Life News (Social & Behavioral Sciences)

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31-Jul-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Not Spanking Results in Smarter Children
University of New Hampshire

University of New Hampshire researchers have found that children who are never or rarely spanked have higher scores on tests of cognitive ability than those who are frequently spanked. The findings are based on a nationally representative sample of 960 children who were ages 1 to 4 at the start of the study.

Released: 29-Jul-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Road Rage
Colorado State University

A Colorado State University psychology professor is using computer graphics and a mock "car" with brakes, gas pedal and steering wheel to replicate snarled traffic and other scenarios to determine whether certain road conditions are more likely to provoke road rage.

Released: 28-Jul-1998 12:00 AM EDT
To Retire Well, Invest In Making Friends
University of Michigan

How many friends you have, not how much money you have, predicts how happy you're likely to be right after you retire, a University of Michigan study suggests.

Released: 28-Jul-1998 12:00 AM EDT
15 Proven Ways to Prevent Crime--and 23 Ways Not To
University of Maryland, College Park

A Congressionally-mandated study has found scientific evidence that 15 different methods of crime prevention are effective. The study, conducted by University of Maryland criminologists for the National Institute of Justice, also found 23 programs that had been proven ineffective.

28-Jul-1998 12:00 AM EDT
U.S. Public Opinion About Climate Change
Resources for the Future (RFF)

The newly-released results of an independent national survey sponsored by Resources for the Future confirm that most Americans believe global climate change is real and damaging and that the federal government should take significant steps to combat it.

Released: 24-Jul-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Count the Cost of Divorce Before You Split
Purdue University

Preparing for marriage is crucial, but a Purdue University expert on family budgeting suggests that the slogan "look before you leap" may be just as important when it comes to divorce.

Released: 24-Jul-1998 12:00 AM EDT
ASA Annual Meeting August 21-25
American Sociological Association (ASA)

The American Sociological Association's Annual Meeting August 21-25 in San Francisco will feature hundreds of presentations on topics including immigration, affirmative action, families and children, health care, violence, and criminology.

Released: 24-Jul-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Federal Program Promotes Housing Discrimination
University of Chicago

The Department of Housing and Urban Development's Section 8 program, designed to expand housing options for low-income recipients, may actually encourage discrimination, according to a student researcher at the Harris Graduate School of Public Policy Studies at the University of Chicago.

Released: 21-Jul-1998 12:00 AM EDT
What Killed Britain's Ruling House of Stuartain's
University of Kansas

Using historical records and modern medical knowledge, a University of Kansas doctor is diagnosing what really killed Britain's House of Stuart 300 years ago

   
Released: 21-Jul-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Debate continues on Origins of Native Americans
University of Kansas

University of Kansas anthropologist uses DNA studies, archaeological and linguistic evidence to support theories on origins of Native Americans and to review medical and evolutionary costs of mixing of populations.

Released: 21-Jul-1998 12:00 AM EDT
To See Thousands of Years Condensed into a few Meters
Cornell University

Right now, Melissa Loewenstern is in the Iron Age. By summer's end, she hopes to land in the Bronze Age. This Cornell student is spending her summer excavating an archaeological site in Israel. Read her latest dispatches from Tel Dor, a site rich in the history of biblical times.

Released: 17-Jul-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Church Accessibility Is Important for Rural Areas
Purdue University

The mission of Purdue's Breaking New Ground Resource Center is to assist farmers who have been disabled. A survey of those farmers found that church accessibility was their top community accessibility concern.

Released: 16-Jul-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Policy Methods for Eliminating Child Labor
Cornell University

World governments might be more successful in removing the nearly 100 million children from the labor market by working to increase adult wages and employment rates rather than pursuing legislative action against child labor, which could be effective only in certain countries, say two Cornell University economists

Released: 16-Jul-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Managed Care Must Be Monitored
Mental Health America

A new report to Congress from the National Institute of Mental Health concludes that treating mental disorders like physical disorders--mental health parity--might increase mental health costs by 1 percent while reducing total health costs by up to 50 percent.

Released: 16-Jul-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Federal Government Issues Second Annual Report on the Well-being Of the Nation's Children
InterScience Communications

The federal government issued its second annual report today on the well-being of America's 70 million children, revealing some good news about their overall health and educational achievements.

   
Released: 15-Jul-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Preparation, Monitoring Essential When Leaving Children Home Alone
Vanderbilt University

Parents of young adolescents may be tempted to bypass after-care programs and allow their children to fend for themselves for the couple of hours between the end of school and the time parents return home from work. But a pair of psychologists at Vanderbilt University agree that it's not a good idea to leave youngsters unsupervised.

14-Jul-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Primer on Perceptual Control Theory by Benchmark Publications
Benchmark Publications (defunct)

"Making Sense of Behavior: The Meaning of Control" by William T. Powers is the long-anticipated introduction to Perceptual Control Theory for lay readers. Bill Powers is chief theorist and founder of the Control Systems Group which this year celebrates its 25th year as an international coalition of scientists studying and modeling control theory as it applies to living systems.

