Articles tagged with Human Behavior
Research reveals maternal obesity alters offspring microflora composition, increasing firmicutes to bacteriodetes ratio and gastrointestinal permeability. This non-genetic factor may contribute to increased susceptibility to obesity and associated metabolic disorders.
Researchers at University of Bristol found that liquid calories from soft drinks are taken into account when planning meals. Meals served with a calorific drink were expected to be more satiating than those served with water or snacks.
Research reveals that starting a diet at a younger age predicts several negative health outcomes in adulthood, including extreme weight control behaviors and obesity. The study's findings emphasize the need for public health initiatives promoting wellness behaviors in girls from an early age.
Research from University of Illinois expert Ravi Mehta found that people are self-controlled in everyday behavior, but indulge when thinking long-term. Abstract thinking can lead to feelings of missing out, regret, and corrective overindulgence, contradicting common consumer psychology literature.
A new study found that mothers who return to work full-time are less likely to meet their breastfeeding goals, while part-time work shows no association. Mothers who delayed their return to paid employment or returned at part-time hours may have better chances of achieving their breastfeeding intentions.
A study by Yale University researchers found that obese women were impaired in learning associations between food cues and rewards, but normal-weight individuals and men did not show the same impairment. This suggests a specific behavioral intervention targeting food-specific learning impairments may be effective in treating obesity.
A Rutgers University-Newark researcher is studying skilled readers to determine whether their choice of word meaning vs. word sounds impacts their reading ability. He found that good readers differ in how they use word meanings when reading aloud, with variations even among the most proficient readers.
A study by Georgia State University researchers found that subtle variations in neural connections can impact behavior and susceptibility to brain injury. The findings have significant implications for predicting patient outcomes and tailoring treatments.
Researchers discovered that hidden differences in neural circuits can account for varying responses to brain injury. The study used sea slugs and found that artificially rewiring the neural circuit made some animals susceptible or invulnerable to injury.
Research finds physical fitness buffers adverse health effects of prolonged sitting, reducing associations with obesity, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular disease. Higher fitness levels are linked to reduced adiposity and improved metabolic measures.
Adjusting dietary manipulation may help patients with various conditions by influencing the internal biological clock. Insulin plays a crucial role in resetting the circadian clock, allowing for effective digestion and absorption.
A team of researchers at Brown University developed a wireless virtual reality system to study how pedestrians interact with each other and how their individual behaviors generate patterns of crowd movement. The system, which allows for the creation of virtual crowds, has shown that people tend to match the speed and direction of their...
A new wellness approach called Eat for Life, focusing on mindfulness and intuitive eating, is more effective than traditional weight-loss programs in improving body image and reducing problematic eating behaviors. Women who participated in the program reported higher levels of body appreciation and lower levels of disordered eating beh...
A pilot study found a significant correlation between weight loss and reduced hot flashes in overweight or obese women. The study's findings suggest that behavioral weight loss may be an effective method for managing menopausal hot flashes, promoting healthy aging and overall well-being.
A new study reveals that users tend to be swayed by recent activity of their friends on Facebook, rather than relying on best-seller lists. The researchers developed a mathematical model to capture the dynamics at play, finding that the 'copycat' tendency plays a strong role in online behavior.
Research found that early-life experiences can alter behavioral responses to pain and affect the next generation. Female sheep who had their tails docked or experienced mild simulated infections showed more pain-related behavior when giving birth.
A study of Chinese preschoolers found associations between moderately elevated blood lead concentrations and teacher-reported behavioral problems. The study suggests that further examination is needed to clarify the biological effects of environmental lead exposure on children's behavior.
Researchers at The Miriam Hospital developed an app to reduce sedentary behavior in obese individuals. The app, B-Mobile, uses automated prompts and feedback to encourage short breaks and increase physical activity, resulting in reduced sedentary time and improved health outcomes.
A recent study published in Cancer suggests that family dysfunction is a strong predictor of emotional problems in children of cancer patients. The research analyzed data from 235 families and found that general family dysfunction was the best predictor of emotional and behavioral symptoms in children.
A study found that stories praising honesty, such as the tale of George Washington, inspire children to tell the truth. In contrast, cautionary tales like 'The Boy Who Cried Wolf' had no effect on honest behavior.
Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine found that an almost century-old drug approved for treating sleeping sickness also restores normal cellular signaling in a mouse model of autism, reversing symptoms of the neurological disorder in animals.
Researchers found a surprising regularity in human behavior using quantum theory to analyze survey questions. The study identified 'quantum question equality,' where people switch their responses systematically when the order of questions is reversed.
Researchers at the University of Minnesota found that rats were willing to wait longer for certain flavors, indicating individual preferences. The study suggests that regret is a fundamental cognitive process shared among mammals.
Researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital confirmed for the first time that stimulation of the ventral tegmental area can change behavior in primates. The study found that activation of the brain's reward system, mediated by dopamine, can induce changes in visual preference and motivation.
A school-based intervention aimed at increasing physical activity, reducing sedentary behavior, and improving fruit and vegetable consumption among children showed no significant effect. However, the program did reduce weekend screen time and snack consumption in children.
A NYU study finds that a program reducing behavior problems improves math and reading skills among low-income kindergartners. The INSIGHTS intervention, which addresses social-emotional development, is shown to enhance learning outcomes and decrease behavioral issues.
Researchers developed a new mouse model to study the behavioral damage caused by repeated blows to the head. The study shows that mice with mild TBI develop similar behavioral problems as humans with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), including difficulty sleeping, memory issues, depression, and poor judgment.
Amita Sehgal's team discovered a circuit in fruit flies that controls their daily behavior, with corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF) playing a key role. The research provides new insight into basic brain function and could inform studies on human sleep and circadian rhythms.
Researchers at the University of Bristol have identified a key brain pathway linking emotional behavior to survival circuits, revealing potential therapeutic targets for anxiety and phobias. The study highlights the cerebellum's role in fear response and suggests its involvement in managing dysregulated emotional states.
A team from the University of Pennsylvania used a computer-assisted approach to identify and rank candidate clock components, leading to the discovery of a new core clock gene named CHRONO. CHRONO physically interacts with known clock proteins and modulates daily rhythms in cells.
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine found a critical link between sleep disruption in early life and adult courtship behavior in fruit flies. The team discovered that sleep deprivation affects dopamine production, leading to impaired development of courtship circuits and altered mating behavior.
A new study published in Developmental Psychology found that mothers' conversations with their children help them understand moral missteps and develop empathy. The study showed that these conversations have a significant impact on children's understanding of themselves as moral people, capable of both good and harm.
Research by Timothy Church at Washington State University found that extroverted behavior leads to more positive feelings and upbeat behavior in people from diverse cultural backgrounds. The study also showed that individuals feel more extroverted when given the freedom to choose their own behavior.
Researchers have identified the basal ganglia as a key brain region involved in vocal learning and variability across species. By studying songbirds, they found that this area is responsible for generating variability to aid in learning and performance.
The BRAIN Initiative aims to map all cell types in the brain, develop methods for large-scale recordings of neuronal activity, and advance computational methods to understand patterned neural activity. The ultimate goal is to shed light on disease processes and suggest new therapeutic approaches.
A new study by University of Illinois researchers finds that obese children are slower to recognize and correct errors, affecting brain activity. Healthy-weight children outperform their obese peers in this critical cognitive task, highlighting the physiological differences between weight status and brain function.
Researchers found that individuals with high 'justice sensitivity' are driven by cognitive reasoning rather than emotion when evaluating morally good or bad behavior. This suggests that the search for justice is fueled by analysis and mental calculation rather than sentimental motivations.
Research from Oregon State University reveals two distinct pathways for the connection between religion, spirituality, and health. Formal religious affiliation and service attendance are linked to better health habits, while meditation and private prayer regulate emotions and physiological effects.
Research published in Psychological Science suggests that unconscious associations may be more accurate than conscious thought in detecting deceit. Participants were only able to detect liars 43% of the time and truth-tellers 48% of the time in a mock-crime interview scenario.
A randomized trial found that integrating brief behavioral and mental health programs in pediatric practices improved access to care, participation, and treatment completion. Pediatricians who received training reported increased confidence and efficacy in treating ADHD.
A study published in Neurosurgery found that rats with diffuse axonal injury showed no significant abnormalities despite visible evidence of brain damage. This suggests that even subconcussive injury may lead to neuropathological changes, supporting concerns about long-term effects in humans.
