Science Daily

Personality predicts cheating more than academic struggles, study shows
Students who cheat in high school and college are highly likely to fit the profile for subclinical psychopathy -- a personality disorder defined by erratic lifestyle, manipulation, callousness and antisocial tendencies, according to new research. These problematic students cheat because they feel entitled and disregard morality, the study found.
Ritalin improves brain function, task performance in cocaine abusers, study finds
A brain-scanning study reveals that an oral dose of methylphenidate, commonly known as Ritalin, improves impaired brain function and enhances cognitive performance in people who are addicted to cocaine. The study suggests that methylphenidate, combined with cognitive interventions, may have a role in facilitating recovery from drug addiction.
Designing your own workspace improves health, happiness and productivity
Employees who have control over the design and layout of their workspace are not only happier and healthier -- they're also up to 32 percent more productive, according to new research.
Addressing negative thoughts most effective in fighting loneliness
Changing how a person perceives and thinks about others was the most effective intervention for loneliness, a sweeping analysis of previous research has determined. The findings may help physicians and psychologists develop better treatments for loneliness, a known risk factor for heart disease and other health problems.
Parents at highest risk for depression in the first year after child's birth
More than one-third of mothers and about one-fifth of fathers in the United Kingdom appear to experience an episode of depression between their child's birth and 12th year of age, with the highest rates in the first year after birth, according to a new article.
Consumers will pay more for goods they can touch
We've all heard the predictions: e-commerce is going to be the death of traditional commerce; online shopping spells the end of the neighborhood brick-and-mortar store. While it's true that online commerce has had an impact on all types of retail stores, it's not time to bring out the wrecking ball quite yet, says a team of researchers.
New gene for memory identified in fruit fly; May shed light on human neurological disorders
Scientists have identified a new gene that is required for memory formation in Drosophila, the common fruit fly. The gene may have similar functions in humans, shedding light on neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's disease or human learning disabilities.
Interneurons are not all created equally: Some classes of interneurons may underlie distinct brain disorders
A type of neuron that, when malfunctioning, has been tied to epilepsy, autism and schizophrenia is much more complex than previously thought, researchers report.
Brain mechanism linked to relapse after cocaine withdrawal
Addictive drugs are known to induce changes in the brain's reward circuits that may underlie drug craving and relapse after long periods of abstinence. Now, new research uncovers a specific neural mechanism that may be linked to persistent drug-seeking behavior and could help to guide strategies for development of new therapies for cocaine addiction.
Education more important than knowledge in stopping spread of HIV in Africa, study finds
Simply teaching people the facts about how to protect themselves from HIV may not be enough to prevent the spread of AIDS in Africa, a new study suggests. Researchers found that villagers in Ghana who had higher levels of cognitive and decision-making abilities -- not just the most knowledge -- were the ones who were most likely to take steps to protect themselves from HIV infection.
It's good to gossip -- but be nice!
Gossipers feel more supported and positive gossip - praising somebody - may lead to a short-term boost in gossipers' self-esteem, according to new research.
Visual pattern preference may be indicator of autism in toddlers
Using eye-tracking methods, researchers have shown that toddlers with autism spend significantly more time visually examining dynamic geometric patterns than they do looking at social images -- a viewing pattern not found in either typical or developmentally delayed toddlers.
Memory problems more common in men?
A new study shows that mild cognitive impairment may affect more men than women.
Study examines association between urban living and psychotic disorders
The association between psychotic disorders and living in urban areas appears to be a reflection of increased social fragmentation present within cities, according to a new article.
Harmful amyloid interferes with trash pickup for cells in Alzheimer's disease
Scientists have identified a way that amyloid beta, the protein that accumulates in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease, interferes with the ability of cells to get rid of debris and have also identified a way that amyloid itself may be discarded, a new study has found.
Computer-based video analysis boosts data gathering in behavioral studies
Scientists have developed a computer-based system that can learn how to identify behaviors of interest and then analyze many hours of video.
