Feature Channels: Behavioral Science

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Released: 29-Nov-2011 12:15 PM EST
Want to Defeat A Proposed Public Policy? Just Label Supporters As "Extreme"
Ohio State University

New research shows how support for a generally liked policy can be significantly lowered, simply by associating it with a group seen as “radical” or “extreme.”

Released: 28-Nov-2011 3:00 PM EST
Study Debunks Stereotype that Men Think About Sex All Day Long
Ohio State University

Men may think about sex more often than women do, but a new study suggests that men also think about other biological needs, such as eating and sleep, more frequently than women do, as well.

Released: 28-Nov-2011 2:00 PM EST
Your Abusive Boss May Not be Good for Your Marriage
Baylor University

Having an abusive boss not only causes problems at work but can lead to strained relationships at home, according to a Baylor University study published online in journal, Personnel Psychology. The study found that stress and tension caused by an abusive boss have an impact on the employee’s partner, which affects the marital relationship and subsequently the employee’s entire family.

Released: 28-Nov-2011 11:30 AM EST
Creative Excuses: Original Thinkers More Likely to Cheat
American Psychological Association (APA)

Creative people are more likely to cheat than less creative people, possibly because this talent increases their ability to rationalize their actions, according to research published by the American Psychological Association.

Released: 28-Nov-2011 7:20 AM EST
70 Percent of Middle, High School Students Experience "Slut Bashing" or Other Sexual Harrassment
Indiana University of Pennsylvania

By eighth grade, girls have already started to monitor the sexual conduct of other girls, according to researchers, and 70 percent of students have experienced some kind of non-physical sexual harassment, including sexual rumor spreading, also known as “slut bashing.”

21-Nov-2011 4:20 PM EST
Post-Traumatic Stress Risk to Police Officers Lower than Previously Thought
Universite de Montreal

Although police officers are at a high risk of experiencing traumatic events (TE) in their work, they are no more likely than the general population to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Released: 21-Nov-2011 1:45 PM EST
Ignorance Is Bliss When It Comes to Challenging Social Issues
American Psychological Association (APA)

The less people know about important complex issues such as the economy, energy consumption and the environment, the more they want to avoid becoming well-informed, according to new research published by the American Psychological Association.

Released: 18-Nov-2011 9:45 AM EST
Keep Holiday Cheer All Year
Wake Forest University

Wake Forest University Assistant Professor of Psychology Christian Waugh studies human emotions and why some people are more resilient in maintaining positive emotions than others. After the holidays are over, it can be easy to slide into a funk. Waugh’s research suggests three tips to keep up the excitement and joy of the holidays all year long.

Released: 16-Nov-2011 9:30 AM EST
Perceived Racism May Impact Black Americans’ Mental Health
American Psychological Association (APA)

For black American adults, perceived racism may cause mental health symptoms similar to trauma and could lead to some physical health disparities between blacks and other populations in the United States, according to a new study published by the American Psychological Association.

11-Nov-2011 10:50 AM EST
Voters Are Drawn to Candidates with Lower-Pitched Voices
McMaster University

Perceptions shaped by evolution influence voters to choose candidates with lower-pitched voices, according to new findings by researchers at McMaster University.

Released: 9-Nov-2011 2:00 PM EST
Study Suggests Rules Requiring Minimum Standards Lower Standards to the Minimum
University of Iowa

Rules that are supposed to ensure minimum standards may in the end serve only to lower standards further than they might be without any rules at all, according to a study by a University of Iowa researcher.

Released: 8-Nov-2011 10:30 AM EST
Being Smart is Already Part of your Mental Toolbox, Psychologist Says
University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin)

Intelligence and smart thinking are not the same, according to University of Texas at Austin psychologist Art Markman, who studies how best to apply knowledge for smarter thinking at work and home.

Released: 8-Nov-2011 10:25 AM EST
Investigating Imagination: Research Shows We All Experience Fantasy Differently, Which Determines How Much We Enjoy It
Kansas State University

Whether you love the "Harry Potter" series or despise it, there may be a psychological explanation behind your opinion. Russell Webster, Kansas State University doctoral student in psychology, Sherwood, Ill., recently discovered that people experience fantasy differently, which explains why some people enjoy it more than others.

