Mind & Brain
- Setting smartphone to silent can backfire, leads people to check device even moreby John Anderer on July 2, 2022 at 1:38 am
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Excessive smartphone use is a distinctly 21st century issue, but that doesn’t make it any less problematic. Countless people spend their days endlessly scrolling from one social media feed or app to the next. Many argue there’s an easy solution: just turn the phone off or place it on silent mode.… The post Setting smartphone to silent can backfire, leads people to check device even more appeared first on Study Finds.
- Don’t overdo it: Overenthusiastic pitches turn off investors, study warnsby John Anderer on June 29, 2022 at 9:17 pm
TAMPA, Fla. — There’s something to be said for subtlety when it comes to pitching new investors. Now, scientists at the University of South Florida have found that pitching with too much passion or enthusiasm may end up turning off many potential business partners. More specifically, the study finds energetic body movements and animated facial expressions… The post Don’t overdo it: Overenthusiastic pitches turn off investors, study warns appeared first on Study Finds.
- Cyberbullying increases the risk of suicide among children more than ‘traditional’ bullyingby Study Finds on June 28, 2022 at 4:11 pm
PHILADELPHIA — Cyberbullying has a stronger impact on adolescent victims than “traditional,” in-person bullying, a new study reveals. A team from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) says victims of online bullying in early adolescence are more likely to report suicidal thoughts and attempts, going far beyond that of offline bullying. Researchers at Lifespan Brain… The post Cyberbullying increases the risk of suicide among children more than ‘traditional’ bullying appeared first on Study Finds.
- Losing a grandmother can trigger long-lasting depression, especially for teen boysby John Anderer on June 26, 2022 at 3:19 pm
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Losing a grandmother may trigger depression among her surviving family members, according to a new Penn State study. Any death in a family is a tragedy, but study authors report a significant correlation between a grandmother passing away and depression, This appears especially true among adolescent boys. The study states that for… The post Losing a grandmother can trigger long-lasting depression, especially for teen boys appeared first on Study Finds.
- ‘Youthful mindset’ key to longer, healthier life? Simply feeling younger wards off disability, disease for older adultsby John Anderer on June 23, 2022 at 4:14 pm
RAMAT GAN, Israel — “You’re only as old as you feel” may be much more than just a saying. Scientists at Bar-Ilan University report that feeling young (even in old age) can lead to better odds of successfully completing rehabilitation from medical conditions. Similarly, study authors conclude that a youthful mindset can help older adults stave… The post ‘Youthful mindset’ key to longer, healthier life? Simply feeling younger wards off disability, disease for older adults appeared first on Study Finds.
- How much you believe in yourself matters more than age when pursuing a new skill or hobbyby Jocelyn Solis-Moreira on June 19, 2022 at 2:17 pm
TRONDHEIM, Norway — What’s stopping you from learning a new language or a new sport? One common belief is that the older you get, the tougher it is to master something new. Research from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, however, finds that it’s actually the level of motivation you have to push yourself… The post How much you believe in yourself matters more than age when pursuing a new skill or hobby appeared first on Study Finds.
- Kind bud: Marijuana makes people nicer, more agreeable and empatheticby Study Finds on June 17, 2022 at 2:29 pm
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Marijuana could be the key to kindness for all the curmudgeons out there. Scientists report that smoking cannabis makes people nicer, more empathetic, and even-tempered. The study by researchers at the University of New Mexico finds that people who recently used marijuana had higher levels of empathy than non-users and made decisions based… The post Kind bud: Marijuana makes people nicer, more agreeable and empathetic appeared first on Study Finds.
- Glial cells may take on big jobs in unexpected parts of the bodyby Laura Sanders on June 2, 2022 at 10:00 am
Scientists are finding mysterious glia in the heart, spleen and lungs and wonder what they’re doing there.
- Headbutts hurt the brain, even for a musk oxby Laura Sanders on May 25, 2022 at 11:00 am
Though musk oxen are built to bash, a study of the headbutters turned up signs of brain damage. But that may not be catastrophic for the bovids.
- COVID-19 has killed a million Americans. Our minds can’t comprehend that numberby Sujata Gupta on May 18, 2022 at 11:00 am
We intuitively compare large, approximate quantities but cannot grasp such a big, abstract number as a million U.S. COVID-19 deaths.
