psychology – News Stories About psychology - Page 5

May 17, 2013 4:37 PM CDT

How Your Muscles Impact Your Politics

Study finds that the physically strong more likely to protect self-interest

(Newser) - Are our political debates really just pantomimes of primitive chest-thumping exercises? A new study surveying people about their opinions on the redistribution of wealth and the size of their biceps certainly suggests so. The results: Those with big muscles who were rich tended to vehemently oppose redistribution, while strong poor...

Almost 20% of High School Boys Diagnosed With ADHD

Apr 1, 2013 10:37 AM CDT

Almost 20% of High School Boys Diagnosed With ADHD

Diagnoses shot up 53% in the last decade

(Newser) - Roughly 6.4 million American children aged 4 through 17 have been diagnosed with ADHD—or about 11% of all children, according to new figures from the CDC, which shows that diagnoses for the disorder have exploded in the last decade. The problem is particularly pronounced among boys, nearly one...

Tomorrow:
National Day
of Unplugging

Mar 1, 2013 4:59 AM CST

Tomorrow: National Day of Unplugging

Time to turn off the smartphones—and everything else

(Newser) - Feeling the stress of being plugged in and available 24 hours a day, every day? Tomorrow is an opportunity to take a break from all that. Starting at sundown today—in accordance with the Jewish Sabbath—thousands of Americans are set to shut down their gadgets (yes, all of them)...

Pessimistic?
You Might
Live Longer

study says

Feb 28, 2013 1:03 AM CST

Pessimistic? You Might Live Longer

Study cites dangers of being 'overly optimistic'

(Newser) - Here's a bit of a surprise: Pessimistic people actually appear to live longer than their sunnier peers, a study suggests. Researchers reviewed 40,000 subjects over a 10-year period and found that "being overly optimistic" was linked to "a greater risk of disability and death within the...

Bullying Can
Take Toll
Beyond
Childhood

study says

Feb 21, 2013 1:57 AM CST

Bullying Can Take Toll Beyond Childhood

Victims, bullies both face higher risk of psychological issues: study

(Newser) - Bullied kids are at greater risk of a range of psychological problems years later, a study suggests. "Psychological damage doesn’t just go away because a person grew up and is no longer bullied," says a researcher. And that applies to both sexes, the study finds, challenging earlier...

Adam Lanza
Had Sensory
Disorder:
Report

Feb 15, 2013 7:31 AM CST

Adam Lanza Had Sensory Disorder: Report

New documentary to address relationship with mother

(Newser) - Adam Lanza had a sensory disorder that impeded his ability to process the world around him, a Hartford Courant journalist tells NPR . His Sensory Integration Disorder diagnosis meant "he wasn't able to guide touch and smell and sight," Alaine Griffin says. "He wasn't able to...

You're Lousy at Imagining Your Future Self: Study

Jan 4, 2013 9:00 AM CST

You're Lousy at Imagining Your Future Self: Study

People underestimate how much they'll change

(Newser) - Thinking of getting married? Buying a house? Picking a college major? Or making any decision that will affect you a decade later? Well don't be surprised if it doesn't turn out the way you expect, because humans are lousy at predicting how much they'll change over time,...

Stores Make Holiday Shopping Awful On Purpose

OPINION

Dec 9, 2012 3:57 PM CST

Stores Make Holiday Shopping Awful On Purpose

Oliver Burkeman explains how stores make you miserable to make you spend

(Newser) - Do you hate holiday shopping? Does it sometimes seem like the entire experience—from the lights, to the confusing sales, to the incredibly loud endless renditions of "The Little Drummer Boy"—is designed to make you miserable? Well, that's because it is, Oliver Burkeman writes in today'...

Psychopaths Have
a Lousy Sense
of Smell

study says

Sep 21, 2012 1:35 PM CDT

Psychopaths Have a Lousy Sense of Smell

Study suggests it's no coincidence both originate in orbito-frontal complex

(Newser) - If you know someone with a terrible sense of smell, you might want to be careful around them. A new study suggests a link between a crappy olfactory and being psychopathic, AFP reports via Raw Story . Both phenomena have separately been linked to the same part of the brain, the...

NFL Sends
Angry Fans
to Therapy

Sep 14, 2012 5:49 PM CDT

NFL Sends Angry Fans to Therapy

NFL requires 4-hour class for brawlers

(Newser) - Enjoy brawling in the stands at a football game? Get ready for therapy. The NFL has instituted a new rule that requires fans who are ejected from the bleachers for fighting to attend an online, four-hour psychological class before being permitted back to games, writes Sean Gregory in Time . And...