Teasing about weight can affect pre-teens profoundly, study suggests
Schoolyard taunts of any type can potentially damage a child's sense of self-confidence. But a new study suggests that a particular kind of teasing -- about weight -- can have distinctive and significant effects on how pre-teens perceive their own bodies.
Decision-making deficits related to driving under the influence are often undetected
Driving under the influence of alcohol is a major public health problem. New findings show that people who had relapsed to DUI have subtle deficits in their decision-making abilities. These deficits tend to go undetected through conventional neuropsychological testing.
Chronic drinking increases levels of stress hormones, leading to neurotoxicity
Alcohol consumption, withdrawal, and abstinence can all raise stress hormones in humans and animals. A review has described how stress hormones called glucocorticoids are associated with neurotoxicity during abstinence after withdrawal from alcohol dependence. Glucocorticoid receptor antagonism may therefore represent a pharmacological option for recovery.
Non-invasive therapy significantly improves depression, researchers say
A unique new therapy that applies electrical stimulation to a major nerve emanating from the brain is showing promise for major depression. In a recently completed clinical trial, trigeminal nerve stimulation achieved an average of a 70 percent reduction in symptom severity over an 8-week study.
Cognitive effects of Parkinson's disease: Automated tasks easier, but task switching difficult
Researchers have found that people with Parkinson's disease can perform automated tasks better than people without the disease, but have significant difficulty switching from easy to hard tasks.
Acting selfish? Blame your mother!
The fact that our female ancestors dispersed more than our male ancestors can lead to conflicts within the brain that influence our social behavior, new research reveals.
Combining medication and psychosocial treatments may benefit patients with early-stage schizophrenia
Patients with early-stage schizophrenia who receive a combination of medication and a psychosocial intervention appear less likely to discontinue treatment or relapse -- and may have improved insight, quality of life and social functioning -- than those taking medication alone, according to a new article.
Inflammation is associated with lower intelligence and premature death
Inflammation is associated with lower intelligence and premature death, according to scientists. “Those with low-grade inflammation performed more poorly on standardized intelligence tests, even after excluding those with signs of current illness. Inflammation also predicted an increased risk of premature death,” said the lead researcher.
Are shame and poverty closely linked?
A major international study is to examine whether shame is a key part of the experience of being poor. It will look at whether being poor necessarily results in low self esteem or feelings of shame and whether welfare policies are counterproductive when claimants are stigmatized.
Verbal snippets offer insights on well-being amid separation, divorce
A new study of romantically separated people shows they offer clues to their emotional status in just a few seconds of conversation.
Low grades in adolescence linked to dopamine genes, says biosocial criminologist
The academic performance of adolescents will suffer in at least one of four key subjects -- English, math, science, history -- if their DNA contains one or more of three specific dopamine gene variations, according to a biosocial criminologist.
Computer technique could help partially sighted 'see' better
Thousands of people who are partially sighted following stroke or brain injury could gain greater independence from a simple, cheap and accessible training course which could eventually be delivered from their mobile phones or hand-held games consoles, according to a new study.
Social networks influence health behaviors
Individuals are more likely to acquire new health practices while living in networks with dense clusters of connections -- that is, when in close contact with people they already know well.
Head start for migraine sufferers
Psychological migraine treatment gives sufferers a confidence boost in their ability to self-manage their symptoms. For severe migraine sufferers, psychological treatments build on the benefits of drug therapy, according to a new study. A comparison of the effects of various treatment combinations for severe migraine - drug therapy with or without behavioral management - shows that those patients receiving the behavioral management program alongside drug therapy are significantly more confident in their ability to use behavioral skills to effectively self-manage migraines.
Link between everyday stress and obesity strengthened with study using an animal model
A new study examined the effects of stress on the meal patterns and food intake of animals exposed to the equivalent of everyday stress on humans. The results suggest that, not only does stress have an impact on us in the short term, it can cause metabolic changes in the longer term that contribute to obesity.
