Feature Channels: Behavioral Science

• share
• favorite_border

Little consensus exists when it comes to the certification of “emotional support animals” (ESAs). These animals usually have little or no specific training, which poses a challenge for mental health professionals who are asked to certify them. Now, researchers at the University of Missouri have conducted a survey to examine what techniques and instruments mental health professionals are using to aid in their determinations of whether certification of an ESA is appropriate.

• share
• favorite_border

People who struggle to cope with uncertainty or the ambiguity of potential future threats may have an unusually large striatum, an area of the brain already associated with general anxiety disorder, according to research published by the American Psychological Association.

• share
• favorite_border

week long interdisciplinary conference on all aspects of the nature of conscious experience, awareness, feelings and existence.

• share
• favorite_border

• share
• favorite_border

Sleep is important, but if there is something more important or interesting to do—for example, taking care of a baby, finishing a grant proposal before a deadline, or reading a fascinating book—we may stay up late. Sleep in fruit flies is a lot like human sleep, and like humans, flies can keep themselves awake if there is something important to do. In research published on May 16th in eLife, researchers report discovery of neurons that allow male fruit flies to suppress sleep so they can court female flies.

• share
• favorite_border

While “empty nest syndrome” is not a formal clinical diagnosis, most psychiatrists agree it’s a legitimate emotional moment when a young adult leaves home and the parents are faced with an empty bedroom—and silence.

• share
• favorite_border

A recent study finds that “moral enhancement technologies” – which are discussed as ways of improving human behavior – are neither feasible nor wise, based on an assessment of existing research into these technologies.

• share
• favorite_border

A new Baylor University study shows that interruptions during work and family time come with consequences and benefits. Researchers offer strategies to build on the benefits.

• share
• favorite_border

Neighborhoods with greater poverty and disorganization may play a greater role in problem drinking than the availability of bars and stores that sell hard liquor, a University of Washington-led study has found.

• share
• favorite_border

Robin Parks Ennis, Ph.D., assistant professor and behavioral interventions and supports researcher, explains how a popular toy can be beneficial with proper management.

• share
• favorite_border

When it comes to empathy, the idiom that suggests “walking a mile in their shoes” turns out to be problematic advice, according to new research published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology.

• share
• favorite_border

Research has shown that African-American boys face higher rates of school discipline than other students. But a study co-authored by an Indiana University sociologist finds that racial disparities in school discipline are even greater for African-American girls.

• share
• favorite_border

Experiencing beauty requires thought, a team of neuroscientists finds, in a new study that confirms an 18th-century claim by the philosopher Immanuel Kant.

• share
• favorite_border

A new study has examined for the first time whether fathering can moderate the negative effects of maternal depression on family-level functioning. The results of the study are the first to describe the family process by using direct observations of mothering, fathering, and family patterns in homes where mothers suffer clinical depression during the child's first years of life.

• share
• favorite_border

The issue of youth suicide is much in the news these days. Middle school students are just as likely to die from suicide as from traffic accidents, states the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

• share
• favorite_border

Pet dogs provide valuable social support for kids when they’re stressed, according to a study by researchers from the University of Florida, who were among the first to document stress-buffering effects of pets for children.

• share
• favorite_border

• share
• favorite_border

Making that Mother’s Day phone call isn’t as big a deal as it used to be. According to a study from the University of California, Irvine, adult children are in touch with their moms more frequently than were earlier generations, thanks to the proliferation of cellphones.

• share
• favorite_border

Our taste in movies is notably idiosyncratic, and not linked to the demographic traits that studios target, finds new study on film preferences. The work also shows that moviegoers’ ratings are not necessarily in line with those of critics.

• share
• favorite_border

If you show up at work tired, you may want to focus strictly on your own tasks. New research suggests helping coworkers in the morning can lead to mental exhaustion and self-serving behavior in the afternoon that ultimately can create a toxic work environment.

• share
• favorite_border

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) could be a powerful tool to help elite sportspeople improve their performance by handling stress more effectively, new research has found.

• share
• favorite_border

In “Functional Intimacy: Needing—But Not Wanting—the Touch of a Stranger,” University of Chicago Booth School of Business Professor Ayelet Fishbach explores the discomfort felt in a situation that requires functional intimacy. The study presents a novel point of view for both service providers and service recipients.

• share
• favorite_border

We know that power can corrupt, making people act in ways that harm others. But new research from the University of Florida shows that when the powerful misbehave, they hurt themselves, too.

• share
• favorite_border

An international collaborative study led by researchers at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute (SBP), with major participation from Yokohama School of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, and UC San Diego, has identified the molecular mechanism behind lithium’s effectiveness in treating bipolar disorder patients. The study, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), utilized human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPS cells) to map lithium’s response pathway, enabling the larger pathogenesis of bipolar disorder to be identified.

