psychology

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Pessimism Can Block Medicine's Effects
 Pessimism Can Block 
 Medicine's Effects 
study says
Feb 17, 2011 9:44 AM CST

Pessimism Can Block Medicine's Effects

Study subjects' pain fluctuates based on belief in treatment

(Newser) - Patients who think their medicine won’t work may find that is indeed the case—just because they thought as much, a study finds. Researchers attached subjects to IV drips and applied heat to their legs, asking them to rate the pain the heat caused them on a scale from...

400 People Say They'd Sign Up for One-Way Mars Trip

Psychological consequences don't deter intrepid space fans

(Newser) - A voyage to Mars would be long, boring, could cause profound depression, and, oh yes, would be nearly impossible to return from. Who in the world would want to sign up for that? Apparently, lots of people. The Journal of Cosmology recently ran an article explaining the logistics of a...

We Foresee: Paper on ESP Will Spark Outrage

Respected journal publishing paper claiming proof of psychic ability

(Newser) - A paper to be published in one of psychology's most respected journals already has believers in the paranormal excited and academics crying foul. The paper, by Cornell professor Daryl Bem, has been accepted by the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, and its author says it presents strong evidence for...

Why We Love to Think the Jobless Are Lazy
Why We Love to Think
the Jobless Are Lazy
OPINION
Dec 19, 2010 7:27 AM CST

Why We Love to Think the Jobless Are Lazy

Mythology, narcissism, and 'raw fear' drive conceit

(Newser) - In America, we like to think that the unemployed are to blame for their joblessness—that, in the words of Ben Stein, they’re “people with poor work habits and poor personalities." But any economist will tell you that’s not true, writes David Sirota in Salon . The...

And the World's Most Stressed People Are...
 And the World's Most 
 Stressed People Are... 
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Nov 20, 2010 7:00 PM CST

And the World's Most Stressed People Are...

Surveys point to the most stressful jobs, ages and places

(Newser) - So you’re stressed? So what. Everybody’s stressed. But who wins the stress Olympics? The Daily Beast set out to find out, compiling various stress studies. A smattering of the findings:
  • Detroit is the most stressed-out city, based on unemployment rate, crime rate, sunshine, and other economic indicators. Salt
...

iPhone App Gauges Your Happiness

And finds that daydreaming is tied to bad moods

(Newser) - Turns out the all-powerful iPhone can also moonlight as your personal therapist, by way of the "Track Your Happiness" app. The app pings users at random times during the day, asking how they're feeling and what they're doing. Researchers looked at the responses of 2,250 adults and found...

'Diet' Crystals Trying to Conquer World

They'll be available in 4 more countries; scientists skeptical

(Newser) - Scientists may be dubious about their actual benefits, but Sensa diet crystals are set to go global anyway, reports Slashfood . The products claims to make the scent of food—and therefore the flavor—more intense. The idea is that a more intense flavor will make dieters feel fuller after eating...

Touchy-Feely NBA Teams Win More

Study shows that teams that chest bump, hug, and high-five post better records

(Newser) - Maybe they should add “fist bumps” as a new NBA fantasy stat—because according to a new study, they might just help your team win. Researchers discovered that the more players on any given team touch each other, the more successful they are likely to be. “It looks...

Best Leaders Tap the 'Dark Side'

Study finds that flawed personalities make for better leaders

(Newser) - Positive personality traits like being outgoing and decisive are often touted as the right stuff for leaders, but being a jerk helps, too, according to a new study. Researchers followed 900 officer cadets at West Point over a 3-year period and found that so-called "dark side" personality traits like...

Pigeons Love to Gamble: Study
 Pigeons Love to Gamble: Study 
Oct 13, 2010 9:22 AM CDT

Pigeons Love to Gamble: Study

Research suggests gambling is natural urge, even at lousy odds

(Newser) - Gambling may be a fundamental part of human—and avian—nature, according to researchers who were surprised to learn that pigeons like gambling as much as people do. In the "pigeon casino" the researchers set up, trained birds given a choice of pecking a button that delivered three pellets...