   
8-Jul-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Praising Children for Their Intelligence May Leave Them Ill-Equipped to Cope with Failure
American Psychological Association (APA)

While children are often commended for good grades and high test scores, new research illustrates that complimenting children for their intelligence and academic performance may lead them to believe that good test scores and high grades are more important than learning and mastering something new.

Released: 10-Jul-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Narcissists Most Aggressive when Criticized
American Psychological Association (APA)

New research suggests that the most dangerous people are "those who have a strong desire to regard themselves as superior beings." The research, which will be published in the July issue of the American Psychological Association's Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, demonstrates that actual self-esteem may have little if any relation to aggression.

Released: 10-Jul-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Dangerous UV Light Snakes Its Way Into the Shade
Purdue University

Cancer-causing ultraviolet-B (UVB) light can snake its way around the shade, according to Purdue University agronomist Richard Grant and the U.S. Forest Service's Gordon Heisler.

Released: 9-Jul-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Homophobia, Self-Esteem and HIV Risk Linked Among African-American Gays
University of Illinois Chicago

A study by a University of Illinois at Chicago researcher says negative attitudes toward homosexuality can lead to low self-esteem and increased risk for HIV among young African-American gay and bisexual men.

Released: 8-Jul-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Study Finds Economic Downturns Unrelated to Incidence of Hate Crimes
American Psychological Association (APA)

While conventional wisdom has been that hate crimes in the United States rise with a declining economy, an analysis of hate crime in New York City from 1987 to 1995 has found little evidence linking racial, religious, ethnic, or homophobic incidents to deteriorating economic conditions.

Released: 7-Jul-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Study shows welfare-to-work incentives not well understood
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

The theory behind much recent welfare reform is that welfare recipients will go to work if government just provides the right incentives.

Released: 7-Jul-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Potential for violence can be very difficult to spot, professor says
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

The question has been asked in some form after every school shooting that has occurred in recent months: Why didnít someone see the signs that the child would do this?

Released: 3-Jul-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Iroquois Women Influenced Early Feminists
Cornell University

The photo exhibit "Sisters in Spirit: Celebrating the Iroquois Influence on the Early Women's Rights Movement" opened June 27 at the Urban Cultural Park/Heritage Area Visitor Center in Seneca Falls, NY. Cornell University provided expertise.

Released: 1-Jul-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Candidates Whose Names Are First on Ballot Receive Election Boost
Ohio State University

Candidates whose names appear first on an election ballot may attract more voters simply because they're listed before their rivals, a new study suggests.

Released: 1-Jul-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Upswing in Industrial R&D Creating Positive Economic Benefits
National Science Foundation (NSF)

Increases in industrial research and development (R&D) activities are the highest recorded since the early 1980s, according to a new National Science Board (NSB) report to Congress.

Released: 1-Jul-1998 12:00 AM EDT
"Over My Head": MSU Prof Tells Story of Life After Serious Head Injury
Michigan State University

Dr. Claudia Osborn's life changed forever on a warm summer night in 1988 when a bike ride through her quiet neighborhood ended when she was hit by a car. Now a volunteer faculty member at Michigan State University, Osborn has chronicled her 10-year journey from serious head injury to a different yet happy life in a book titled "Over My Head."

Released: 1-Jul-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Jurors Opposed To The Death Penalty Act Differently From Others
Ohio State University

By law, people opposed to the death penalty are prohibited from serving on juries in which a defendant may be sentenced to death. But a new study suggests that excluding anti-death-penalty jurors may be biasing the juries who determine guilt or innocence of defendants. It is not possible, however, to tell whether this bias would favor defendants or prosecutors.

Released: 1-Jul-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Growth of Information Technologgy is Changing the Face of the Economy
National Science Foundation (NSF)

The impact of new information technologies (IT) has been pervasive on society but productivity benefits are more difficult to pin down, according to a new National Science Board (NSB) report to Congress, Science and Engineering Indicators 1998.

Released: 1-Jul-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Science and Engineering Indicators '98 Survey Shows Americans' Interest in Science Grows
National Science Foundation (NSF)

Americans say they are more interested and more aware than ever about scientific discoveries, inventions and new technologies. However, they still score low on actual understanding of basic scientific terms and concepts, such as the definition of molecules and DNA, and how frequently the earth revolves around the sun.

Released: 30-Jun-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Just How Healthy it is to Forgive
Hope College

Dr. Charlotte vanOyen Witvliet latest study may just prove how healthy it is to forgive. The assistant professor of psychology at Hope College launches a two-year study this fall which will focus on the physiological effects of forgiveness

Released: 27-Jun-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Masking among African Women Raising Important Cultural Questions
University of Delaware

In the first comprehensive study of the use of masks by African women, a University of Delaware anthropologist raises important questions about the women's access to power--both political and spiritual.

Released: 26-Jun-1998 12:00 AM EDT
New Internet Program Helps People with Multiple Sclerosis Improve Their Health
Teva Marion Partners

Patient empowerment takes a step forward today with the launch of MSWatch, the first fully integrated, interactive disease management Web site for people with multiple sclerosis and their health care providers.