3-Nov-2011 8:00 AM EDT
Monkey Mothers Found to be Key to Sons' Reproductive Success
University of Wisconsin–Madison

In a study of wild primates, reported this week (Nov. 7, 2011) in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison anthropologist Karen B. Strier describes a monkey society where equality and tolerance rule and where sexually mature males, still living at home, seem to get helpful access to mates by the mere presence of their mothers and other maternal kin.

Released: 7-Nov-2011 5:00 AM EST
“If I’m Scared, So Are You.” Study Reveals How Fear Impacts Stock Market Decisions
University of California, Berkeley Haas School of Business

Watching a horror movie can scare you into selling your stocks earlier than you would have otherwise. That’s the frightening evidence shown in a series of studies by Associate Professor Eduardo Andrade, University of California, Berkeley’s Haas School of Business.

Released: 31-Oct-2011 10:45 AM EDT
"How To" Book: Emotional Control, Rational Thinking
Western Illinois University

What do Jesus, Bob Dylan, Woody Allen, George Washington and Charles Darwin have in common? “These historic figures and recent work by dozens of psychologists contribute to the provision of solutions to complicated human problems,” said Bem Allen, author of the new book “Common Sense Versus Wisdom: A Guide to Emotional Control and Rational Thinking.”

Released: 31-Oct-2011 10:30 AM EDT
Research Examines College Students’ Knowledge About Eating Disorders
University of Cincinnati

They could be the peer that a friend turns to for help. But University of Cincinnati research suggests it can be tough for college students to spot some of the warning signs indicating or leading to eating disorders.

24-Oct-2011 11:45 AM EDT
Children of Deployed Military at Greater Risk of Engaging in Violent Behavior
American Public Health Association (APHA)

Adolescent boys with at least one parent in the military are at elevated risk of engaging in school-based physical fighting, carrying a weapon and joining a gang, according to research presented today at the American Public Health Association’s 139th Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.

Released: 27-Oct-2011 12:00 PM EDT
Belief in God Cuts Two Ways
American Psychological Association (APA)

Being reminded of the concept of God can decrease people’s motivation to pursue personal goals but can help them resist temptation, according to new research published by the American Psychological Association.

Released: 27-Oct-2011 9:00 AM EDT
Gender Differences: Viewing TV Coverage of Terrorism Has More Negative Effect on Women
University of Haifa

This has been shown in a new study from the University of Haifa. It is possible that the differences between men and women are founded in gender socialization: 'teaching' women to respond to terrorism with more anxiety than men.

Released: 25-Oct-2011 4:00 PM EDT
That's Gross!: Study Uncovers Physiological Nature of Disgust in Politics
University of Nebraska-Lincoln

You'd likely be disgusted at pictures of a man eating a mouthful of writhing worms, a particularly bloody wound or an emaciated body. But just how much disgust you feel can lend insight into your personal politics.

Released: 20-Oct-2011 12:50 PM EDT
It DOES Take a Village: Community Strength Key to Disaster Recovery
Indiana University of Pennsylvania

Dr. Krzystof Kaniasty has done extensive research on how people cope and recover from natural and human-induced disasters. The key, he says, is community.

Released: 20-Oct-2011 10:20 AM EDT
Minority Consumers Will Voluntarily Pay More for Goods and Services to Assert Status
University of Southern California (USC)

Academic study from USC and University of San Diego professors shows how mistreatment when coupled with race can make consumers pay more for goods and services to elevate status.

Released: 20-Oct-2011 9:00 AM EDT
Gratitude as an Antidote to Aggression
University of Kentucky

A University of Kentucky psychology professor just might have found the way to avoid the fall season's inevitable skirmishes between opposing football fans. And it could all start by simply appreciating the fact you can enjoy a beautiful fall afternoon watching a sport you love.

18-Oct-2011 7:00 AM EDT
Brain Study Reveals How Students Overcome Math Anxiety
University of Chicago

Using brain-imaging technology for the first time, scientists have gained new insights into how some students overcome their fears and succeed in math. For the highly math anxious, researchers found a strong link between math success and activity in a network of brain areas involved in controlling attention and regulating negative emotional reactions.

