Thursday, October 31, 2013

Humans See in the Dark: People Watch Body Movement in Pitch Black Conditions

"Seeing in total darkness? According to the current understanding of natural vision, that just doesn't happen," said Duje Tadin, one of the researchers, in a news release. "But this research shows that our own movements transmit sensory signals that also can create real visual perceptions in the brain, even in the complete absence of optical input."...


Reposted by:
Charles R. Davenport, Psy.D.
Licensed Psychologist
Charles R. Davenport, Psy.D., LLC.


People Are Moral In The Morning, Dishonest In The Afternoon

The wear and tear of an average day makes people more likely to fudge the truth in the afternoon. If you're the head of a sales team and you want your people to be honest with you about whether they have met their targets, it's better to meet with them in the...


Reposted by:
Charles R. Davenport, Psy.D.
Licensed Psychologist
Charles R. Davenport, Psy.D., LLC.


Internet chatrooms can help those in distress, says study

Internet forums and chatrooms can have positive effects that should be more widely acknowledged, experts say. The call comes after Oxford University researchers carried out an analysis of 14 different studies looking at how young people use the internet...


Reposted by:
Charles R. Davenport, Psy.D.
Licensed Psychologist
Charles R. Davenport, Psy.D., LLC.

Textual Relations: Couples Who Text Too Much Aren't As In Love As They Want You To Think

In this world, there are researchers who study the societal effects of text messages. Two of these researchers, Lori Schade and Jonathan Sandberg of Brigham Young University, just released a new study claiming that too much texting can disconnect couples...


Reposted by:
Charles R. Davenport, Psy.D.
Licensed Psychologist
Charles R. Davenport, Psy.D., LLC.


Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Genetics, Parental Rules Influence Adolescent Drinking

Why do we drink? There can be many reasons and the answer is likely a bit different for each drinker. Are we born with it or do we learn about drinking from what we see and hear? It might be a mix of both. Here is a study about the geneitcs of drinking....

A new study of adolescent drinking has found that the interaction of specific genes and parental rules may determine whether a teen will have alcohol-related problems in the future...


Reposted by:
Charles R. Davenport, Psy.D.
Licensed Psychologist
Charles R. Davenport, Psy.D., LLC.


How Does Flow of Information Change in Unconscious Brain?

What happens in the human brain when it slips into unconsciousness? UCLA psychologists have been investigating this question through the use of brain-imaging techniques...


Reposted by:
Charles R. Davenport, Psy.D.
Licensed Psychologist
Charles R. Davenport, Psy.D., LLC.

Beating the Blues Before They Beat You

Having a bout of the blues is not uncommon for most people. But one expert feels we don’t do enough to combat the blues, and that can lead to trouble.
“I think depression is a spectrum, and full-on depression is when you experience things like impaired appetite, disrupted sleep, lack of concentration and ruminative thoughts,” said Diane Tucker, Ph.D., professor of psychology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham...

Reposted by:
Charles R. Davenport, Psy.D.
Licensed Psychologist
Charles R. Davenport, Psy.D., LLC.

Thursday, October 17, 2013

For Hurdles, Even a Pretend Friend Will Help

Young children's habit of talking to imaginary friends can spur the development of an inner dialogue that they can use to talk themselves through challenging tasks now and later as adults, a study in the November issue of the Journal of Experimental Child Psychology suggests...


Reposted by:
Charles R. Davenport, Psy.D.
Licensed Psychologist
Charles R. Davenport, Psy.D., LLC.


Why humans and animals rely on social touch

From monkeys to humans, grooming is an important way to win favours and earn social standing. For babies, it can also be the difference between life and death...


Reposted by:
Charles R. Davenport, Psy.D.
Licensed Psychologist
Charles R. Davenport, Psy.D., LLC.

Autistic Kids Focus More on Right Than Left Eye

In face recognition, children with autism focus on the face about as long as their peers, but tend to look at the right eye rather than the left. The new research also shows that children with an autism spectrum disorder tend to focus just below the eyes, instead of at the pupils. Research has shown that children with autism have trouble recognizing...

Reposted by:
Charles R. Davenport, Psy.D.
Licensed Psychologist
Charles R. Davenport, Psy.D., LLC.

Monday, October 14, 2013

Irregular Bedtimes Tied to Kids’ Behavioral Problems

A study from researchers at University College London found that irregular bedtimes could disrupt natural body rhythms and cause sleep deprivation, undermining brain maturation and the ability to regulate certain behaviors."Not having fixed bedtimes, accompanied by a constant sense of flux, induces a state of body and mind akin to jet lag," said Professor Yvonne Kelly, Ph.D., of the University College London, "and this matters for healthy development and daily functioning."...

http://psychcentral.com/news/2013/10/14/irregular-bedtimes-tied-to-kids-behavioral-problems/60641.html

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Yo-Yo Weight Loss is Sign of Disordered Eating

Dieters know that losing weight is often not the issue — keeping the weight off is. Weight loss researchers agree that the more weight you’ve lost, the harder it is to keep it off. A complex and vicious cycle of biological and behavioral factors make it so. Nevertheless, a majority of research on eating disorders has largely overlooked this reality...

Reposted by:
Charles R. Davenport, Psy.D.
Licensed Psychologist
Charles R. Davenport, Psy.D., LLC.