Psychology Headlines Around the World

Study Shows How to Boost the Power of Pain Relief Without Drugs
Source: ScienceDailyPlacebos reduce pain by creating an expectation of relief. Distraction -- say, doing a puzzle -- relieves it by keeping the brain busy. But do they use the same brain processes? Neuromaging suggests they do. When applying a placebo, scientists see activity in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. That's the part of the brain that controls high-level cognitive functions like working memory and attention -- which is what you use to do that...
The Complex Relationship Between Memory and Silence
Source: ScienceDailyPeople who suffer a traumatic experience often don't talk about it, and many forget it over time. But not talking about something doesn't always mean you'll forget it; if you try to force yourself not to think about white bears, soon you'll be imagining polar bears doing the polka. A group of psychological scientists explore the relationship between silence and memories.
Are Transgender Canadians Being Banned From Boarding Flights?
Source: Canadian Broadcasting Company - Canadian NewsChanges to Canada's airline screening regulations that took effect last year have recently angered some members of the transgender community and raised questions about whether the new rules could effectively prevent them from boarding planes.
For Mentally Ill Inmates, Care Behind Bars Often Out of Reach
Source: MSNBC - US NewsA man who was declared suicidal by a New Mexico jail and alleges he was then left to rot in solitary confinement for nearly two years is just one of many former inmates who say they were denied essential mental health services while incarcerated at that detention center, which like others across the country has struggled with how to treat the mentally ill.
Toll of Child Abuse and Neglect in U.S. Estimated to Be $124 Billion
Source: Medical News TodayA report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that was published in Child Abuse and Neglect - The International Journal, reveals that the total lifetime estimated financial costs that is associated with just one year of confirmed cases of child maltreatment, including physical and sexual abuse, psychological abuse and neglect, is about 124 billion U.S. dollars. The researchers examined confirmed incidents of child...
Suicide Recommendations Lead to Drop in Suicides, Concludes Report
Source: Medical News TodayAccording to new research published by The Lancet, there has been a substantial decrease in suicide rates among health authorities across England and Wales that adopted a new range of suicide recommendations. The recommendations were made by the National Confidential Inquiry (NCI) into Suicide and Homicide by People with Mental Illness in the 1990s, a project that is striving to monitor suicide and enhance health-care quality in the UK...
Mass Hysteria Rare and Most Often Seen in Girls, Say Experts
Source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer - Health and FitnessMass hysteria rare, but usually seen in girls Associated Press Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Updated 01:23 p.m., Thursday, February 2, 2012 Government doctors find no physical cause after an extensive study. Experts believe that these first "index" cases often are people who have symptoms caused by a physical illness, but subsequent cases are...
Group Wants JC Penney to Dump Ellen DeGeneres Because She's Gay
Source: MSNBC - Top NewsOne Million Moms wants the TV host sacked as spokeswoman for the retailer because she's "not a true representation of the type of families that shop at their store.".
Study Finds Evidence That Dining Pairs Synchronize Their Eating
Source: Medical News TodayWhen two women are eating together, one is more likely to put food in her mouth when the other one is doing so too - while one's food-filled fork is coming towards her mouth, the other one is more likely to do the same within five seconds, researchers from Radboud University Nijmegen, the Netherlands, reported in PLoS One (The Public Library of Science 1). Behavioral mimicry, the authors suggest, occurs unwittingly during a meal. Roel Hermans,...
How to Tell Apart the Forgetful from Those at Risk of Alzheimer’s Disease
Source: ScienceDailyIt can be difficult to distinguish between people with normal age-associated memory loss and those with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI). However people with aMCI are at a greater risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and identification of these people would mean that they could begin treatment as early as possible. New research shows that specific questions, included as part of a questionnaire designed to help diagnose AD, are...
People-Pleasers Feel Pressure to Eat for the Sake of Others
Source: Medical News TodayIf you are a people-pleaser who strives to keep your social relationships smooth and comfortable, you might find yourself overeating in certain social situations like Super Bowl watch parties. A new study from Case Western Reserve University found that, hungry or not, some people eat in an attempt to keep others comfortable. "They don't want to rock the boat or upset the sense of social harmony," says Julie Exline, a Case Western Reserve...
Washington State Senate Approves Same-Sex Marriage Bill
Source: MSNBC - US NewsSenators voted 28-21 to approve a bill to legalize gay marriage in the state. The measure now moves to the House, which has enough support to pass.
Public Health Burden Could Be Eased by Societal Control of Sugar
Source: Medical News TodaySugar should be controlled like alcohol and tobacco to protect public health, according to a team of UCSF researchers, who maintain in a new report that sugar is fueling a global obesity pandemic, contributing to 35 million deaths annually worldwide from non-communicable diseases like diabetes, heart disease and cancer. Non-communicable diseases now pose a greater health burden worldwide than infectious diseases, according to the United Nations....
Mind-Reading Program Translates Brain Activity Into Words
Source: The GuardianThe research paves the way for brain implants that would translate the thoughts of people who have lost power of speech Scientists have picked up fragments of people's thoughts by decoding the brain activity caused by words that they hear. The remarkable feat has given researchers fresh insight into how the brain processes language, and raises the tantalising prospect of devices that can return speech to the speechless. Though in its infancy,...
What Real Commitment to a Marriage Means
Source: ScienceDailyWhat does being committed to your marriage really mean? A psychology professors answer this question in a new study based on their analysis of 172 married couples over the first 11 years of marriage.
TV Misrepresents Young People and Older Women, Says Report
Source: The GuardianBroadcasters negatively stereotype young people and fail to put enough older women on screen, says BBC-commissioned report Broadcasters have been accused of negatively stereotyping young people and failing to put enough older women on screen, according to a BBC-commissioned report . The survey of viewers and industry experts found that more than 40% of young people were dissatisfied with the way they were portrayed on screen. Younger viewers...
Leading Psychiatrist Fights Mental Health Stigma in Kenya
Source: CNN - HealthAs Kenya's leading psychiatrist, Frank Njenga has been championing the cause of better mental health care for more than three decades.
Facebook May Not Be Good for Those with Low Self-Esteem
Source: ScienceDailyIn theory, the social networking website Facebook could be great for people with low self-esteem. Sharing is important for improving friendships. But in practice, people with low self-esteem seem to behave counterproductively, bombarding their friends with negative tidbits about their lives and making themselves less likeable, according to a new study.
Contrary to Stereotypes, Women Are Better at Parking Than Men
Source: MSNBC - Top NewsAfter years of enduring sexist jokes and taunts from their male counterparts, women drivers can finally take heart -- a new study suggests they’re actually better at parking than men.
Ketamine: Quick Fix for Severe Depression?
Source: ABC News - HealthKetamine, a prescription drug that has been used as an anesthetic for decades and gained popularity on the street as “Special K,” is being tested in Houston as a quick fix to severe depression. Researchers at the Neuro Psychiatric Center next to Ben Taub General...

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