diagnose Autism in Kids

Study finds differences in how autistic toddlers look at moving images

Mar 30, 09 10:18 AM CDT
(Newser) - The way in which toddlers are drawn to animated movement may help facilitate the diagnosis of autism-spectrum disorders, reports the BBC. In the study, children who were developing normally focused on the half of a split-screen that featured an upright animation; children with signs of autism showed no preference between... More »

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autism • animation • psychology • scientific study

(Newser) - Increasingly, having a couch to yourself is just too pricey. Group therapy is catching on as people look for a cheaper alternative to one-on-one sessions, the Wall Street Journal reports. And despite the One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest stigma it often endures, participants swear by it. “... More »

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recession • psychology • therapy

(Newser) - Romantic love is more enduring than previously thought, says a new study in the Review of General Psychology. Researchers surveyed more than 6,000 people, some newly coupled, some married for decades, and found that 13% still reported high levels of romance. That may not sound like much, but... More »

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love • psychology • romance

Newbies' Passion for Opera 'Like Love at First Sight'

Research suggests if you don't swoon first time, opera may not be for you

Mar 18, 09 8:30 AM CDT
(Newser) - The passion that opera fans feel for the art form is more akin to love at first sight than a slow-growing desire, Reuters reports. A sociologist focused on fans in the cheap seats who hadn't been brought up on opera, and found they tended to have an intense, explosive attraction... More »

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music • love • opera • psychology

(Newser) - Doodling while listening actually increases retention of memory, LiveScience reports. A new study shows that subjects who “mindlessly” sketched while listening to a not-so-interesting phone message remembered key facts 29% more than others instructed to just listen. “It helps to keep us on track with a boring task,... More »

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psychology • neuroscience • scientific study • distraction • attention • doodling

 Fast Thinking 
 Makes People Happy 

Rapid thoughts can make people feel happier

Feb 25, 09 9:16 PM CST
(Newser) - Happy people think fast thoughts, say researchers at Princeton and Harvard. They asked two groups to perform the same tasks—problem-solving, reading, and watching TV—at different speeds. Those forced to move along briskly felt more elated, creative, even powerful, Scientific American reports. The findings suggest a crossword puzzle or... More »

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brain • psychology • dopamine • scientific study • happiness • mood

 What Not to Name 
 Your New Baby 

Researchers find the most poorly named among us

Feb 25, 09 3:40 PM CST
(Newser) - Naming your child Anna Sasin, Paige Turner, or Hazel Nutt may seem funny, but they're Terry Bull ideas. Those are all real names in British phone books—and the jokes are no laughing matter for the people stuck with the monikers, researchers with TheBabyWebsite.com say. The kidding "got... More »

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parenting • study • psychology • baby name

 Recession Depression Setting In 

One suicide hotline reports a 77% jump in calls

Feb 15, 09 6:11 AM CST
(Newser) - Some people can take losing a job in stride, but Silvia Martinez isn’t one of them. When she lost her $52,000-a-year human resources job, the Virginia woman was too ashamed to tell anyone and sank into a deep depression. “I apply for jobs and apply for jobs... More »

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suicide • depression • psychology • unemployment • recession depression

OPINION

Obamas Haunt Our Dreams—Even Sexy Ones


Feb 6, 09 12:59 PM CST
(Newser) - Americans have a unique connection with Barack Obama—one they might want to discuss with a therapist, writes Judith Warner in the New York Times. From strange dreams to sexual obsessions, everyone seems hung up on the president. Warner has dreamed about him taking a shower and smoking in... More »

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Barack Obama • psychology • dreams

Manners Killed Titanic's Brits as Yanks Fled: Study

British were more likely to line up for lifeboats, researcher contends

Jan 21, 09 4:12 PM CST
(Newser) - British passengers aboard the Titanic were most likely to die because their sense of propriety inclined them to line up for lifeboats while Americans elbowed past to save themselves, claims an Australian researcher who is studying how people react in life-threatening disasters. Americans were 8.5% more likely than other... More »

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British • culture • psychology • Americans • Titanic • altruism • stranded passengers

OPINION

Crisis Turns Econ Theory
on Its Ear:

Models, and pols, don't account for biases, insecurities: Brooks

Jan 16, 09 1:03 PM CST
(Newser) - Classical economics is based on the idea that “reason rides the passions the way a rider sits atop a horse,” David Brooks writes in the New York Times—which means classical economics is pretty much out the window right now. The recession proves the market is a psychological... More »