• share
• favorite_border

A Kansas State University expert on military families says most military spouses experience a lifestyle of constant adjustment.

• share
• favorite_border

Taxpayers benefit most when job satisfaction among federal employees is high, according to a recent study conducted by a team of 14 researchers. The team identified specific strategies policymakers can implement in order to improve agency efficiency and effectiveness and increase the return on tax dollars.

• share
• favorite_border

• share
• favorite_border

A University of Arkansas at Little Rock professor advised members of NATO about the danger of false information distributed online through botnets, a network of computer programs that act autonomously on social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook.

• share
• favorite_border

Upcoming International Conference "Crossroads of Couple and Family Psychology: A Foundation for Real World Practice on June 22-24, 2107 in Evanston, IL

• share
• favorite_border

A team of University of Iowa researches has discovered a new connection between two regions of the brain that may help explain how motor skills develop. Working with infant rats, the scientists found that the hippocampus and the red nucleus, part of the brain stem, synchronize during REM sleep. Findings published in the journal Current Biology.

• share
• favorite_border

TROSA, a therapeutic community providing substance abuse treatment and job training, saves North Carolina $7.5 million every year, according to an independent study conducted by RTI International.

• share
• favorite_border

Job seekers who stay in the search longer or see their peers getting hired may falsify their résumés, according to new research from the University at Buffalo School of Management.

• share
• favorite_border

The scientist who ventures away from her original research interest is far rarer than those who stay in familiar territory, according to new research in the emerging field of “the science of research science” published in Nature Human Behavior.

• share
• favorite_border

A new study in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology reveals a positive correlation (Pearson r = .43) between having racial prejudice and defending racist speech using the “free speech argument” — a stronger correlation than the researchers expected.

• share
• favorite_border

UVA Darden School of Business Professor Kristin Behfar provides real-world advice on the management of multicultural teams and the unique challenges they may pose.

• share
• favorite_border

American workers are more likely to say they are feeling stressed and cynical because of political discussions at work now than before the 2016 presidential election, according to survey results released today by the American Psychological Association.

• share
• favorite_border

According to new research by Berkeley-Haas Assoc. Prof. Clayton Critcher, people evaluate others’ moral character—being honest, principled, and virtuous—not simply by their deeds, but also by the context that determines how such decisions are made. Furthermore, the research found that what differentiates the characteristics of moral character (from positive yet nonmoral attributes) is that such qualities are non-negotiable in social relationships.

• share
• favorite_border

• share
• favorite_border

Knowing the signs of becoming drowsy behind the wheel, many of which are similar to distracted and drunk driving, could potentially be lifesaving.

• share
• favorite_border

The structure of the social network to which a person belongs could shape how their brain responds to social exclusion, according to a new study led by a Michigan State University researcher.

• share
• favorite_border

As interest in social and emotional learning (SEL) continues to grow, a new guide to 25 evidence-based programs offers detailed information about curricular content and programmatic features that practitioners can use to make informed choices about what to use to develop key skills and competencies such as self-control, attention and goal-setting; empathy; relationship building and conflict resolution; flexible mindsets; and character.

• share
• favorite_border

• share
• favorite_border

People with stronger working memories tire of enjoying experiences more quickly, according to a new study led by a University of Kansas researcher that can have implications for product marketing and consumer behavior.

• share
• favorite_border

A Professor The University of Texas at Austin has released a new book titled “The Culture Solution: How to Achieve Cultural Synergy and Get Results in the Global Workplace."

• share
• favorite_border

For the best chance of getting hired, former inmates should apologize for their criminal past to potential employers, indicates new research that comes amid the nationwide “ban-the-box” movement.

• share
• favorite_border

University of Illinois at Chicago researchers conducted two studies to examine the state and quality of social and personality research and how practices have changed, if at all.

• share
• favorite_border

“If you are obsessed with Instagram, you might get an influx of anxiety chemicals that your body strives to reduce by logging into Instagram. We see this type of obsession with smartphones and social media, and it is rampant.” – Dr. Larry Rosen, CSU Dominguez Hills

• share
• favorite_border

Although people living in consumer-based cultures such as the U.S. often believe that they will be happier if they acquire more money, the findings of a newly published paper by a University at Buffalo research team suggest that there may be downsides to this pursuit.

• share
• favorite_border

An analysis just published online has broken new ground by finding gender differences in both symptoms and diagnoses of depression appearing at age 12.

• share
• favorite_border

The synchronization of brainwaves among students during class reflects how much they like the class and each other, a team of neuroscientists has found.