Articles tagged with Human Behavior
A new study published in Cortex found that the orbitofrontal cortex plays a central role in an event monitoring system, which allows us to adapt to unexpected events. The brain's response to anticipated and unexpected outcomes is influenced by the potential harm of the outcome.
Researchers at UC San Diego School of Medicine identified defects in two signaling pathways, Wnt and PS-1, associated with Lesch-Nyhan Disease. These findings also suggest common mechanisms for cognitive and behavioral defects in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.
Researchers Jacek Debiec and Regina Sullivan are studying neural circuits to understand how fear is passed from mother to offspring in rats. This research aims to develop early therapeutic remedies for anxiety disorders related to trauma.
A recent study by Kurt A. Carlson and Jacqueline M. Conard discovered that the first letter of one's childhood surname influences consumer behavior, with individuals having late alphabet surnames responding faster to purchasing opportunities, whereas those with early alphabet surnames tend to wait in line.
A study found that a behavioral training program significantly reduced incontinence episodes in men with persisting symptoms after radical prostatectomy. The program included pelvic floor muscle training, bladder control strategies, and fluid management, yielding a 55% reduction in incontinence episodes at 8 weeks.
A long-term study of 15 body dysmorphic disorder sufferers found a high recovery rate of 76% and low recurrence rate of 14%, with some patients recovering within two years and others taking five years or more. The study suggests that BDD is not always debilitating, with a third of participants working full-time.
Researchers found that sniffing women's emotional tears reduces men's sexual arousal and decreases testosterone levels, but has no impact on emotional responses or empathy. The study uses fMRI scans to reveal brain activity changes in response to tear exposure.
Healthy cats display stress-related sickness behaviors such as vomiting and refusing food in response to changes in their environment. Researchers found that even healthy cats exhibited similar levels of sickness behaviors as chronically ill cats when their routines were disrupted.
A new study on a woman without an amygdala, a key structure in generating fear reactions, reveals that humans also lack this function. Despite encountering traumatic events, she experiences little to no fear, while still feeling other emotions like happiness and sadness.
A new study analyzes student narratives to understand how future physicians acquire knowledge of respectful professional behavior. The results show that disrespect can lead to loss of trust and negative emotions, while respect is associated with satisfaction and positive emotion.
A new study finds that birth light cycles significantly impact the development of biological clocks in mice, which may explain why people born in winter months are at a higher risk of certain neurological disorders. The experiment reveals that even after weaning, biological clocks remain affected by the initial light cycle.
Researchers found that the brain uses different 'maps' to plan movements, depending on whether they are visually defined or performed in darkness. This discovery has important applications for robotics and developing machines to help paraplegics.
Advanced riders with formal training demonstrated better road positioning, hazard perception, and progress through bends compared to novice and experienced riders without training. The study suggests that formal advanced training can improve safety on the roads.
Karl Deisseroth receives $10,000 HFSP Nakasone Award for his groundbreaking research on optogenetics, a technique that uses light to manipulate neuronal activity.
A study by Penn State researchers found that gastric bypass surgery alters the brain's response to sweet tastes in obese rats, reducing their preference for high-sugar foods. The surgery also improves insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance, suggesting potential benefits for human patients with obesity-related diabetes.
Researchers at MU found that celebrity health stories can have a positive impact on consumers, with readers considering context and weighing moral implications before judging a behavior. The study suggests that experienced consumers are more likely to respond strongly to health messages from celebrities.
A study of postmenopausal women found that engaging in a healthy lifestyle reduces breast cancer risk for those with and without a family history. Women who adhered to regular physical activity, maintained a healthy weight, and drank less alcohol had lower rates of invasive breast cancer.
Research published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health found no increased risk of socioemotional difficulties or cognitive deficits at 5 years of age for children born to mothers who light drank during pregnancy. Children born to light drinkers were 30% less likely to have behavioral problems than those whose mums had a...
Developing language skills is crucial for boys to regulate their emotions and behavior, according to a Michigan State University study. Boys with strong vocabulary can exhibit dramatic improvements in self-regulation, comparable to girls with similar skills.
UT researcher Francisco Úbeda and Andy Gardner found that genomic imprinting affects children's behavior, with paternal genes promoting altruism and maternal genes encouraging self-interest. This discovery has implications for understanding neurological disorders like autism and psychosis.
