psychology news stories on Newser

Philip Roth: I Did Not 'Crack Up'

Matt Cantor — Thu, 24 May 2012 14:09:27 CDT

Philip Roth isn't happy with the Atlantic : A recent piece in the magazine said he suffered from "a 'crack-up' in his mid-50s," and the novelist says that's simply "not true." The Atlantic Wire points out that the episode, "whatever you call it," has been widely discussed in past articles and...

Buying Organic Turns You Into a Jerk

Neal Colgrass — Sat, 19 May 2012 16:31:17 CDT

Ever encountered a snotty attitude at an organic food stand? It makes sense psychologically, according to a new study that analyzed how people reacted after looking at different kinds of foods, MSNBC reports. "There's something about being exposed to organic food that made them feel better about themselves," says study...

Stay-at-Home Moms Suffer More Sadness

Matt Cantor — Fri, 18 May 2012 10:44:05 CDT

Stay-at-home moms struggle with sadness, depression, and anger more often than employed mothers do, according to a sure-to-be-controversial new Gallup poll. While 26% of stay-at-home moms reported feeling sadness much of "yesterday," that figure was just 16% among employed moms. Some 28% of stay-at-home moms said they have been diagnosed...

Why We Love to Boast

Matt Cantor — Tue, 08 May 2012 16:30:05 CDT

In the era of Facebook and Twitter, it's clear we love talking about ourselves—indeed, the topic makes up 40% of our everyday conversation. Now scientists can explain why: Doing so stimulates the brain the same way sex, food, and cash do. Researchers scanned subjects' brains and found that parts...

How to Get a Job: Stay Positive for Months

Matt Cantor — Sun, 06 May 2012 16:20:05 CDT

If you're looking for a job, get ready to stick it out for four months—and keep up that can-do attitude. Researchers tracked the job search experiences of 177 unemployed subjects for 20 weeks and found that 72% of them got work, particularly those who maintained a good outlook. That...

Thinking, Religion Don't Mix: Study

Kevin Spak — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 09:09:05 CDT

People prone to analytical thinking are less prone to religious faith, a new study has concluded. Scientists have long believed that analytical thinking can override one's intuitive responses, and studies have shown that religion is rooted in intuitive thought. So Canadian researcher Will Gervais set out to see if analytical...

Hey, Guys: Women Are Better People Than You

Matt Cantor — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 11:26:58 CDT

Women are the more moral sex, making choices in light of others' needs, a study suggests. Men, on the other hand, tend to focus on themselves, the Telegraph reports. The female approach "tends to produce better decisions," says the philosopher who conducted the study. But both sexes become more moral...

Wait, Beer Boosts Your Brain?

Kevin Spak — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 10:05:18 CDT

You know how you get when you've got a couple pints in you: You stumble a bit, talk too loudly, and completely rock at brainteasers. A new study suggests that downing a little beer actually improves some cognitive functions. Researchers at the University of Illinois in Chicago got a group...

How DNA Can Make You Nice

Matt Cantor — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 18:56:41 CDT

Whether you're a nice person isn't just about your life experiences: Chemicals appear to play a big role, too. Your kindness, or lack of it, depends in part on whether your brain has the right kind of receptors for the hormones behind affection, scientists find. Researchers asked hundreds of subjects...