Released: 19-Oct-2011 2:30 PM EDT
Men Win Humor Test (by a Hair)
University of California San Diego

Men are funnier than women, but only just barely and mostly to other men. So says a psychology study from the University of California, San Diego Division of Social Sciences.

Released: 19-Oct-2011 9:00 AM EDT
Too Much Undeserved Self-Praise Can Lead to Depression
American Psychological Association (APA)

People who try to boost their self-esteem by telling themselves they’ve done a great job when they haven’t could end up feeling dejected instead, according to new research published by the American Psychological Association.

Released: 17-Oct-2011 11:10 AM EDT
New Research Shows People With a “Sweet Tooth” Have Sweeter Dispositions
North Dakota State University

If you’re dealing with a crabby co-worker or sour-faced friend, perhaps some new research can help. It sheds light on the question: Can eating sweets make you—well—sweet? A new study by researchers at North Dakota State University, Fargo, Gettysburg College and Saint Xavier University suggests people with a “sweet tooth” have sweeter dispositions.

Released: 17-Oct-2011 10:40 AM EDT
Associating Your Car with Your Identity Leads to Aggressive Driving
Temple University

A new study by a Temple University Fox School of Business professor finds those who view their car as an extension of themselves have stronger aggressive driving tendencies.

17-Oct-2011 11:25 AM EDT
Caveman Instincts Still Play Role in Choosing Political Leaders
Texas Tech University

The perfect national candidate is often drawn taller and larger than average citizen, which could be a throwback to our caveman politics.

Released: 10-Oct-2011 12:40 PM EDT
Children More Accepting of Peers Who Try to Change an Undesirable Characteristic than Those Believed to be at Fault for It
Kansas State University

Psychologists looked at the extent to which children attribute fault to peers with undesirable characteristics, and how they anticipate interacting with these peers. They found that obese and aggressive peers are disliked and blamed for having these faults.

Released: 10-Oct-2011 12:00 PM EDT
Delays in Video Calls May Not Always Hurt Communication
Ohio State University

A new study reveals how the delay computer users sometimes experience when making video calls over the internet can actually help communication in some circumstances, while it is frustrating in many others.

3-Oct-2011 12:30 PM EDT
Babies Show Sense of Fairness, Altruism as Early as 15 Months
University of Washington

A new study presents the first evidence that a basic sense of fairness and altruism appears in infancy. Babies as young as 15 months perceived the difference between equal and unequal distribution of food, and their awareness of equal rations was linked to their willingness to share a toy.

Released: 6-Oct-2011 11:00 AM EDT
Children Find Human-Made Objects More Likely to be Owned than Natural Objects
American Psychological Association (APA)

Children as young as 3 are likely to say that things made by humans have owners, but that natural objects, such as pine cones and sea shells, are not owned, according to a new study published by the American Psychological Association.

Released: 5-Oct-2011 3:05 PM EDT
We Are What We Experience
Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU)

Our life experiences – the ups and downs, and everything in between – shape us, stay with us and influence our emotional set point as adults, according to a new study led by Virginia Commonwealth University researchers.

   
Released: 5-Oct-2011 2:20 PM EDT
How Chronic Stress Short-Circuits Parenting
University of Rochester

Parents under long-term stress often find it challenging to tap into the patience, responsiveness, and energy required for effective child rearing. Now research from a University of Rochester team helps to explain why chronic stress and parenting are such a toxic mix. The study finds that ongoing strains, like poverty or depression, disrupt the body’s natural stress response, making mothers more likely to engage in a host of problematic parenting behaviors.

Released: 3-Oct-2011 11:25 AM EDT
College Football Players Can Cry (A Little) If They Want to
American Psychological Association (APA)

While there’s no crying in baseball, as Tom Hanks’ character famously proclaimed in “A League of Their Own,” crying in college football might not be a bad thing, at least in the eyes of one’s teammates.

