Feature Channels: Behavioral Science

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Released: 15-Jul-2019 9:05 AM EDT
Traveling to Mars will require complicated teamwork
University of Georgia

NASA’s next giant leap will be sending humans to Mars, projected for the 2030s, and a University of Georgia researcher is partnering with the space agency to explore the challenges of such a mission.

   
Released: 12-Jul-2019 12:05 PM EDT
Seeing greenery linked to less intense and frequent cravings
University of Plymouth

Being able to see green spaces from your home is associated with reduced cravings for alcohol, cigarettes and harmful foods, new research has shown.

   
Released: 12-Jul-2019 12:05 PM EDT
The brain's pathways to imagination may hold the key to altruistic behavior
Boston College

In those split seconds when people witness others in distress, neural pathways in the brain support the drive to help through facets of imagination that allow people to see the episode as it unfolds and envision how to aid those in need, according to a team of Boston College researchers.

Released: 12-Jul-2019 12:05 PM EDT
From the Oscars to the Nobel Prize, winners need to choose their friends wisely
City University London

Being friends with an award juror can increase a person's chance of being nominated but decrease their chances of being selected as the victor, according to new research published in the Academy of Management Journal.

11-Jul-2019 9:00 AM EDT
Pre-Term Babies Are Less Likely to Form Romantic Relationships in Adulthood
University of Warwick

Adults who were born pre-term (under 37 weeks gestation) are less likely to have a romantic relationship, a sexual partner and experience parenthood than those born full term.

   
Released: 11-Jul-2019 2:05 PM EDT
Making sense of morality: FSU researchers advance the study of ethical decision-making
Florida State University

Two Florida State University researchers collaborated on thought-provoking research focusing on the psychology of making moral decisions.

Released: 11-Jul-2019 1:05 PM EDT
How sounds, shapes, speech and body movements convey emotion through one shared property
Dartmouth College

Death metal band logos often have a spiky look while romance novel titles often have a swirly script.

   
Released: 11-Jul-2019 12:05 PM EDT
Sound mind: Detecting depression
University of Alberta

AI algorithms can now more accurately detect depressed mood using the sound of your voice, according to new research by University of Alberta computing scientists.

   
Released: 11-Jul-2019 11:05 AM EDT
Survivors’ near-miss experiences on 9/11 linked to post-traumatic stress
University at Buffalo

People who narrowly avoid disaster do not necessarily escape tragedy unharmed, and their knowledge of the victims’ fate shapes how survivors respond to traumatic events, according to the results of a new paper by a UB psychologist that explores the effects of near-miss experiences associated with the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

5-Jul-2019 5:05 AM EDT
Facial Plastic Surgery in Men Enhances Perception of Attractiveness, Trustworthiness
Georgetown University Medical Center

In the first of a kind study, plastic surgeons at Georgetown University Medical Center found that when a man chose to have a nip or a tuck on his face, it significantly increased perceptions of attractiveness, likeability, social skills, or trustworthiness.

   
Released: 10-Jul-2019 4:45 PM EDT
Unusual Eating Behaviors May Be a New Diagnostic Indicator for Autism
Penn State College of Medicine

Atypical eating behaviors may be a sign a child should be screened for autism, according to a new study from Penn State College of Medicine.

Released: 10-Jul-2019 2:30 PM EDT
Blow Your Diet? Admitting It to Someone Might Help You Do Better Next Time.
Vanderbilt University

Disclosing a lapse in self control, like straying from a diet or spending too much on something frivolous, can help you do better next time if you truly feel guilty about it, but insincere confessions can actually make you more likely to slip up again.

Released: 10-Jul-2019 2:05 PM EDT
UCI child neurologist Dr. Tallie Z. Baram is awarded $15 million Conte Center grant
University of California, Irvine

Irvine, Calif., July 10, 2019 — The National Institute of Mental Health has awarded Dr. Tallie Z. Baram of the University of California, Irvine a five-year, $15 million Silvio O. Conte Center grant. The funding will allow her interdisciplinary team to continue studying how unpredictable parental and environmental signals influence an infant’s vulnerability later in life to cognitive and emotional problems, such as risky behaviors, addiction and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Released: 10-Jul-2019 12:05 PM EDT
Why sex becomes less satisfying with age
North American Menopause Society (NAMS)

The number of women regularly having sex declines with age, and the number of women enjoying sex postmenopause is even lower.

