Psychology

Can psychedelic drugs alleviate anxiety and depression? A psychiatrist at Harbor-U.C.L.A. Medical Center discusses his research on administering psilocybin to terminally ill patients to mitigate their fear of mortality. Click here for the full article in New York Times Magazine.

With the advent of social network sites and text messaging, more and more teens rely on technology for social exchanges, and less and less on face-to-face interactions.  How does this impact social relationships and self-esteem? Psychologists discuss how contemporary communication methods affect social and mental well-being. Click here to read more.

A recent study suggests that teens who learn to effectively argue with their parents are more likely to resist negative social pressures like drugs and alcohol.  Healthy arguing can lead to independent thinking and confidence that may not necessarily be demonstrated by teens who are more passive with their parents.  Click here to read the full article from NPR.

The difference in effectiveness between drugs and placebos has been shrinking over time in a variety of trials. What is behind this bizarre trend? Click here for full article.

Would you kill a crying baby to save yourself and others from hostile soldiers outside? Neuroscience offers new ways to approach such moral questions, allowing logic to triumph over deep-rooted instinct. Click here to read an article from Discover Magazine on new studies that examine brain processes during moral dilemmas.

Scientists have touted laughter's healthful benefits for years.  But what is it about laughter that makes us feel so good? Researchers at Oxford performed an experiment on the role of hearty laughter in tolerating pain.  To read the full article, click here.

APS reports that a boy’s relationship with his mother changes as he grows up, and the way it changes can affect his behavior when he’s a teen, a new study says. For more on this story, click here.

Julie Neiworth, Professor of Psychology, was interviewed recently for an NPR-related program about animal awareness and language. Click here to hear her interview which occurs about half-way through the program. It features her observations about the recent Hauser debacle at Harvard and the effect of it on the field of animal cognition and psychology.

Researchers at the Institute of Neurobiology, University of Tubingen in Germany investigated the ability of rhesus monkeys to perform simple greater-than and less-than comparisons of dots while recording the pattern of neuronal activation in the monkeys' brains. Evidence supported the conclusion that monkeys (like other animals) can not only count, but they can apply simple mathematical rules too! View news story.

H.M., an unforgettable amnesiac, died Friday, December 5, 2008. For five decades he was recognized as the most important patient in the history of brain science. As a participant in hundreds of studies, he helped scientists understand the biology of learning, memory and physical dexterity, as well as the fragile nature of human identity.

From the age of 27, when he embarked on a life as an object of intensive study, he lived with his parents, then with a relative and finally in an institution. His amnesia did not damage his intellect or radically change his personality. But he could not hold a job and lived, more so than any mystic, in the movement.

It turns out that gerbils discriminate "me" from "you" -- at least the vowel sounds. Read on, from nature news!

A study of elderly people suggests that those who see themselves as self-disciplined, organized achievers have a lower risk for developing Alzheimer's disease than people who are less conscientious. The findings support hypotheses concerning the relationship of one's personality and lifestyle with physical health. View news story.