Released: 29-Sep-2011 10:50 AM EDT
Everyone’s a Little Bit Racist, but It May Not Be Your Fault, Study Suggests
Georgia Institute of Technology

In looking for the culprit as to why people tend to display tinges of racism, sexism or ageism, even towards members of their own group, a research team, led by the Georgia Institute of Technology, found that our culture may be partially to blame. The research is posted in the latest edition of the British Journal of Social Psychology.

28-Sep-2011 9:00 AM EDT
Single Dose of Hallucinogen May Create Lasting Personality Change
Johns Hopkins Medicine

A single high dose of the hallucinogen psilocybin, the active ingredient in so-called “magic mushrooms,” was enough to bring about a measureable personality change lasting at least a year in nearly 60 percent of the 51 participants in a new study, according to the Johns Hopkins researchers who conducted it.

   
Released: 28-Sep-2011 9:00 AM EDT
High Social Status Makes People More Trusting
Ohio State University

When you start a new job, your boss may be more likely to trust you than you are to trust him or her, a new study suggests. The reason has to with the role that social status plays in relationships.

   
22-Sep-2011 5:45 PM EDT
Changing Race by Changing Clothes
Tufts University

Racial perception is altered by cues as simple as clothes. Computerized faces with business attire were more likely to be seen as White while faces with blue-collar attire were seen as Black. Tracking trajectories of the computer mouse used in choosing a race revealed subtle bias.

Released: 22-Sep-2011 9:30 AM EDT
Men and Women Cooperate Equally for the Common Good
American Psychological Association (APA)

Stereotypes suggest women are more cooperative than men, but an analysis of 50 years of research shows that men are equally cooperative, particularly in situations involving a dilemma that pits the interests of an individual against the interests of a group.

Released: 22-Sep-2011 8:00 AM EDT
Buyer Beware—Advertising May Seduce Your Brain
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

UCLA researchers and colleages have found that certain types of subtle advertisements reduce activity in the decision-making areas of the brain, suggesting that some ads seduce, rather than persuade, consumers to buy their products.

Released: 20-Sep-2011 12:15 PM EDT
Intuitive Thinking May Influence Belief in God
American Psychological Association (APA)

Intuition may lead people toward a belief in the divine and help explain why some people have more faith in God than others, according to research published by the American Psychological Association.

Released: 15-Sep-2011 10:45 AM EDT
Put Down that Xbox Remote: Researcher Suggests Video Games May Not Boost Cognition
Florida State University

Wouldn’t it be nice if all those hours kids spent glued to their PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 or Nintendo DS video games actually resulted in something tangible? Better grades, perhaps? Improved concentration? Superior driving skills?

9-Sep-2011 5:00 PM EDT
Fast-Paced, Fantastical Television Shows May Compromise Learning, Behavior of Young Children
University of Virginia

Young children who watch fast-paced, fantastical television shows may become handicapped in their readiness for learning, according to a new University of Virginia study published in the October issue of the journal Pediatrics.

Released: 8-Sep-2011 8:00 AM EDT
Death Tolls Spur Pro-War Stance
Washington University in St. Louis

Mounting casualities in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars might seem like a reason for people to denounce the war and demand a way out. But a new “sunk-cost” psychology study finds that highlighting casualties before asking for opinions on these wars actually sways people toward a pro-war attitude. This sunk-cost mindset may also explain why losers stay in stock market.

Released: 2-Sep-2011 2:15 PM EDT
Advertising in Violent Video Games Results in Poor Recall, Negative Brand Perception
University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin)

Embedding advertisements in violent video games leads to lower brand recall and negative brand attitudes suggesting advertisers should think twice about including such ads in a media campaign, according to researchers at The University of Texas at Austin.

Released: 1-Sep-2011 12:40 PM EDT
Habit Makes Bad Food Too Easy To Swallow
University of Southern California (USC)

A new paper by USC researchers reveals why bad eating habits persist even when the food we’re eating doesn’t taste good. The study also reveals the surprisingly simple ways we can counter our habits to gain control over what we eat.

Released: 1-Sep-2011 10:30 AM EDT
Perception of Facial Expressions Differs Across Cultures
American Psychological Association (APA)

Facial expressions have been called the “universal language of emotion,” but people from different cultures perceive happy, sad or angry facial expressions in unique ways, according to new research published by the American Psychological Association.



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