   
8-Jul-2019 2:05 PM EDT
“Can’t wait to blackout tonight”: Tweeted Intentions and Motives for Blackout Drinking
Research Society on Alcoholism

Drinking too much too quickly can cause alcohol-induced blackout – where the individual stays conscious but cannot later remember what happened. Blackout drinking can lead to accidents and risky behaviors, and may have long-term effects on brain function. Despite the risks, drinking to blackout is common, particularly among young adults ─with evidence that some young people drink with the specific intention of blacking out. However, the motives underlying this drinking behavior are unknown. A new report in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Researchexamines how blackouts are discussed on Twitter, with a focus on people’s intentions and motives for blacking out.

     
8-Jul-2019 2:05 PM EDT
Study participation cuts alcohol use and boosts viral suppression in female drinkers with HIV
Research Society on Alcoholism

Women living with HIV are less likely than men to achieve viral suppression with antiretroviral therapy. Reduction in alcohol use is a possible strategy to improve health outcomes in women with HIV, with evidence that unhealthy alcohol use (>7 drinks per week or >4 drinks per occasion for women) is associated with poorer adherence to treatment, lower rates of viral suppression, and faster disease progression. Several medications are available on prescription to help reduce drinking, including naltrexone, which is taken as a once-daily pill; however, none have been studied in relation to clinical outcomes in people with HIV. Researchers from universities in Florida have conducted a clinical trial, published in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research , to understand the effect of naltrexone on drinking behavior and clinical outcomes in women with HIV who engage in unhealthy alcohol use, exceeding recommended drinking levels.

     
Released: 9-Jul-2019 4:30 PM EDT
Credit Counseling Can Lead to Significant Reduction in Consumer Debt
Washington University in St. Louis

People who take advantage of nonprofit credit counseling services have statistically significant reductions in consumer debt, finds a new study from the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis.“We followed the credit records of counseled consumers and a comparison group for a year and a half following counseling, and found that counseling was associated with a large reduction in revolving debt, which includes credit card debt,” said Stephen Roll, research assistant professor at the Brown School and an expert on asset building and debt management.

   
Released: 9-Jul-2019 9:00 AM EDT
Teens ‘Mocked’ by Their Parents Are at Greater Risk for Bullying, Victimization
Florida Atlantic University

New evidence suggests that adolescent bullying and victimization may have origins in the home. Many bullies have parents who are hostile, punitive and rejecting. A unique longitudinal study provides a more complete understanding of how parents’ belittling and critical interactions with adolescents thwart their ability to maintain positive relationships with peers. Derisive parenting precipitates a cycle of negative affect and anger between parents and adolescents, which ultimately leads to greater adolescent bullying and victimization.

Released: 8-Jul-2019 2:05 PM EDT
Becoming new parents increases produce purchases
Elsevier

In the United States, both children and adults eat too few fruits and vegetables, which puts them at risk for poor diet quality and adverse health consequences.

   
Released: 8-Jul-2019 1:05 PM EDT
High Risk of Suicide After Recent Psychiatric Hospitalization
Wolters Kluwer Health: Lippincott

Suicide and attempt rates are greatly elevated among patients after discharge from psychiatric hospitalization – especially during the first year after discharge, concludes a research review in the July/August issue of Harvard Review of Psychiatry. The journal is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer.

Released: 8-Jul-2019 1:05 PM EDT
Ignoring cues for alcohol and fast food is hard -- but is it out of our control?
University of New South Wales

Have you ever tried to stay away from fast food, but found hard-to-ignore signals that represent its availability - like neon lights and ads - are everywhere?

   
Released: 8-Jul-2019 11:05 AM EDT
Too Much Screen Time for the Kids? Grandparents May Also Be Complicit
Rutgers University-New Brunswick

A new study by Rutgers and other researchers finds that today’s grandparents are still true to their traditional fun-loving image -- allowing their grandchildren, while under their supervision, to spend about half of their time on a mobile phone, tablet, computer or TV.

