Psychology news

• Myriad challenges of mental illness | Letters

  18-12-2014 20:35
  
  I am pleased to see the choice of charities for the Guardian Christmas appeal this year, as I have worked as a mental health nurse for more than 30 years. Beyond the Cuckoo’s Nest is a project in Rotherham that has been active for over 20 years. The main aim is to challenge stigma by giving a voice to people with lived experience of mental health conditions, especially psychosis. This often involves presentations in schools and colleges. Your article on young carers (Haven for isolated yo
  
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• In one aspect of vision, computers catch up to primate brain

  18-12-2014 20:10
  
  For decades, neuroscientists have been trying to design computer networks that can mimic visual skills such as recognizing objects, which the human brain does very accurately and quickly. Until now, no computer model has been able to match the primate brain at visual object recognition during a brief glance. Now neuroscientists have found that one of the latest generation of 'deep neural networks' matches the primate brain.
  
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• Of bugs and brains: Striking similarities in brain structures across invertebrates

  18-12-2014 19:19
  
  The fundamental structures underlying learning and memory in the brains of invertebrates as different as a fruit fly and an earthworm are remarkably similar, according to neuroscientists. It turns out that the structure and function of brain centers responsible for learning and memory in a wide range of invertebrate species may possibly share the same fundamental characteristics.
  
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• Homing signal in brain located, explaining why some people are better navigators

  18-12-2014 19:14
  
  The part of the brain that tells us the direction to travel when we navigate has been identified by scientists, and the strength of its signal predicts how well people can navigate. In other words, the researchers have found where our 'sense of direction' comes from in the brain and worked out how to measure it using functional magnetic resonance imaging, fMRI.
  
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• Subtle but important memory function affected by preterm birth

  18-12-2014 14:13
  A study of children born prematurely has found differences in a subtle but important aspect of memory: the ability to form and retrieve memories about context. The study examined 33 8-to 10-year olds using magnetic resonance imaging to measure the volume of the hippocampi. The results suggest that the maturational state of the hippocampus at the time of birth influences the maturation of certain memory functions even at 8- to 10-years old.
  
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• "Real Christmas trees are better for your health than artificial ones," says University of Surrey academic

  18-12-2014 10:00
  
  It's that time of the year when Christmas trees are popping up in the homes of many, but before we dig out last year's artificial tree, University of Surrey environmental psychologist Dr Birgitta...
  
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• Neural pathway identified that controls attention has implications for psychiatric disorders

  18-12-2014 09:00
  The next time you are in a crowded room, or a meeting, or even at the park with your kids, take a look around. How many people are on their phone? Distractions invade every aspect of our lives.
  
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• UK Proposes Rules for Embryos Made from 3 People

  18-12-2014 04:37 via feeds.socialpsychology.org
  
  Source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer - Health and FitnessNew rules proposed in Britain would make it the first country to allow embryos to be made from the DNA of three people in order to prevent mothers from passing on potentially fatal genetic diseases to their babies. In a statement issued on Wednesday, the department of health said it had taken "extensive advice" on the safety and efficacy of the proposed techniques from the scientific community.
  
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• President Obama Says He Was Mistaken for a Valet Driver

  18-12-2014 04:37 via feeds.socialpsychology.org
  
  Source: Google NewsCBS News Obama: I've been mistaken for a valet driver CBS News As protests against racial profiling sweep the country in the wake of recent police killings of unarmed black men, President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama recounted some of their own experiences with discrimination in an interview excerpt released on ... Obama mistaken for valet, waiter San Jose Mercury News Obama: every black man my age has been mistaken for a valet —...
  
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• Paralyzed Woman Lifts Objects with a Thought-Controlled Robotic Arm

  18-12-2014 04:37 via feeds.socialpsychology.org
  
  Source: Social Psychology Network NewsJan Scheuermann has been paralyzed from the neck down for years -- but thanks to a cutting-edge robotic arm, she can move and lift things with impressive dexterity.
  
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• Over Half of U.S. Kids Will Live with an Unmarried Mother, Says Report

  18-12-2014 04:37 via feeds.socialpsychology.org
  
  Source: ScienceDailyMore than half of all American children will likely live with an unmarried mother at some point before they reach age 18, according to a new report. The absence of a biological father increases the likelihood that a child will exhibit antisocial behaviors like aggression, rule-breaking and delinquency. As a result, these children are 40 percent less likely to finish high school or attend college.
  
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• Mild Memory, Thinking Lapses: What Works and What Doesn't

  18-12-2014 04:37 via feeds.socialpsychology.org
  Source: ScienceDailyFor up to one in five Americans over age 65, getting older brings memory and thinking problems. It may seem like part of getting older - but officially, it’s called mild cognitive impairment or MCI. A new definitive look at the evidence about what works and what doesn’t in MCI should help doctors and the seniors they treat.
  
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• U.S. Congress Approves Sweeping Legislation to Help America’s Disabled

  18-12-2014 04:09 via feeds.socialpsychology.org
  
  Source: Time Magazine(WASHINGTON) — Congress gave final approval Tuesday to the most sweeping legislation to help the disabled in a quarter century, allowing Americans with disabilities to open tax-free bank accounts to pay for needs such as education, housing and health care. The move paves the way for creation of the accounts beginning next year for as….
  
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• How Twitter and Facebook Can Be Used to Fight HIV

  18-12-2014 04:09 via feeds.socialpsychology.org
  Source: ScienceDailySocial media such as Twitter and Facebook, combined with behavioral psychology, could be a valuable tool in the fight against AIDS by prompting high-risk individuals to be tested, research shows. Though there have been many experimental HIV testing interventions in international settings, none have used social media technologies, said one investigator.
  
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• Little evidence brain games boost intelligence or prevent dementia

  18-12-2014 02:14
  Computerized brain games that are advertised as a way to help boost intelligence and prevent dementia will be popular Christmas gifts this year. But there’s little scientific evidence to support these industry claims, experts say.
  
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