Liars Feel Need to Wash Up Afterward

Study: They like to cleanse either their hands or mouth

(Newser) - Liars like to literally clean up after their deceit, a new study suggests. What's more, if they typed their fib in an email, they want hand sanitizer; if they spoke the lie, they prefer mouthwash, reports AOL News . So say University of Michigan researchers who put student volunteers in an...

Victoria's Secret Bag Makes Women Feel Sexy

Just carrying it around helps: study

(Newser) - Simply walking around with a Victoria's Secret bag can make women feel more sexy, according to a new study to be released in December. Deborah Roedder John, a marketing professor at the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management, conducted a series of experiments intended to assess people's self perception...

Does Twilight Hurt Teen Brains?
 Does Twilight Hurt 
 Teen Brains? 
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Sep 18, 2010 1:10 PM CDT

Does Twilight Hurt Teen Brains?

Conference exploring vampire novels' pull on young minds

(Newser) - A bunch of Twilight aficionados got together last week, but there were no squeals or Edward-induced fainting spells. Rather, a group of scientists, educators and authors met at Cambridge to explore how the vampire craze exemplified by the Twilight series may be shaping young minds, notes MSNBC . Sample session: "...

'Mama's Boys' Have Better Mental Health

Boys who stay close with mom avoid unhealthy stereotypes

(Newser) - Being what Time describes as a "mama's boy" is good for you, a new study suggests. An Arizona State professor followed 426 boys through middle school to find out when and to what extent they embraced stereotypically male qualities like emotional reserve and physical toughness. He found that boys...

Designer Knockoffs May Warp Your Morals

Buy one, and you're more prone to lie and cheat: Study

(Newser) - It isn't just luxury corporations who suffer from designer knockoffs—carrying a fake Vuitton bag can turn you into a big lying cheat, a new psychological study claims. Women who were given real Chloe sunglasses but told they were fake lied at more than double the rate of women given...

WTF Is Pregnancy Denial?
 WTF Is Pregnancy Denial? 
Jul 30, 2010 4:11 AM CDT

WTF Is Pregnancy Denial?

Condition may be factor in baby killings

(Newser) - It's a good question. Why, asks Bruce Crumley in TIME , are French women killing their babies ? It may have something to do with a little known, "quasi-schizophrenic" phenomenon called "pregnancy denial," he finds. Women with this condition "either don't realize or cannot accept that they...

Newborns Learn in Their Sleep

Dozing babes better 'data sponges' than adults

(Newser) - Babies start absorbing information about the world around them as soon as they're out of the womb and they do so even in their sleep, according to new research. Scientists played a tune to 26 sleeping newborns and followed it up with a puff of air to the eyelids. Most...

Psychologist Explains Why Your Boss Is a Jerk

It's a family affair: Yelling dads spawn tyrant bosses

(Newser) - People plagued by tyrant bosses or troublesome co-workers can blame their families, says leadership coach and psychologist Sylvia Lafair. Lafair has identified 13 patterns of annoying office behavior and the family dynamics behind each. They include the abusive, micro-managing "persecutor," who likely comes from a background of neglect,...

Why You Drive Like a Maniac
 Why You Drive Like a Maniac 
Apr 11, 2010 4:54 AM CDT

Why You Drive Like a Maniac

Maybe you play too many video games or just think you drive well

(Newser) - Cars should be safer than ever—we’ve got airbags, seatbelts, antilock brakes, and more—yet traffic deaths have remained steady. Why? Because most drivers are assholes, that’s why. Cracked decided there must be a scientific explanation for that, and found several:
  • Racing Video Games: A recent study shows
...

Seeing Sick People Triggers Your Immune System

Study shows that mere pictures of the ill can help

(Newser) - Apparently, the mere sight of a sick person can send your immune system into overdrive. In a fascinating new study, researchers asked a group of young adults to watch a slideshow of images showing people with all sorts of illnesses. They took blood samples from the subjects before and after...

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