- Baby marmosets may practice their first distinctive cries in the wombby Anna Gibbs on May 10, 2022 at 3:00 pm
Ultrasounds tracking fetal mouth movements in baby marmosets pinpoint the early development of the motor skills needed for vocalization.
- A very specific kind of brain cell dies off in people with Parkinson’sby Laura Sanders on May 5, 2022 at 3:00 pm
Of out 10 kinds of dopamine-making nerve cells, only one type is extra vulnerable in Parkinson’s disease.
- Mom’s voice holds a special place in kids’ brains. That changes for teensby Laura Sanders on April 28, 2022 at 5:00 pm
Unfamiliar voices hold special appeal for teens, a sign of a shift from a focus on mostly family to wider networks, brain scans suggest.
- Where you grew up may shape your navigational skillsby Laura Sanders on April 1, 2022 at 1:00 pm
People raised in cities with simple, gridlike layouts were worse at navigating in a video game designed for studying the brain.
- Here are the Top 10 times scientific imagination failedby Tom Siegfried on March 31, 2022 at 3:00 pm
Some scientists of the past couldn’t imagine that atoms or gravity waves could one day be studied – or nuclear energy harnessed.
- What do we mean by ‘COVID-19 changes your brain’?by Laura Sanders on March 18, 2022 at 1:00 pm
The events of our lives are reflected in the size, shape and behavior of our constantly changing brains. The effects of COVID-19 changes aren’t clear.
- How a scientist-artist transformed our view of the brainby Laura Sanders on March 17, 2022 at 2:00 pm
The book ‘The Brain in Search of Itself’ chronicles the life of Santiago Ramón y Cajal, who discovered that the brain is made up of discrete cells.
- A hit of dopamine sends mice into dreamlandby Laura Sanders on March 3, 2022 at 7:00 pm
New results are some of the first to show a trigger for the mysterious shifts between REM and non-REM sleep in mice.
- COVID-19 has killed a million Americans. Our minds can’t comprehend that numberby Sujata Gupta on May 18, 2022 at 11:00 am
We intuitively compare large, approximate quantities but cannot grasp such a big, abstract number as a million U.S. COVID-19 deaths.
- Pressure to conform to social norms may explain risky COVID-19 decisionsby Sujata Gupta on May 17, 2022 at 11:00 am
As a science reporter covering COVID-19, I knew I should mask up at Disney World. Instead, I conformed, bared my face and got COVID-19.
- Latin America defies cultural theories based on East-West comparisonsby Sujata Gupta on May 6, 2022 at 11:00 am
Theories for how people think in individualist versus collectivist nations stem from East-West comparisons. Latin America challenges those theories.
- Nudge theory’s popularity may block insights into improving societyby Sujata Gupta on February 16, 2022 at 12:00 pm
Small interventions that influence people’s behavior can be tested. But the real world requires big, hard-to-measure changes too, scientists say.
- Military towns are the most racially integrated places in the U.S. Here’s whyby Sujata Gupta on February 8, 2022 at 2:00 pm
The military’s big stick approach allowed the institution to integrate troops and military towns. Can the civilian world follow suit?
- How mindfulness-based training can give elite athletes a mental edgeby Ashley Yeager on January 26, 2022 at 12:00 pm
Mindfulness and acceptance and commitment therapy are two types of training psychologists are using to bolster athletes’ mental health.
- Babies may use saliva sharing to figure out relationshipsby Erin Garcia de Jesús on January 20, 2022 at 7:03 pm
Actions like sharing bites of food or kissing may cue young children into close bonds, a new study suggests.
- Scientists should report results with intellectual humility. Here’s howby Sujata Gupta on October 28, 2021 at 3:00 pm
Foregrounding a study’s uncertainties and limitations could help restore faith in the social sciences.
- Nostalgia may have bona fide benefits in hard times, like the pandemicby Sujata Gupta on October 12, 2021 at 3:57 pm
Once described as a disease, nostalgia’s reputation is much improved. Researchers hope to develop mental health therapies that trigger these memories.
- Perspective-changing experiences, good or bad, can lead to richer livesby Sujata Gupta on September 1, 2021 at 10:00 am
Happiness or meaning have long been seen as keys to the “good life.” Psychologists have now defined a third good life for people leading rich psychological lives.
- Everyone maps numbers in space. But why don’t we all use the same directions?by Sujata Gupta on August 23, 2021 at 10:00 am
The debate over whether number lines are innate or learned obscures a more fundamental question: Why do we map numbers to space in the first place?