Dr. Eric Deemer's $312,000 NSF grant aims to understand how stereotype threat affects women's motivation in science. The study will inform practical recommendations for pedagogical and career intervention strategies.
A five-year, $2.8 million National Science Foundation grant supports a bilingual thinking and learning study at Penn State's Center for Language Science. The project aims to greatly expand the existing body of knowledge on the neural and cognitive processes involved in second language learning and bilingualism.
A Queen's University study found that seven-year-old children only need one interaction with a trusted person to seek information. Four-year-olds, on the other hand, required multiple encounters to form an opinion about who to trust for accurate information.
Research finds that social events, such as connecting with others and experiencing emotions, are more impactful on our lives than independent events. The study, conducted at the University at Buffalo, suggests that social connections and relationships play a crucial role in shaping our emotional experiences.
Researchers at Harvard University found that humans use the same brain circuits for complex moral decisions as those used in mundane choices. The ventromedial prefrontal cortex tracks expected moral value, integrating information on number of lives saved and probability of success. This discovery advances our understanding of how peopl...
Researchers at Arizona State University update Maslow's pyramid to reflect new findings on evolutionarily fundamental motives. The revamped pyramid places parenting atop the hierarchy, alongside mate acquisition and mate retention, shifting away from self-actualization as a top need.
A Springer journal article has won the prestigious George A. Miller Award for its innovative study on the impact of environmental factors on human behavior. The award recognizes outstanding recent articles on general psychology and highlights the importance of interdisciplinary research in understanding human behavior.
A new psychology study found that individuals with strong ties to their groups are willing to sacrifice themselves to save fellow compatriots. The study, published in Psychological Science, showed that 75% of 'fused' respondents would jump to their deaths to save five group members.
A study published in Journal of Abnormal Psychology found that subtypes of domestically violent men and women share similar personality traits and characteristics. The analysis of 567 civil psychiatric patients revealed three common subtypes among both genders, shedding light on the complexities of domestic violence.
A study published in Social Psychological and Personality Science reveals that childhood personality traits are a strong predictor of adult behavior. Researchers found consistent patterns across four decades, with verbally fluent children displaying interest in intellectual matters and adaptable children behaving cheerfully.
The Positive Psychology Center at the University of Pennsylvania has awarded $2.9 million to 15 researchers exploring the intersection of neuroscience and positive psychology. The grants focus on topics such as neural mechanisms of human flourishing, altruism, and the effects of positive interventions on the brain.
A study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General found that wearing red or being bordered by the color increases a man's attractiveness and sexual desirability among women. The researchers attribute this effect to the cultural association between red and high status, as well as biological roots in human behavior.
A new study by Ohio State University researchers found that people grow more confident in their beliefs when they learn a majority of others disagree with them. The study suggests that people who have developed strong opinions may become doubly sure they are right after learning the opposing view.
A study by Wake Forest University psychologist Dustin Wood found that people's positive ratings of others are linked to their own well-being and personality traits. Positive perceptions of others are associated with being happy, kind-hearted, and emotionally stable.
A Rutgers study found that male modesty is viewed as a weakness, negatively impacting employability and earnings potential. In contrast, female modesty has no negative connotations.
The 'Language Bases for Reading Comprehension' grant aims to improve listening and reading skills in preschool through third grade. Researchers will develop interventions to support bilingual students, and over 3,000 children will participate in the five-year study.
A three-year project exploring the nature of character will investigate existence, development and relationship between character traits and beliefs, desires, identities and behaviors. The Character Project will bring together psychology, philosophy and theology perspectives.
A University of Michigan study finds that Russians are more likely to focus on negative feelings but are less likely to feel depressed as a result. They tend to spontaneously distance themselves from their emotions, leading to lower levels of distress and blame compared to Americans.
The new standards provide information on organizational policies, staffing ratios, intake screening, and suicide prevention. They are designed to help correctional professionals develop effective rehabilitation programs for mentally ill individuals.
Children who exceeded two hours of recommended screen time were 1.5 to 2 times more likely to have attention problems. The study found that both TV viewing and video games contribute to increased attention problems in youths.
