Posts Tagged ‘Psychology’
Study: Men at Higher Risk for Mild Memory Loss than Women
Men may be at higher risk of experiencing mild cognitive impairment (MCI), or the stage of mild memory loss that occurs between normal aging and dementia, than women, according to a study published in the January 25, 2012, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of [Read More]
The Illusion of Courage: New Research Explains Why People Mispredict Their Behavior in Embarrassing Situation
Whether it’s investing in stocks, bungee jumping or public speaking, why do we often plan to take risks but then “chicken out” when the moment of truth arrives? In a new paper in the Journal of Behavioral Decision Making, scientists from the University of [Read More]
Neural Balls and Strikes: Where Categories Live in the Brain
Brain circuits for visual categorization revealed by new experiments Hundreds of times during a baseball game, the home plate umpire must instantaneously categorize a fast-moving pitch as a ball or a strike. In new research from the University of Chicago, scientists have [Read More]
Elderly Can Be As Fast As Young in Some Brain Tasks
Both children and the elderly have slower response times when they have to make quick decisions in some settings. But recent research suggests that much of that slower response is a conscious choice to emphasize accuracy over speed. In fact, healthy older people can be [Read More]
Babies Remember Even as They Seem to Forget
Fifteen years ago, textbooks on human development stated that babies 6 months of age or younger had no sense of “object permanence” – the psychological term that describes an infant’s belief that an object still exists even when it is out of sight. That [Read More]
Brain Function – A New Way to Measure the Burden of Aging Across Nations
Cognitive function may be a better indicator of the impact of aging on an economy than age-distribution, with chronological age imposing less of a social and economic burden if the population is “functionally” younger, according to a study published in the [Read More]
More Widespread Brain Atrophy Detected in Parkinson’s Disease with Newly Developed Structural Pattern
Hippocampal Atrophy Seen with Early Cognitive Decline in Parkinson’s Disease Atrophy in the hippocampus, the region of the brain known for memory formation and storage, is evident in Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients with cognitive impairment, including early [Read More]
Helping Your Fellow Rat: Rodents Show Empathy-Driven Behavior
Rats free trapped companions, even when given choice of chocolate instead The first evidence of empathy-driven helping behavior in rodents has been observed in laboratory rats that repeatedly free companions from a restraint, according to a new study by University of [Read More]
Look at That! Ravens Use Gestures, Too
Ravens gesture with their beaks to point out objects to each other Pointing and holding up objects in order to attract attention has so far only been observed in humans and our closest living relatives, the great apes. Simone Pika from the Max Planck Institute for [Read More]
Attention and Awareness Uncoupled
Brain imaging experiments uncouple two apparently intimately connected mental processes In everyday life, attention and awareness appear tightly interwoven. Attending to the scissors on the right side of your desk, you become aware of their attributes, for example the red [Read More]
