Feature Channels: Behavioral Science

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A landmark study in the late 1960s and early 1970s used marshmallows and cookies to assess the ability of preschool children to delay gratification. If they held off on the temptation to eat a treat, they were rewarded with more treats later. Some of the children resisted, others didn't. A newly published follow-up revisits some of the same children, now adults, revealing that these differences remain: Those better at delaying gratification as children remained so as adults; likewise, those who wanted their cookie right away as children were more likely to seek instant gratification as adults. Furthermore, brain imaging showed key differences between the two groups in two areas: the prefrontal cortex and the ventral striatum.

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Scientists from the Monell Center report that approximately one third of patients with unexplained body malodor test positive for the metabolic disorder trimethylaminuria (TMAU). A diagnosis offers relief to these individuals, as once the disease is identified, the debilitating symptoms can be ameliorated.

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Most people view creativity as an asset — until they come across a creative idea.

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Study concludes that competitive video games may cause aggressive behavior.

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Not only does the phenomenon called baby fever exist, it is found in both men and women, according to researchers from Kansas State University. Gary Brase, associate professor of psychology, and his wife, Sandra Brase, a project coordinator with the College of Education, have spent nearly 10 years researching baby fever: the physical and emotional desire to have a baby.

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Giving your heart to a supportive spouse turns out to be an excellent way to stay alive, according to new research from the University of Rochester. Happily wedded people who undergo coronary bypass surgery are more than three times as likely to be alive 15 years later as their unmarried counterparts, reports a study published online August 22 in Health Psychology, a publication of the American Psychological Association.

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When it comes to mental illness, the sexes are different: Women are more likely to be diagnosed with anxiety or depression, while men tend toward substance abuse or antisocial disorders, according to a new study published by the American Psychological Association.

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Fatigue can lead to dangerous errors by doctors, pilots and others in high-risk professions, but individuals who work together as a team display better problem-solving skills than those who face their fatigue alone, new research shows.

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A new study finds that stress experienced by young female rats can impair their future offspring, but can also improve resilience. Similar effects might transpire in humans.

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Think about how much you fight and argue with your spouse today. A new study suggests that your current level of conflict probably won’t change much for the remainder of your marriage.

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Inpatient hospitalizations for children and adolescents with a psychiatric diagnosis increased significantly over a 12-year period (1996 to 2007), according to a report in the early online edition in Archives of General Psychiatry.

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Biologists and psychologists know that light affects mood, but a new University of Virginia study indicates that light may also play a role in modulating fear and anxiety.

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For many young adults, college is the most exciting time in their life. For others, it’s a time of despair, leading to suicide. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among people between the ages of 14 and 25 in the United States. Wichita State University psychologist Maureen Dasey-Morales talks about the warning signs and myths surrounding suicide.

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High schools in Virginia where students reported a high rate of bullying had significantly lower scores on standardized tests that students must pass to graduate, according to research presented at the 119th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association.

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Social media present risks and benefits to children but parents who try to secretly monitor their kids’ activities online are wasting their time, according to a presentation at the 119th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association.

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People who are cyberstalked or harassed online experience higher levels of stress and trauma than people who are stalked or harassed in person, according to a presentation at the American Psychological Association’s 119th Annual Convention.

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Dieters may not need as much willpower as they think, if they make simple changes in their surroundings that can result in eating healthier without a second thought, said a consumer psychologist at the American Psychological Association’s 119th Annual Convention.

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Almost 1 million criminal cases may be compromised each year in the United States because suspects don’t understand their constitutional rights, according to research presented at the 119th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association.

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Picture black and white students at an Ivy League college learning about black students who are a year or so ahead of them in that school. They’re told that the older black students were anxious about fitting in and how they would be viewed in college when they first arrived. But as the older black students got more involved in campus life, they began to find the school rewarding, even exciting as their life course took shape.

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Nearly half of college students who are U.S. military veterans reported thinking of suicide and 20 percent said they had planned to kill themselves, rates significantly higher than among college students in general, according to a study presented at the American Psychological Association’s 119th Annual Convention.

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The American Psychological Association will feature three public demonstrations of psychological science applications, including one that enables “seeing” with one’s ears rather than eyes.

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When it comes to rearing children, just about any parent will say that what works with one kid might not work with another. But which parenting styles work best with which kids? A study by University of Washington psychologists provides advice about tailoring parenting to children’s personalities.

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Practicing positive activities may serve as an effective, low-cost treatment for people suffering from depression, according to researchers at UC Riverside and Duke University.

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Not always smart to mimic a person's body language, UC San Diego study shows.

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People who are socially skilled – who are adept at metaphorically putting themselves in someone else’s shoes – generally are also more proficient when it comes to spatial skills.

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UAB social psychologist Rex A. Wright, Ph.D. explains why some people do not view phone hacking as unethical and why those that see it as unethical go along with the practice.