A new study by Carnegie Mellon researchers found that doctors rationalize accepting gifts from pharmaceutical companies as a form of reward for their educational sacrifices. This rationalization increased their willingness to accept gifts, with the most significant impact when physicians were reminded of their medical training burdens.
A study conducted by a joint team of researchers from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine found significant disparities in skin cancer knowledge among male and female medical students in Florida. The study revealed that men had lower knowledge levels, less appreciation for sun protec...
A new computer system, based on a model of the human brain's visual processing, accurately identifies mouse behaviors in videos, reducing tedious data logging tasks. The open-source software is available for free and can be easily trained to work with other lab animals, increasing productivity in behavioral research.
Researchers at the University of Minnesota found that humans make decisions based on perceived structure in the world, leading to irrational behavior. The study shows how people can adapt to new information and change their decision-making strategies when presented with correct world models.
Researchers found that human behavior adapts to varying levels of uncertainty, trading off between input and output. This study demonstrates the existence of input-output trade-offs in human information processing.
Research suggests that reducing conflict is not enough to create a positive sibling relationship. Parents should focus on encouraging positive interactions, such as scheduling family activities and teaching problem-solving skills. By doing so, they can help their children develop skills that will benefit them throughout their lives.
Research finds that entitled employees feel more frustrated with their work lives and are more likely to engage in abusive behaviors towards co-workers. Supervisor communication can increase frustration among entitled employees.
Research finds that overweight participants' brain activity is not linked to feelings of hunger when responding to food smells and tastes. Activation of the amygdala predicts weight gain in one year after scanning session.
Research reveals that our minds play a significant role in governing appetite and satiety. Expectations before eating and memories after eating influence how long meals stave off hunger. By manipulating these factors, portions can be controlled effectively, leading to potential weight loss benefits.
Research reveals soy phytoestrogens reduce weight gain and increase energy expenditure in post-menopausal rats, highlighting potential natural treatment for obesity. Further human studies are needed to confirm the long-term effects of a soy-rich diet on food intake.
Barrow scientist A.D. Bud Craig is leading the global conversation about the insula, a hidden lobe of the brain involved in virtually every human emotion and behavior. The latest research indicates that the insula plays a crucial role in conditions such as addiction, anxiety, depression, and schizophrenia.
Researchers have discovered a strain of genetically defective mice that exhibit behavioral, hormonal, and neurochemical characteristics similar to those of human patients with drug-resistant depression. The mice respond to certain antidepressant drugs, offering a potential animal model for understanding human depression.
Scientists are developing a database of human emotion and behavior by collecting digital representations from actors. The USC CreativeIT Database will help predict patterns in human behavior, leading to potential applications in addiction treatment, customer care, and global security.
A study analyzing pro-eating disorder websites found that most were publicly accessible and featured calorie calculators. The sites also promoted eating disordered behaviors, such as extreme exercise and purging.
A recent study by Ken Schultz at the University of Alberta found that faster workers can positively influence their slower peers, leading to increased productivity. The researchers discovered that arranging workspace to facilitate mutual observation is key to this behavioral change.
Researchers found that mongooses in the wild carry out traditions passed down from adults to young through social learning. The study shows that foraging specializations are long-lived and can be transmitted from one generation to the next.
A UCLA study reveals that having friends who attend the same school is key to academic success, with students having more in-school friends scoring higher GPAs. The study found associations similar for boys and girls across all ethnic groups.
Researchers at Caltech identified two learning strategies associated with unique neural signatures, model-free and model-based learning. Model-free learning relies on trial-and-error comparisons, while model-based learning generates cognitive maps of environments, enabling adaptability in novel situations.
A study found that focusing on the negative effects of indoor tanning on appearance can reduce tanning behavior in young women, even those motivated by health concerns. The appearance-focused booklet also showed promise in reducing tanning behaviors among those with pathological motives for tanning.
A study found that male viewers were influenced by visual aspects of a female character when making moral decisions, while women's responses were less affected. Researchers suggest this could impact future systems, such as medical decision-making and crime reenactments.