A new study finds significant differences in psychological and behavioral traits between WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, Democratic) societies and non-WEIRD societies. The study calls for more diverse research samples to make generalizations about human psychology.
A study found that anger is the dominant emotion driving the 'rally 'round the flag effect', where Americans surge support for their president during war or conflict. The study showed that anger, not anxiety, triggers and feeds this phenomenon, regardless of initial political leanings.
Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis found that sleep strengthens weak associations in the brain, improving prospective memory and recall of future intentions. The study showed that a good night's sleep helps individuals carry out their plans more effectively by enhancing the link between context and intention.
A study published in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin found that students who lived abroad showed more evidence of creativity than those who didn't. Multicultural learning is believed to be a critical component of the adaptation process, acting as a creativity catalyst.
Dr. Helene Fung, a Chinese University of Hong Kong associate professor, is the recipient of the 2010 Baltes Foundation Award for her work on goal changes across adulthood and their impacts on social relationships, emotional regulation, and cognition. The award recognizes her efforts to promote psychology and aging research in China.
A new cognitive-behavioral, skills-based treatment intervention program has been developed to help adolescents with bowel diseases cope with their condition. The program aims to reduce physical symptoms and increase adaptive coping strategies, with significant improvements seen in the participants, including parents.
A series of studies found that spending time in nature significantly increases feelings of vitality and energy, even in indoor settings. The research, led by Richard Ryan, suggests that nature is fuel for the soul and can provide a natural connection to living things, promoting physical and mental health.
Research explores the specific impact of shyness on marital quality, finding a link between prior shyness and later marital difficulties. Shyness can make it harder for people to enter social relationships, leading to lower confidence in dealing with marriage's inevitable problems.
Dr Essi Viding, a UK-based developmental psychologist, has been named the winner of the 2010 British Academy Wiley Prize. She was recognized for her outstanding contributions to the field of psychology, specifically her research on the causes of violent antisocial behaviour in children and adolescents.
Stephen Benton, K-State professor of special education, has been selected a Fellow of the American Educational Research Association. He is recognized for his significant contributions to education research and the development of research opportunities and settings.
A recent study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology reveals that people underconfidently assess their learning abilities but overconfidently predict their memory performance. The researchers found that individuals failed to account for improved learning outcomes following additional study and testing.
Research found that buying experiences boosts satisfaction over time due to selective memory and subjective nature. In contrast, material purchases lead to regret as consumers compare them to others' or missed deals.
A recent study led by Iowa State University's Craig Anderson analyzed over 130,000 subjects worldwide and found that exposure to violent video games is a causal risk factor for increased aggressive thoughts and behavior. The research suggests that playing violent video games increases the likelihood of aggressive behavior in both short...
A psychologist's study found that individuals are more accurate in assessing internal traits like anxiety but less so for external traits like intelligence. Friends are better barometers of intellect-related traits, while strangers can spot extroversion. The self has difficulty judging evaluative traits due to perceived stakes.
A Kansas State University study found that people favor mothers who stay at home full-time over those who work outside the home, even when the working mother's child is involved. The study also showed that participants devalue mothers employed full-time and perceive their children as troubled and their relationships as problematic.
A new study suggests that morality and religion are linked but distinct concepts. Experimental moral psychology reveals that individuals' moral judgments operate independently of explicit religious commitments.
Researchers found striking relationships between language demographics and grammatical complexity. Languages with larger populations tend to have simpler pronoun and number systems. The study proposes the Linguistic Niche Hypothesis, where languages evolve within socio-demographic niches.
A study published in the Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology found that people experience better moods, greater vitality, and fewer aches and pains on Fridays to Sundays. The 'weekend effect' is largely associated with freedom to choose activities and time spent with loved ones.
A study suggests that older adults can use unusual motor tasks, such as patting their heads, to reduce repetition errors in taking daily medications. The research found that participants who performed a complex motor task while taking their medication made significantly fewer mistakes than those who did not.
A study by K-State psychologists found that future-minded individuals are more likely to make positive decisions about their health. They tend to exercise more and smoke less than present-minded people.
