Psychology

  1. Health & Medicine

    Stress for success

    Stress and anxiety can lead to serious mental and behavioral problems. Identifying stressors can help people cope with anxiety. Even better, viewing stress as a strength can tone down anxious feelings and boost productivity.

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  2. Psychology

    Scientists Say: Pareidolia

    We often see things that aren’t there, such as bunnies in clouds or faces in toast. They aren’t real, but they do have a special name

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  3. Brain

    The distracted teenage brain

    Teens often show poor judgment in decision-making. Scientists have long blamed this on the fact that their brains are still developing. A new study offers another explanation: distractions form rewarding behaviors — ones that persist even after the reward itself has disappeared.

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  4. Health & Medicine

    The media’s dangerous influence on body image

    A study found how powerful TV and ad messages can be in distorting the attitudes about body image among young girls in Fiji.

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  5. Health & Medicine

    Watch out: Cell phones can be addictive

    Smartphones and Facebook are convenient. New research shows that for some people they also can become dangerously addictive.

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  6. Brain

    Mistakes: A key to learning

    This man uses a robotic arm to move a cursor across a computer screen. The screen blocks his view of his hand and arm. This focuses his attention on any errors he makes as he tries to move a cursor to a target location.

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  7. Brain

    Choosing shocks over contemplation

    Some people think being alone is unpleasant. In one new study, some found choosing to get a painful shock helped them endure being alone for 15 minutes.

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  8. Brain

    Loneliness can breed disease

    Everyone experiences loneliness from time to time. But when allowed to persist, loneliness can damage your health and steal years from your life.

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  9. Brain

    Fear prompts teens to act impulsively

    A new study finds that teens may act impulsively in the face of fear. This might help explain high rates of violence among such adolescents, the authors say.

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  10. Health & Medicine

    Sleep therapy for fears

    Scared? A nap spent inhaling the proper smell might relieve those fears, a study finds.

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  11. Brain

    The upside of cheating

    Many people assume that cheaters and thieves will secretly feel shame or guilt. A new study challenges that. It finds that people who cheat without causing anyone much harm actually enjoy a little buzz afterward.

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  12. Brain

    Teen fighting may harm IQ

    Blows to the head may explain these effects on the brain.

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