ScienceDaily: Psychology News

• Emotionally intelligent people are less good at spotting liars
  People who rate themselves as having high emotional intelligence (EI) tend to overestimate their ability to detect deception in others.
  
• Foul-mouthed characters in teen books have it all
  Analysis of best-selling teen novels shows that readers come across seven instances of profanity per hour spent reading, and the characters who cuss are usually rich, beautiful and popular.
  
• Phase I clinical trial shows drug shrinks melanoma brain metastases
  An experimental drug targeting a common mutation in melanoma successfully shrank tumors that spread to the brain in nine out of 10 patients in part of an international phase I clinical trial report.
  
• Religion is a potent force for cooperation and conflict, research shows
  Across history and cultures, religion increases trust within groups but also may increase conflict with other groups, according to a new analysis.
  
• Suspicion resides in two regions of the brain: Our baseline level of distrust is distinct and separable from our inborn lie detector
  Scientists have found that suspicion resides in two distinct regions of the brain: the amygdala, which plays a central role in processing fear and emotional memories, and the parahippocampal gyrus, which is associated with declarative memory and the recognition of scenes.
  
• Pain relief through distraction: It's not all in your head
  Mental distractions make pain easier to take, and those pain-relieving effects aren't just in your head, according to a new report.
  
• Training the brain could help reduce pain
  Training the brain to reduce pain could be a promising approach for treating phantom limb pain and complex regional pain syndrome, according to s neuroscience researcher.
  
• Parents are happier people: Parents experience greater happiness and meaning in life than nonparents, psychologists find
  Contrary to recent scholarship and popular belief, parents experience greater levels of happiness and meaning in life than people without children, according to researchers. Parents also are happier during the day when they are caring for their children than during their other daily activities, the researchers found in a series of studies conducted in the United States and Canada.
  
• Damaged connections in Phineas Gage's brain: Famous 1848 case of man who survived accident has modern parallel
  In 1848, Phineas Gage survived an accident that drove an iron rod through his head. Researchers, for the first time, used images of Gage’s skull combined with modern-day brain images to suggest there was extensive damage to the white matter “pathways” that connected various regions of his brain.
  
• Head impacts in contact sports may reduce learning in college athletes
  A new study suggests that head impacts experienced during contact sports such as football and hockey may worsen some college athletes’ ability to acquire new information.
  
• Trusting Tiger Woods: How do facial cues affect preference and trust?
  People respond to facial cues and this affects their level of trust, according to a new study that looks at the way consumers react to morphed photo images.
  
• Can consumers 'fit in' yet remain unique?
  Most consumers want to fit in while still asserting their individuality -- and they balance these conflicting desires when choosing products, according to a new study.
  
• Internet usage patterns may signify depression
  In a new study analyzing Internet usage among college students, researchers have found that students who show signs of depression tend to use the Internet differently than those who show no symptoms of depression.
  
• OMG! Texting ups truthfulness, new iPhone study suggests
  Text messaging is a surprisingly good way to get candid responses to sensitive questions, according to a new study.
  
• Character traits determined genetically? Genes may hold the key to a life of success, study suggests
  Genes play a greater role in forming character traits -- such as self-control, decision making or sociability -- than was previously thought, new research suggests.
  
• 'Gaydar' automatic and more accurate for women's faces; Accurate even when faces were upside down, psychologists find
  After seeing faces for less than a blink of an eye, college students have accuracy greater than mere chance in judging others' sexual orientation. Their "gaydar" persisted even when they saw the photos upside-down, and gay versus straight judgments were more accurate for women's faces than for men's.
  
• This is your brain on sugar: Study in rats shows high-fructose diet sabotages learning, memory
  A new study is the first to show how a diet steadily high in fructose slows the brain, hampering memory and learning -- and how omega-3 fatty acids can minimize the damage.
  
• Chronic child abuse strong indicator of negative adult experiences
  Child abuse or neglect are strong predictors of major health and emotional problems, but little is known about how the chronicity of the maltreatment may increase future harm apart from other risk factors in a child’s life. Scientist have now taken a closer look at how chronic maltreatment has impacted the future health and behavior of children and adults.
  
• Looks matter more than reputation when it comes to trusting people with our money
  Our decisions to trust people with our money are based more on how they look then how they behave, according to new research.
  
• Mice with big brains provide insight into brain regeneration and developmental disorders
  Scientists have discovered that mice that lack a gene called Snf2l have brains that are 35 percent larger than normal. The research could lead to new approaches to stimulate brain regeneration and may provide important insight into developmental disorders such as autism and Rett syndrome.
  
• Female terrorists' bios belie stereotypes, study finds
  Much like their male counterparts, female terrorists are likely to be educated, employed and native residents of the country where they commit a terrorist act, according to new research.
  