New psychology research finds two optimal ratios for female facial beauty: one for length and width. The study reveals that faces judged more attractive have a vertical eye-mouth distance of approximately 36% of their face's length and horizontal eye-distance of approximately 46% of their face's width.
Observers can accurately judge aspects of a stranger's personality from photographs, with self-esteem and ratings of extraversion being correctly identified. The study found that spontaneous poses provided more insight into personality traits such as agreeableness, emotional stability, and openness.
A study published in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin found that hourly wage-earners experience stronger relationships between income and happiness. The researchers theorize that the focus on concrete paychecks influences the level of happiness felt by hourly workers.
A new study published in the Journal of Pediatric Psychology found that children with PTSD symptoms exhibit poor hippocampus function, which can lead to avoidance and numbing symptoms. The research provides a potential biomarker for early detection and improved treatments for traumatized children.
A new University of Pittsburgh study reveals that cigarette craving disrupts an individual's meta-awareness, making it harder to notice when the mind has wandered. Participants who craved cigarettes were more likely to acknowledge mind-wandering episodes, but their ability to recognize these episodes was impaired.
A new study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology found that personality characteristics play a significant role in determining who succeeds in medical school. Conscientious individuals tend to excel in early years, while extraverted students perform better in later years as interpersonal skills become more important.
A study published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry found that over-reactive parenting can increase aggressive behavior in introverted children, while benevolent and conscientious children are less affected. The study also showed that rule-breaking behavior tends to persist into adolescence.
Research on 800 college students found that those with smaller drinking problem chances were more likely to experience problems, contrary to the idea that optimism motivates health care. The study suggests that unrealistic optimism may actually curb risky health behaviors.
A new study published in Psychology of Women Quarterly found a significant gender-based pay gap among US faculty members, with women earning an average of 30% less than men. The study analyzed salaries at a large American university and controlled for factors such as education level, experience, and rank.
Research suggests a link between low maternal folate levels and attention-deficit/hyperactivity problems in children aged seven to nine. Children born to mothers with low folate status had smaller head circumferences at birth, indicating slower prenatal brain growth.
A study by Harvard researchers found that torture can lead to the perception of guilt in innocent individuals. Participants who witnessed torture and saw the victim's pain rated them as more guilty, while those who were distant from the torture sympathized with the suffering and saw them as less guilty.
A new Iowa State University study suggests that frequent video game players have difficulty maintaining focus on tasks requiring longer attention. The research found that brain wave and behavioral measures of proactive attention were significantly diminished in high-volume gamers compared to those who played less frequently.
Thomas A. Wright, K-State professor and Jon Wefald Leadership Chair, was named a Fellow of the American Psychological Association for outstanding contributions to the field of psychology. He is also a Fellow in two other prestigious organizations, marking a rare achievement by a single scholar.
A study published in Applied Cognitive Psychology found that people using cell phones were most prone to oblivious behavior, missing the presence of a unicycling clown. Meanwhile, walkers not on cell phones noticed the clown over 50% of the time, highlighting difficulties with simple tasks like walking while distracted.
Researchers found that infants can match human speech to human faces and monkey calls to monkey faces. However, they struggled to match non-human vocalizations to their corresponding species. This ability may help infants identify conspecifics even when out of view.
A Kansas State University study found that peripheral vision plays a vital role in grasping the overall scene, not just its details. The researchers suggest that this knowledge can aid in developing more accurate robots with improved visual understanding.
A new report calls for reform of clinical psychology training programs and accreditation system to ensure mental health clinicians use evidence-based treatments. Cognitive-behavioral therapy has been shown to be effective for PTSD with fewer side effects, yet many psychologists do not use it.
Researcher David Amodio examines unconscious racial associations and their impact on behavior, linking emotional and conceptual forms of bias to neural processes in the brain.
A recent study published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry suggests that adolescent depression and anxiety disorders are not the same thing. The research, led by Dr. William W. Hale III, found that these two conditions have different symptoms and characteristics, contrary to current classification in the DSM-V.
Scott Shappell, a professor at Clemson University, has been elected Fellow of the American Psychological Association for his significant impact in human error research and fatigue effects on performance. He is known for co-developing groundbreaking tools to identify and prevent accidents in high-risk industries.