Researchers at Princeton University found that male fruit flies adjust the pitch and tempo of their mating song based on the movement and behavior of their desired female. The study provides insights into how organisms make rapid decisions in response to changing environments, a concept relevant to understanding human brain function.
Researchers at the University of Cambridge have developed a novel method to objectively measure a person's desire to eat, which could lead to more effective anti-obesity treatments. The method uses brain activity tracking and hand-grip intensity to assess motivation for food rewards, providing a more accurate reflection of true hunger.
A UCLA study suggests that young adult smokers may experience physical changes in their brains due to cigarette smoking, which could explain why adults who began smoking at a young age stay hooked on cigarettes. The researchers found that brain structure changes were linked to the amount of smoking exposure and nicotine dependence.
The study found that teams play similar formations at home and away but with varying degrees of execution. Home teams tend to have more shots on goal due to players being in advanced positions. The researchers developed an automated method for detecting formations, which can be used to summarize game information in a visual form.
Rodents learn visual tasks in a fourth to sixth the number of trials when stimuli are projected onto the floor, outperforming traditional wall projections. Automated visual cognitive research tasks with neural activity recording and brain stimulation can be performed efficiently.
A study published in the Springer journal Annals of Behavioral Medicine found that diet dieters give in to temptations 50% of the time, with alcohol being a stronger trigger than sugary snacks. Mobile phone applications and coping mechanisms can help support weight management programs.
Researchers at Oxford University identified a key molecular component of the brain's sleep switch in fruit flies, which may also apply to humans. The discovery could lead to new targets for novel drugs to improve sleep disorders treatment.
Researchers found that people attribute more status and competence to individuals who display nonconformity in prestigious contexts. This phenomenon, dubbed the 'Red Sneakers Effect,' suggests that intentionally deviating from norms can be a powerful signal of success.
Researchers have pinpointed areas of the brain that act as an 'arbitrator' between habitual and goal-directed systems. This mechanism ensures optimal control over behavior by weighing the reliability of predictions from each system.
LeDoux highlights the confusion in neuroscience research on fear, conflation of behavioral and physiological responses, and how this affects the development of effective treatments for anxiety disorders. He calls for greater precision in defining fear to enhance existing scholarship and create superior remedies.
A new study published in Annals of Behavioral Medicine found that smoking behavior in soldiers is linked to war zone stress and unit support. The study, which examined data from over 1,000 US Army soldiers, found that soldiers who started smoking while in war zones were more likely to consume alcohol and hold junior ranks.
Shu Li from Chinese Academy of Sciences wins $5,000 prize for research on overconfidence using peer-comparison studies, finding male students overestimated ability by 11.8%.
Researchers have established a new biomarker for stress in wild animals, using hair cortisol concentration (HCC) to monitor polar bears affected by global climate change. The technique has been successfully applied to analyze cortisol levels in polar bear hair samples from the past century.
A Michigan State University study found that nighttime smartphone usage for work purposes leads to decreased productivity and increased fatigue the next day. The research suggests that smartphones' blue light emission disrupts melatonin production, hindering sleep recovery.
Researchers will characterize and compare shark behavior when human noises are detectable versus masked, aiming to disrupt detection of humans. They plan to use speakers or personal maskers to broadcast artificial signals that mimic or mask the detected sound cue.
A team of researchers used virtual reality to conduct experiments on moral dilemmas, finding that subjects were more likely to choose a utilitarian approach when faced with immediate consequences, rather than adhering to deontological principles.
Exposures to some phthalates have decreased since the 2008 federal ban, while others are rising due to industry replacement. The study found significant decreases in exposure to banned phthalates like BBzP and DEHP, but increases in alternative chemicals like DiNP.
A study found that conch snails that use a strong foot to leap away from predators either stop jumping or take longer when exposed to high levels of carbon dioxide projected for the end of this century. This disruption affects vital decision-making, making snails more vulnerable to their slow-moving nemesis.
A new study published in Cell journal strengthens the understanding that gut microbes can affect brain function and behavior, particularly in individuals with autism spectrum disorder. Feeding mice a beneficial type of bacteria has been shown to reduce autism-like behaviors.