A recent University of Southampton study found that small doses of alcohol can relieve withdrawal symptoms in C. elegans worms, which exhibit similar behaviors to humans. This treatment approach may also worsen dependency, highlighting the need for new ideas in treating alcoholism.
A new HIV modeling system developed by Chinese researchers suggests that CD8+ T cells could be useful in developing an AIDS vaccine. The model incorporates random patterns in the virus' mutation and immune response, mirroring real-life clinical behavior.
African wild dog populations decline due to domestic dogs' presence, illustrating the impact of human behavior on disease transmission. Human behavior, such as range differences and animal husbandry practices, shapes disease risk and is a key driver of emerging infectious diseases.
Weill Cornell researchers discovered a single gene, Slitrk5, responsible for OCD-like behaviors in mice. The genetically altered mice exhibited repetitive self-grooming and extreme anxiety, with altered brain functioning mirroring those seen in human OCD patients.
A recent study found that family caregivers with dementia experience a wide range of stressors, including behavior issues and financial strain. While existing interventions focus on specific stressors, research suggests that a one-size-fits-all approach is insufficient, highlighting the need for personalized interventions.
Scientists have discovered a hidden neuronal circuit in the worm Caenorhabditis elegans that modulates sensory perception under stress. This work suggests that mechanisms coupling hypoxia, serotonin, and neuropeptide signaling also modify behavior in mammals.
The article highlights that even grand achievements like suspension bridges and Olympic high jumping originated through trial-and-error learning. By shifting focus from perceived foresight to actual origins of behavior, researchers can better understand the forces uniting evolutionary and developmental processes.
A new simulation software called SportEvac is being developed to help stadiums evacuate large crowds quickly and safely. The software uses 3D virtual models of stadiums and simulates the behavior of thousands of people and cars in various scenarios.
Research from UCLA shows that children of combat-deployed parents are more likely to develop anxiety and exhibit behavioral changes, such as acting out or disruptions in school. The study suggests that the number and length of deployments have a cumulative impact on family members.
Researchers found a positive correlation between individuals with a positive attitude towards physical activity and those who performed more unintentional physical activity. Unintentional activity, such as climbing stairs or walking further to reach a parking spot, can help burn extra calories.
A comprehensive study of mouse lemurs in Madagascar has identified a high diversity of population-level lineages, challenging traditional methods of species delimitation. The research uses multiple lines of evidence to recognize lineage diversity and presents the most thoroughly sampled species delimitation of mouse lemur ever performed.
A University of Washington project aims to make all software open source, allowing users to add custom features to widely used programs. The Prefab system hijacks the display to customize user interaction, enabling people with disabilities to access previously inaccessible interfaces.
Researchers found that infants are more likely to help an actress who has previously shown good intentions, even if they were unable to provide a toy. This suggests that by 21 months, infants display selective helping behavior based on their previous interactions with others.
Researchers taught goldfish to associate a light flash with a shock, inducing fear. However, fish injected with lidocaine in the cerebellum showed no fear and returned to normal behavior after the anesthesia wore off. This study suggests that understanding brain processes related to fear may lead to human phobia cures.
Researchers at the University of Melbourne used eye-tracking technology to predict the next chosen number based on participants' vertical and horizontal eye position. The study found that a leftward and downward change in eye position indicated smaller numbers, while a rightward and upward movement forecast larger numbers.
A new study found that college students who reported being more true to themselves also reported more positive dating relationships. Being authentic in one's beliefs and interactions with others can lead to healthier and happier relationships for both men and women.
In a series of experiments, capuchin monkeys were given tokens to choose between their favorite food or a buffet of options. They consistently opted for the variety tokens, even when the favorite food was included in the assortment. This suggests that these animals have an innate desire to seek variety in their diet. The findings have ...
The NIH Common Fund has announced seven new scientific initiatives to tackle the toughest health problems facing the nation and the world. The programs focus on emerging science and technology advances in areas such as stem cells, protein capture, and global health.
Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center found that a gene mutation in mice leads to learning problems and obsessive behaviors. The study suggests a potential way to treat repetitive behaviors in humans using a specific drug targeting nerve function abnormalities.
A study found that consumers hold stereotypes about non-profit and for-profit organizations, predicting purchase behaviors such as website visits and product buying. Non-profits are viewed as warmer but less competent than for-profits, leading to lower purchasing intent.