Obama
Addicted
to Winning

profile

Sep 3, 2012 11:50 AM CDT

Obama Addicted to Winning

From politics to card games, he's a competitor

(Newser) - President Obama's winning instinct isn't just about elections: The president is highly competitive in most facets of life, whether it's card-playing or reading a story to children. And he's not shy about his drive, reports the New York Times . To wit: He told a fundraising crowd...

Email Trove Reveals
'Drunk, Despondent' Jacko

Sep 3, 2012 7:14 AM CDT

Email Trove Reveals 'Drunk, Despondent' Jacko

Singer was 'emotionally paralyzed mess': promoter

(Newser) - Another side to the story of Michael Jackson's final months is emerging, thanks to 250 pages of emails obtained by the Los Angeles Times . They reveal concerns over a singer plagued by "paranoia, anxiety, and obsessive-like behavior," as the director of Jackson's planned London shows wrote...

How Apple Trains
Its 'Geniuses'
to Play You

How Apple Trains Its 'Geniuses' to Play You

A look inside a profoundly weird and ambitious training manual

(Newser) - Being an Apple Store "genius" takes more than technical know-how—it takes a company-provided crash course in psychology. Over at Gizmodo, Sam Biddle got hold of the Genius Training Student Workbook, a stunning volume full of stringent rules on how to interact with customers and each other, up to...

How to Spot
Potential
Heroes

Aug 22, 2012 1:30 PM CDT

How to Spot Potential Heroes

Empathy, optimism strong factors

(Newser) - When he saw the baby falling from a third-floor apartment, all Stephen St. Bernard thought was, "Maybe I can catch her." He sprinted over, and the child hit him with an estimated 600 pounds of force, nearly ripping his arm off. He doesn't care. "Not a...

Why Hoarders
Can't Let Go

Why Hoarders Can't Let Go

Decision-making parts of their brains go into 'overdrive'

(Newser) - If you've ever watched A&E's Hoarders and wondered what makes it so hard for the show's subjects to throw away their clutter, a new study may have an answer for you. Researchers scanned the brains of 43 people with the hoarding disorder and compared them to...

Go Ahead,
Lie to Yourself

Go Ahead, Lie to Yourself

Self-deception can be a good thing, in moderation, say researchers

(Newser) - Tell yourself sweet little lies. That's the advice of several researchers looking into the habit of self-deception. In some cases, inflating your sense of your own intelligence or abilities could help you attain goals, reports the Wall Street Journal , provided the habit doesn't become a crutch. Studies have...

Spanking Can
Hurt Future
Mental Health

study says

Jul 2, 2012 5:17 AM CDT

Spanking Can Hurt Future Mental Health

Kids should never face corporal punishment: researcher

(Newser) - Your adult woes really could be mom and dad's fault, assuming they spanked you. A new study points to a "significant link" between corporal punishment of children and a higher risk of adult mental health issues. In a review of government data on 35,000 adults, the study...

To Spur Creativity,
Try a Noisy Café

study says

Jun 22, 2012 1:47 PM CDT

To Spur Creativity, Try a Noisy Café

'Ambient noise' can be helpfully distracting: study

(Newser) - Forget peace and quiet—a little noise can be your friend when it comes to generating ideas, a study finds. Sure, you don't want sirens blaring outside your window, but the "ambient noise" of, say, a hopping coffee shop could actually help you work better. It's distracting,...

Eating Disorders
Plague Older
Women, Too

study says

Jun 21, 2012 11:06 AM CDT

Eating Disorders Plague Older Women, Too

Time to stop thinking it's a youth problem: researchers

(Newser) - It's commonly believed that eating disorders "end at age 25," says an expert—but new research shows that's far from the case. Indeed, some 13.3% of women 50 and older reported battling symptoms of such disorders. It's an issue "all doctors need to...

To Perform Your
Best, Anxiety
... Helps?

Jun 19, 2012 5:20 PM CDT

To Perform Your Best, Anxiety ... Helps?

Make your worries work for you: experts

(Newser) - Too much anxiety can make us fumble; too little can leave us apathetic. But just the right amount of worry can actually allow us to perform important tasks better, researchers tell the Wall Street Journal . The newspaper dubs it the "anxiety sweet spot." Indeed, experts have surmised since...