Released: 8-Jul-2019 11:05 AM EDT
Want to boost creativity? Try playing Minecraft
Iowa State University

Video games that foster creative freedom can increase creativity. An Iowa State study compared the effect of playing Minecraft, with or without instruction, to watching a TV show or playing a race car video game. Those playing Minecraft without instruction were most creative.

1-Jul-2019 10:10 AM EDT
Is that news really “fake,” or is it just biased?
Ohio State University

In an era of concern over “fake news,” a new study finds that people draw a distinction between information sources that are dishonest and those that are biased. Researchers found that a source seen as biased may lose credibility with people, even if they believe the source is scrupulously honest.

2-Jul-2019 5:05 PM EDT
Full circle ─ rigorous study links moderate drinking in older age with lower risk of death ─ but more research still needed
Research Society on Alcoholism

Alcohol consumption in later life has increased over the past decade. Although moderate alcohol intake in older adults has been previously linked to a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and death, recent studies have suggested little ─ if any ─ health benefit to alcohol. Assessing the relationship between alcohol intake and mortality is extremely challenging, partly because of the need to disentangle the effect of alcohol from that of other factors that influence health, and also because people’s drinking habits often change over time. However, research methodology and data quality continue to improve. A new report in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research presents a 16-year follow-up of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) ─ one of the largest and most rigorous US studies of the relationship between alcohol consumption and mortality to date.

     
Released: 3-Jul-2019 10:05 AM EDT
Patients Are More Confident When Orthopaedic Surgeons Wear White Coats
Wolters Kluwer Health: Lippincott

Hospitalized patients express higher confidence in orthopaedic surgeons wearing white coats, suggests a study in Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research® (CORR®), a publication of The Association of Bone and Joint Surgeons®. The journal is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer.

   
Released: 2-Jul-2019 1:05 PM EDT
Pesticide Exposure Linked to Teen Depression in Agricultural Communities
UC San Diego Health

Adolescent depression increases with exposure to pesticides, a study in the Ecuadorian Andes shows.

Released: 2-Jul-2019 1:05 PM EDT
Even today, we want our heroes to know right from wrong
Ohio State University

n a world of sympathetic villains and flawed heroes, people still like fictional characters more when they have a strong sense of morality, a new study finds. Researchers found that people best liked the heroes they rated as most moral, and least liked villains they rated as most immoral.

Released: 2-Jul-2019 12:05 PM EDT
IU-connected startup enabling precision medicine for mental health, pain
Indiana University

MindX Sciences, a startup founded on science developed at Indiana University, is working to commercialize the first objective tests to assess pain and a number of mental health issues that historically have been difficult to measure.

   
Released: 2-Jul-2019 11:05 AM EDT
The new racial disparity in special education
Michigan State University

New research revealed that black and Hispanic students are put into special education more often in white schools. But, they are much less likely to be identified as needing special education in schools that are mostly minority, where they are surrounded by students of the same race.

Released: 2-Jul-2019 11:05 AM EDT
Infants 10 to 16 months old prefer those who yield in conflicts, UCI study finds
University of California, Irvine

Irvine, Calif., July 2, 2019 – Social status matters, even to infants between 10 and 16 months old, according to a new study by two University of California, Irvine cognitive scientists. Published online in Current Biology, the research found that in staged confrontations between two puppets, babies preferred the one who deferred.

Released: 2-Jul-2019 10:05 AM EDT
Study: Brain injury common in domestic violence
Ohio State University

Domestic violence survivors commonly suffer repeated blows to the head and strangulation, trauma that has lasting effects that should be widely recognized by advocates, health care providers, law enforcement and others who are in a position to help, according to the authors of a new study.

Released: 1-Jul-2019 12:05 PM EDT
What makes a good excuse work? A Cambridge philosopher may have the answer
University of Cambridge

We've all done it, offered an excuse for our poor behaviour or rude reactions to others in the heat of the moment

Released: 1-Jul-2019 11:05 AM EDT
Tulane researcher to study trauma intervention in mothers and children
Tulane University

The study will be led by assistant professor of psychology Sarah Gray, who also serves as director of the Tulane Child and Family Lab.

Released: 1-Jul-2019 8:00 AM EDT
Helping Pediatric Cancer Survivors Address Mental Health Challenges
Rutgers Cancer Institute

Anxiety and depression related to childhood cancer survivorship can be challenging for this population. Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey recently educated pediatric cancer survivors about these topics through its Long-term, Information, Treatment Effects and Evaluation Program annual Survivor’s Family Education Night.