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Short-term and long-term psychological effects of the 9/11 attacks spread far beyond New York City, Washington, D.C., and Shanksville, Pa., according to research published by the American Psychological Association.

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A new study by a Temple University Fox School of Business professor finds that teenage girls have a strong influence on the products their mothers buy solely for personal use, as in makeup or clothing, and that mothers have a much stronger tendency to mimic their daughters’ consumption behavior than vice versa.

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Do people believe good and bad luck can be washed away? Yes, according to an advanced online publication in the Journal of Experimental Psychology that was co-authored by Rami Zwick, a University of California, Riverside marketing professor in the School of Business Administration.

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A new study finds that teens with a positive sense of well-being are more likely to report being healthy in young adulthood.

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Study concluses that personality can contribute to people's weight fluctuation.

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A Cedars-Sinai psychiatrist who specializes in helping patients cope with stress advises Southern California drivers to protect themselves from becoming victims of road rage during the 405 freeway closure, scheduled July 15-17, and dubbed “Carmageddon.”

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A new Northwestern University meta-analysis (an integration of a large number of studies addressing the same question) shows that even today leadership continues to be viewed as culturally masculine. Thus, women suffer from two primary forms of prejudice. Women are viewed as less qualified or natural in most leadership roles, the research shows, and secondly, when women adopt culturally masculine behaviors often required by these roles, they may be viewed as inappropriate or presumptuous.

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Study concludes that no significant difference between men's and women's self-esteem occurs during adolescence and young adulthood.

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People who see the “glass as half empty” may be more willing to contribute to a common goal if they already identify with it, according to researchers from The University of Texas at Austin, University of Chicago and Sungkyunkwan University.

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Study co-authored by USC Marshall professor examines the link between posture, effectiveness and pain tolerance.

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Pets can serve as important sources of social and emotional support for “everyday people,” not just individuals facing significant health challenges.

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Is your kid a “dove” – cautious and submissive when confronting new environments, or perhaps you have a “hawk” – bold and assertive in unfamiliar settings? These basic temperamental patterns are linked to opposite hormonal responses to stress – differences that may provide children with advantages for navigating threatening environments, researchers report in Development and Psychopathology.

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A new study finds that that cortisol - the "stress hormone" released when a person is under pressure in individuals immediately prior to casting a vote was significantly higher than in the same individuals in similar non-voting conditions.

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Though disclaimers at the end of advertisements may appear to be an accepted white noise by audiences, new research published in the Journal of Consumer Research suggests that those disclaimers have a greater impact on buyer behavior than previously thought.

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UCLA researchers have found that teens, regardless of their ethnic background, retained their religious identity even as their participation in religious activities, such as attending church, declined. Further, they found that adolescents' ethnic background shaped their religious identity and participation.

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That panicked feeling we get when the family pet goes missing is the same when we misplace our mobile phone, says a Kansas State University marketing professor. Moreover, those feelings of loss and hopelessness without our digital companion are natural.

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A University of Alabama at Birmingham survey of college students reveals that 35 percent use mobile phone applications while driving — even after facing the dangers firsthand.

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A little practice goes a long way, according to researchers at McMaster University, who have found the effects of practice on the brain have remarkable staying power.

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Students and young adults are highly susceptible to being contacted by internet sex offenders from the very first time a chat session is initiated, according to a study of online social networking patterns published in the July issue of the American Journal of Nursing (AJN). The study, conducted by a research team working under a United States Department of Justice grant, found that more than two-thirds (63.3%) of internet sexual offenders initiate the topic of sex with middle school and high school students during their first chat session, underscoring the significant issue of on-line risky behavior between sexual offenders and their potential victims. AJN, the leading voice of nursing since 1900, is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, part of Wolters Kluwer Health.

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News release concludes that foods containing fat substitutes causes weight gain.

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Coming out as lesbian, gay, or bisexual increases emotional well-being even more than earlier research has indicated. But the psychological benefits of revealing one’s sexual identity -- less anger, less depression, and higher self-esteem – are limited to supportive settings, shows a study published June 20 in Social Psychology and Personality Science. The findings underscore the importance of creating workplaces and other social settings that are accepting of all people, but especially gay, lesbian or bisexual individuals.

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A new illusion that took second place in the 2011 Best Illusion of the Year Contest—a competition held annually by the Neural Correlate Society—illustrates that our brains can organize what we see based on changes in contrast.

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Scientists at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine have zeroed in on the dose levels of the “sacred mushroom” chemical psilocybin yielding positive, life-changing experiences, while minimizing transient negative reactions. Former U.S. "Drug Czar" comments.

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A University of Iowa study found that women who make their sexual debut as young teens are more likely to divorce, especially if "the first time" was unwanted, or if she had mixed feelings about it.