• First gene therapy successful against aging-associated decline: Mouse lifespan extended up to 24% with a single treatment
  A new study consisting of inducing cells to express telomerase, the enzyme which -- metaphorically -- slows down the biological clock -- was successful. The research provides a "proof-of-principle" that this "feasible and safe" approach can effectively "improve health span."
  
• Brain circuitry is different for women with anorexia and obesity
  Why does one person become anorexic and another obese? Researchers have now shown that reward circuits in the brain are sensitized in anorexic women and desensitized in obese women.
  
• Too much or too little noise turns off consumers, creativity
  Ambient background noise turns out to be an important factor affecting creative cognition among consumers, according to new research.
  
• A walk in the park gives mental boost to people with depression
  In one of the first studies to examine the effect of nature walks on cognition and mood in people with major depression, researchers in Canada and the US have found promising evidence that a walk in the park may provide some cognitive benefits.
  
• Mild traumatic brain injury may contribute to brain network dysfunction
  Even mild head injuries can cause significant abnormalities in brain function that last for several days, which may explain the neurological symptoms experienced by some individuals who have experienced a head injury associated with sports, accidents or combat, according to a new study.
  
• Neurodegeneration 'switched off' in mice
  Researchers have identified a major pathway leading to brain cell death in mice with neurodegenerative disease. They were able to block the pathway, preventing brain cell death and increasing survival in the mice.
  
• Obesity and the biological clock: When times are out of joint
  Urgent appointments, tight work timetables and hectic social schedules structure modern life, and they very often clash with our intrinsic biological rhythms. The discrepancy results in so-called social jetlag, which can damage one’s health. Among other effects, it can contribute to the development of obesity, as a new study shows.
  
• Evolution's gift may also be at the root of a form of autism
  A recently evolved pattern of gene activity in the language and decision-making centers of the human brain is missing in a disorder associated with autism and learning disabilities, a new study shows.
  
• Feeling tired? 'Social jetlag' poses obesity health hazard, study shows
  Social jetlag -- a syndrome related to the mismatch between the body's internal clock and the realities of our daily schedules -- does more than make us sleepy. It is also contributing to the growing tide of obesity, according to a large-scale epidemiological study.
  
• Smart phones are changing real world privacy settings
  Smartphone users have a radically different conception of behavior in public spaces than their conventional phone counterparts. They are more likely to reveal private information in public spaces, and less likely to believe that their digital conversations are irritating to those around them.
  
• Reducing brain activity improves memory after cognitive decline
  Research suggests a new approach to improving memory and interrupting disease progression in patients with a form of cognitive impairment that often leads to full-blown Alzheimer’s disease.
  
• Distracted drivers think of themselves as good drivers, research suggests
  Researchers are studying drivers who multitask behind the wheel, especially drivers who try to text or call while driving. The study found evidence that texting while driving increases the chance of a crash by as much as 23 times. That compares to being four times as likely to crash while talking on the phone.
  
• Simple drawing test can predict subsequent stroke death in older men
  A simple drawing test can predict the long-term risk of dying after a first stroke among older men.
  
• Scientists identify neurotranmitters that lead to forgetting
  Scientists have pinpointed a mechanism that is essential for forming memories in the first place and, as it turns out, is equally essential for eliminating them after memories have formed.
  
• Privacy law expert warns of the perils of social media and social reading
  The Internet and social media have opened up new vistas for people to share preferences in films, books and music. Services such as Spotify and the Washington Post Social Reader already integrate reading and listening into social networks, providing what Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg calls “frictionless sharing.” “But there’s a problem. A world of automatic, always-on disclosure should give us pause,” says a privacy law expert.
  
• Chronic cocaine use triggers changes in brain's neuron structure
  Chronic exposure to cocaine reduces the expression of a protein known to regulate brain plasticity, according to new, in vivo research on the molecular basis of cocaine addiction.
  
• Why do people choke when the stakes are high? Loss aversion may be the culprit
  In sports, on a game show, or just on the job, what causes people to choke when the stakes are high? A new study suggests that when there are high financial incentives to succeed, people can become so afraid of losing their potentially lucrative reward that their performance suffers.
  
• Genes and vascular risk modify effects of aging on brain and cognition
  Efforts to understand how the aging process affects the brain and cognition have expanded beyond simply comparing younger and older adults.
  
• Virtual reality allows researchers to measure fish brain activity during behavior at unprecedented resolution
  Researchers have developed a new technique which allows them to measure brain activity in large populations of nerve cells at the resolution of individual cells. The technique has been developed in zebrafish to represent a simplified model of how brain regions work together to flexibly control behavior.
  
• Reduction of excess brain activity improves memory in amnestic mild cognitive impairment
  New research describes a potential new therapeutic approach for improving memory and modifying disease progression in patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment. The study finds that excess brain activity may be doing more harm than good in some conditions that cause mild cognitive decline and memory impairment.
  