Released: 28-Jun-2019 1:30 PM EDT
Opposition to Muslim Ban Continues, Thanks to American Values
University of Delaware

A new study found movements that promote American inclusiveness can have a lasting impact on policies that target racial, ethnic or religious minority groups, such as Trump’s "Muslim ban." The study suggests policy attitudes related to stigmatized groups are more malleable than previously assumed.

Released: 28-Jun-2019 12:05 PM EDT
Saving Lives
University of Utah Health

In the face of escalating teen suicides, Utah launched an app. No one knew just how much change it would bring.

Released: 27-Jun-2019 12:05 PM EDT
How Does 'Supportive Touch' Reduce Pain? Study Reveals Changes in Brain Activity
Wolters Kluwer Health: Lippincott

Holding hands with a romantic partner – a form of "supportive touch" – reduces pain-specific signal in the brain of women during a painful procedure, reports an experimental study in PAIN®, the official publication of the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP). The journal is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer.

Released: 27-Jun-2019 12:05 PM EDT
LGBTQ Asian Americans seen as more 'American'
University of Washington

For Asian Americans who are gay or lesbian, their sexual orientation may make them seem more “American” than those who are presumed straight. A new University of Washington study, the latest in research to examine stereotypes, identity and ideas about who is “American,” focuses on how sexual orientation and race come together to influence others’ perceptions.

Released: 27-Jun-2019 10:05 AM EDT
The Jed Foundation and Tyler Clementi Center Join to Support Emotional Well-Being and Mental Health of LGBTQ+ College Students
Rutgers University

Working in tandem, the Tyler Clementi Center and JED will develop a “toolkit” – the first of its kind in the country – to better guide the higher education community and improve the college experience and mental health outcomes for queer- and trans-spectrum college students.

   
Released: 27-Jun-2019 9:00 AM EDT
AED and NAMED Respond to the Media Coverage of Restrictive Diets as ‘Biohacking’
Academy for Eating Disorders (AED)

The Academy for Eating Disorders (AED) and National Association for Males with Eating Disorders Respond to the Media Coverage of Restrictive Diets as ‘Biohacking’

   
Released: 27-Jun-2019 8:05 AM EDT
‘Mystical’ Psychedelic Compound Found in Normal Brains
Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan

A study in rats has revealed the presence of naturally occurring DMT, an increasingly popular hallucinogen.

Released: 26-Jun-2019 1:05 PM EDT
Can Facebook improve your mental health?
Michigan State University

Contrary to popular belief, using social media and the internet regularly could improve mental health among adults and help fend off serious psychological distress, such as depression and anxiety, finds a new Michigan State University study. Communication technologies and social media platforms make it easier to maintain relationships and access health information, which could explain it, says Keith Hampton, professor of media and information at Michigan State University.

   
Released: 26-Jun-2019 11:05 AM EDT
Study: Social robots can benefit hospitalized children
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

A new study demonstrates, for the first time, that "social robots" used in support sessions held in pediatric units at hospitals can lead to more positive emotions in sick children.

   
19-Jun-2019 7:05 PM EDT
Love and alcohol: Romantic relationships can influence genetic predispositions for alcohol problems
Research Society on Alcoholism

How do the people we love shape our drinking? Researchers know that both genetic and environmental factors – the latter including relationships with other people – influence alcohol outcomes such as abuse or dependence. Interdisciplinary research indicates that romantic relationships can even alter the impact of genetic influences on alcohol outcomes. These results and others will be shared at the 42nd annual scientific meeting of the Research Society on Alcoholism (RSA) in Minneapolis June 22-26.

     
19-Jun-2019 7:05 PM EDT
Early adversity in life may lead to stress-related drinking during adulthood
Research Society on Alcoholism

Many factors influence alcohol consumption during adulthood. Individuals who experience early adversity (EA) in their lives tend to be more vulnerable to stress-related drinking or other stress-related addiction. This vulnerability can be exacerbated by an existing genetic predisposition. These findings and others will be shared at the 42nd annual scientific meeting of the Research Society on Alcoholism (RSA) in Minneapolis June 22-26.

     


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