Insight offered into superstitious behavior
People who believe that fate and chance control their lives are more likely to be superstitious -- but when faced with death they are likely to abandon superstition altogether, according to new research.
Sensitivity to alcohol odors may indicate a genetic predisposition to alcohol dependence
Prior research had found an association between DNA sequence variations in a gene that encodes parts of the brain's gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA)-A receptors (the GABRA2 gene) and alcohol dependence. New research has found that the GABRA2 genotype can also affect the brain's reward responses to cues such as alcohol odors.
Unrealistic goals and standards make teachers stressed, UK study finds
New research from the UK has found that teachers who want to be happier should not try to please everyone and should have a greater say in setting targets.
Brain exercises may slow cognitive decline initially, but speed up dementia later
New research shows that mentally stimulating activities such as crossword puzzles, reading and listening to the radio may, at first, slow the decline of thinking skills but speed up dementia later in old age.
Infant's gaze may be an early, but subtle, marker for autism risk
New study results show that an early marker for later communication and social delays in infants at a higher-risk for autism may be infrequent gazing at other people when unprompted. The study also found that six-month-old high-risk infants demonstrated the same level of cause and effect learning skills when compared to low-risk infants of the same age.
Mindfulness meditation increases well-being in adolescent boys, study finds
"Mindfulness," the process of learning to become more aware of our ongoing experiences, increases well-being in adolescent boys, a new study reports.
Migration does not bring happiness, study suggests
The grass might not be greener on the other side of the border, a new study has found. Economic migrants traveling to different shores for greater income could be set for disappointment -- because the pursuit of wealth does not equate with happiness, according to the research.
A single interaction affects the way a child seeks information, study finds
Seven-year-old children only need to interact with a person once to learn who to trust and seek information from, according to a new study.
New study singles out factors linked to cognitive deficits in type 2 diabetes
Older adults with diabetes who have high blood pressure, walk slowly or lose their balance, or believe they're in bad health, are significantly more likely to have weaker memory and slower, more rigid cognitive processing than those without these problems, according to a new study.
Children raised by gay couples show good progress through school, study finds
By mining data from the 2000 Census, a sociologist figured out the rates at which kids raised by gay and straight couples repeated a grade during elementary or middle school. He found that children of same-sex parents have essentially the same educational achievement as their peers growing up in heterosexual households.
Reading Arabic isn't easy, brain study suggests
The brain's right hemisphere is not involved in the initial processes of reading in Arabic, due to the graphic complexity of Arabic script. Therefore reading acquisition in Arabic is much harder in comparison to English, according to a recent series of studies.
Why some Americans believe Obama is a Muslim
There's something beyond plain old ignorance that motivates Americans to believe President Obama is a Muslim, according to a first-of-its-kind study of smear campaigns. The research suggests people are most likely to accept such falsehoods, both consciously and unconsciously, when subtle clues remind them of ways in which Obama is different from them, whether because of race, social class or other ideological differences.
Older adults experience “destination amnesia” and over-confidence with false beliefs
I'm sure I told you that already! Older adults are more likely to have destination memory failures -- forgetting who they've shared or not shared information with, according to a new study.
Roots of gamblers' fallacies and other superstitions: Causes of seemingly irrational human decision-making
Gamblers who think they have a "hot hand," only to end up walking away with a loss, may nonetheless be making "rational" decisions, according to new research.
Survey says: Genetics affect whether we're willing to take surveys
Genetics play a key factor in whether someone is willing to take a survey, according to a new survey.
Social isolation worsens cardiac arrest effects on heart regulation
A new study in mice shows how social support can help minimize some of the worst physical damages to the brain caused by a heart attack. From cell death to depressive symptoms to regulation of the heart, mice that lived with a partner after a heart attack suffered less damage than did similar mice that were housed alone.
Impact of new media and technology on customer relationships
New research examines how social media are changing the way companies find and interact with customers.