• Cellist achieves optimal performance through neurofeedback
  “Practice makes perfect,” the saying goes. Optimal performance, however, can require more than talent, effort, and repetition. Training the brain to reduce stress through neurofeedback can remove barriers and enhance one’s innate abilities.
  
• Babies' brains benefit from music lessons, even before they can walk and talk
  After completing the first study of its kind, researchers have discovered that very early musical training benefits children even before they can walk or talk. They found that one-year-old babies who participate in interactive music classes with their parents smile more, communicate better and show earlier and more sophisticated brain responses to music.
  
• Self-worth needs to go beyond appearance, experts say
  Women with high family support and limited pressure to achieve the 'thin and beautiful' ideal have a more positive body image. That's according to a new study looking at five factors that may help young women to be more positive about their bodies, in the context of a society where discontent with appearance is common among women.
  
• Emotion can shut down high-level mental processes without our knowledge, in our native language
  Psychologists believe that they have glimpsed for the first time, a process that takes place deep within our unconscious brain, where primal reactions interact with higher mental processes. They have identified a reaction to negative language inputs which shuts down unconscious processing. The psychologists extrapolate this from their most recent findings working with bilingual people.
  
• 'Blindness’ may rapidly enhance other senses
  Not only is there a real connection between vision and other senses, but that connection is important to better understand the underlying mechanisms that can quickly trigger sensory changes, according to new research.
  
• Gestures fulfill a big role in language
  People of all ages and cultures gesture while speaking, some much more noticeably than others. But is gesturing uniquely tied to speech, or is it, rather, processed by the brain like any other manual action? Scientists have discovered that actual actions on objects, such as physically stirring a spoon in a cup, have less of an impact on the brain’s understanding of speech than simply gesturing as if stirring a spoon in a cup.
  
• Prepregnancy obesity linked to child test scores
  Women who are obese before they become pregnant are at higher risk of having children with lower cognitive function - as measured by math and reading tests taken between ages 5 to 7 years - than are mothers with a healthy prepregnancy weight, new research suggests.
  
• How cannabis use during adolescence affects brain regions associated with schizophrenia
  New research has shown physical changes to exist in specific brain areas implicated in schizophrenia following the use of cannabis during adolescence. The research has shown how cannabis use during adolescence can interact with a gene, called the COMT gene, to cause physical changes in the brain.
  
• The electronic 'Pavlov's Dog'
  Nanotechnology scientists and memory researchers have redesigned a mental learning process using electronic circuits.
  
• Male college students believe taking performance-enhancing drugs for sports is more unethical than using stimulants to improve grades
  In the eyes of young college men, it’s more unethical to use steroids to get an edge in sports than it is to use prescription stimulants to enhance one’s grades, according to new research.
  
• Psychopathy linked to specific structural abnormalities in the brain
  New research provides the strongest evidence to date that psychopathy is linked to specific structural abnormalities in the brain. The study is the first to confirm that psychopathy is a distinct neurodevelopmental subgroup of anti-social personality disorder.
  
• Greater purpose in life may protect against harmful changes in the brain associated with Alzheimer’s disease
  Greater purpose in life may help stave off the harmful effects of plaques and tangles associated with Alzheimer’s disease, according to a new study.
  
• Deep brain stimulation may hold promise for mild Alzheimer's disease
  A study on a handful of people with suspected mild Alzheimer’s disease (AD) suggests that a device that sends continuous electrical impulses to specific “memory” regions of the brain appears to increase neuronal activity. Results of the study using deep brain stimulation, a therapy already used in some patients with Parkinson’s disease and depression, may offer hope for at least some with AD, an intractable disease with no cure.
  
• Anthropologist finds explanation for hominin brain evolution in famous fossils
  One of the world's most important fossils has a story to tell about the brain evolution of modern humans and their ancestors, according to new research. The Taung fossil -- the first australopithecine ever discovered -- has two significant features that were analyzed by anthropological researchers. Their findings suggest brain evolution was a result of a complex set of interrelated dynamics in childbirth among new bipeds.
  
• 'Losing yourself' in a fictional character can affect your real life
  When you “lose yourself” inside the world of a fictional character while reading a story, you may actually end up changing your own behavior and thoughts to match that of the character, a new study suggests.
  
• Diabetes shrinks elderly brain
  Elderly people with pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes suffer from an accelerated decline in brain size and mental capacity in as little as two years according to new research.
  
• Are you a Facebook addict?
  Are you a social media enthusiast or simply a Facebook addict? Researchers have developed a new instrument to measure Facebook addiction, the Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale.
  
• Multiple thought channels may help brain avoid traffic jams
  Brain networks may avoid traffic jams at their busiest intersections by communicating on different frequencies, researchers have learned.
  
• Risk of Future Emotional Problems Can Be Identified During Well-Child Visits
  A new study suggests clinicians might be able to identify children at risk of later emotional or behavioral problems by paying attention to a few key signs during early well-child check-ups.