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investors • economics • psychology • free markets • consumer psychology • economy • financial crisis

Feeling Lonely? Give Your Sweetie's T-Shirt a Sniff

Men, women report snuggling with clothing

Jan 7, 09 3:17 PM CST
(Newser) - Both men and women cuddle with and smell their loved ones' clothing when they can't be together, MSNBC reports. "When I was going through high school and college, I would wear a boyfriend’s shirt to bed," said the author of a new study on how scent evokes... More »

MORE ABOUT:
memory • psychology • sense of smell • scents

OPINION

 To Halt Hamas, 
 Win 'Confidence War' 

Psychology is at center of current struggle

Jan 6, 09 11:31 AM CST
(Newser) - The Arab-Israeli conflict was once about reaching some kind of long-term land settlement—but for extremist groups like Hamas, a “handshake on the White House lawn” is no longer a goal, writes David Brooks in the New York Times. Now, “both sides seek the destruction of the other,... More »

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Israel • Gaza • Hamas • psychology • confidence • Israeli offensive


 What Your Xmas 
 Lights Say About You 

They say you're a pretty princess

Dec 20, 08 10:16 AM CST
(Newser) - Your neighbor’s yard is strewn with lit-up Santas, blinking stars, and a waving snowman. Think he’s trying to tell you something? It turns out he is, psychologists tell the Chicago Tribune. They consider decorations a manifestation of our need to communicate. “It’s a very basic... More »

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psychology • decorations • home decoration • Christmas

4-Star General Confesses
to Post-Traumatic Stress

4-star general seeks PTS treatment, speaks out about it

Nov 25, 08 10:45 AM CST
(Newser) - The trauma associated with combat is a hushed topic among troops returned from Iraq—but a four-star general’s fight off the battlefield could help usher in a new attitude, USA Today reports. After witnessing the scene of a suicide bomb in an American mess hall at a base near... More »

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US military • psychology • psychotherapy • Iraq war • post-traumatic stress disorder

 Warning Labels Can Be 
 Hazardous to Your Health 

Prescription labels, doctor's cues can trigger symptoms

Nov 18, 08 1:59 PM CST
(Newser) - Ignorance truly is bliss when it comes to prescription drugs. The side effects listed on warning labels have a self-fulfilling quality, researchers tell the Wall Street Journal. People sensitive to this "nocebo effect" should think twice before reading that their pills can cause nausea, vomiting, irritability, or difficulty concentrating.... More »

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medicine • brain • prescription drugs • psychology • doctor • symptoms • nocebo effect

 Live Longer: Be Conscientious 

Researchers find industrious types live lengthier and less stressful lives

Nov 1, 08 10:35 AM CDT
(Newser) - The key to a longer life could lie in an individual's personality, the Los Angeles Times reports. University of California researchers analyzed 20 studies and discovered that conscientious people—disciplined, hardworking, and responsible folks—tend to live an average of 2 to 4 years longer than their more slapdash counterparts.... More »

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health • psychology • morals • personality • longevity • morality

ANALYSIS

Sure, I'm Offended—
I'm Human!

People are extra sensitive these days, and science knows why

Oct 18, 08 7:30 PM CDT
(Newser) - From Larry David to John McCain, we’re all getting a little touchy these days, writes Emily Yoffe in Slate: “People are like tuning forks, ready to vibrate with indignation.” While economists argue humans are rational, “it seems we live in a culture devoted to retribution on... More »

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Barack Obama • John McCain • psychology • gossip • language • natural selection • morality • social behavior

 TV Makes Us Dream in Color 



Research suggest childhood TV-watching affects whether dreams are in color or not

Oct 18, 08 5:50 AM CDT
(Newser) - The advent of color TV may have injected color into generations of dreams, the Daily Telegraph reports. A study finds that people who grew up watching black-and-white TV often dream in monochrome—as people are believed to have done before the dawn of television—while those who grew up with... More »

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television • psychology • television watching • dreams

Face Facts: People Prefer Mean-Looking Cars

Car buyers attach human traits to vehicles, research shows

Oct 6, 08 4:10 PM CDT
(Newser) - Friendly is out and angry is in—for cars, at least. When people look at cars, they tend to see human faces and characteristics, LiveScience reports. A new study found that "power" traits such as dominant, masculine, and angry—think BMW's 5 Series—top the list. And the results... More »

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Toyota Prius • psychology • BMW • cars

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