Released: 26-Jun-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Professors Receive $1.5 Million Welfare Reform Grant
University of Georgia

A $1.5 million grant to the School of Social Work and Carl Vinson Institute of Government at the University of Georgia will fund an in-depth view of those who are continuing to receive welfare assistance and the changes that have taken place in the Division of Family and Children Services since welfare reform began in the state five years ago.

Released: 25-Jun-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Give Dad His Due and Duties
North Carolina State University

Meet Mr. Mom. He's as comfortable doing the weekly run to the grocery store with kids in tow as he is doing a production cost analysis. He can hug a toddler, wipe away tears and apply a bandage as well as he can ngeotiate a tough contract for his company.

Released: 25-Jun-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Brief Exposure to Images of Thin Women Worsens Women's Self -image
St. Mary's University

A study by psychologist Patricia Owen is the first to show that brief exposure to media images of thin female bodies results in body dissatisfaction on the part of the viewer.

Released: 24-Jun-1998 12:00 AM EDT
What welfare recipients say about welfare reform
 Johns Hopkins University

A new study finds welfare recipients cautiously optimistic about welfare reform and supportive of the new time limits on welfare benefits.

Released: 23-Jun-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Elderly Modify Homes Despite the Cost
Cornell University

Despite the high cost, 40 percent of Americans over age 70, regardless of income, have modified their homes with grab bars, bathroom railings, wheelchair ramps and other aids, regardless of their income, reports Nandinee Kutty, assistant professor of policy analysis and management at Cornell University.

Released: 23-Jun-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Remembering and Foregetting Childhood Sexual Abuse: It's Not Repression
University of Washington

Researchers probing people's memories of sexual abuse report two ordinary mechanisms may be responsible for temporarily forgetting and later remembering genuine instances of childhood sexual abuse. The findings by University of Washington psychologists suggest that it is possible to explain such forgetting without repression.

Released: 18-Jun-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Massage Therapy Reduces Aggession in Children
Nova Southeastern University

Adolescent violence is becoming a commonplace and alarming trend. Before we blame television, the Internet, or working parents, multiple studies conducted by Dr. Tiffany Field indicate that the groundwork for adolescent violence is laid in infancy.

Released: 17-Jun-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Women More Likely than Men to Put Emotions in Motion
Vanderbilt University

Men and women experience the same level of sadness while watching a tearjerker at the movies, but women are more likely to reach for a box of tissues, according to a Vanderbilt University psychologist. Research by Associate Professor of Psychology Ann Kring found that women aren't more emotional than men, they are just more expressive of their emotions.

Released: 16-Jun-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Entrepreneurship of Drug Selling
University of Illinois Chicago

Inner-city drug dealing is a good example of what management guru Peter Drucker would call entrepreneurship, says a University of Illinois at Chicago researcher.

Released: 16-Jun-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Forum 98 Sets a Course for Women in 21st Century
University of Rochester

What have women accomplished since the first Women's Rights Convention in Seneca Falls 150 years ago and what remains to be done? National leaders will answer these questions July 13 to 16 in upstate New York during a rare opportunity to continue the legacy of that first convention.

16-Jun-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Women Not Necessarily Better Drivers than Men
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Although men are three times more likely than women to be killed in car crashes, researchers at the Johns Hopkins Schools of Medicine and Public Health have found that, when the total numbers of crashes are considered, female drivers are involved in slightly more crashes than men.

16-Jun-1998 12:00 AM EDT
People Guided By 15 Fundamental Desires And Values, Study Finds
Ohio State University

A new study by researchers at Ohio State University has concluded that people have 15 fundamental desires and values that guide their behavior. These desires include basic needs, such as food, as well as social desires such as prestige, social contact and honor.

Released: 12-Jun-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Separation Anxiety No. 1 Childhood Anxiety, Experts Say
Purdue University

More children suffer from anxiety disorders than any other psychological problem, say two Purdue University experts. They share advice for parents dealing with separation anxiety in children.

Released: 10-Jun-1998 12:00 AM EDT
All work and no play is bad for corporate America
Vanderbilt University

It's human nature to party, says a Vanderbilt University specialist in organizational behavior. As companies across the country - from Fortune 500 corporations to family-run businesses - plan summer picnics, barbecues and other informal outings, it's important for employers to recognize that corporate celebration is essential during the bad times, too.

Released: 10-Jun-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Living in a poor neighborhood can be hazardous to your health
University of Utah

People who live in poverty areas are 80 percent more likely to die than comparable people who live in better areas

Released: 6-Jun-1998 12:00 AM EDT
UCSD Political Scientists Ponder Voter Decision Making
University of California San Diego

It's Election Day. An exhausted businesswomen rushes into the voting booth five minutes before the polls close and in less than three minutes, punches through her ballot to indicate her preferences. As she votes she vaguely recalls the political ads she saw on television a few night ago, the few pieces of direct mail....



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