Narcissism and social networking
From the University of Würzburg press release: Social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter have become an important part of the lives of many people worldwide. Around two billion users were active on Facebook…
Study suggests brain games may not increase cognitive abilities
From the Florida State University press release: Be skeptical of ads declaring you can rev up your brain’s performance by challenging it with products from the growing brain-training industry. Science does not support many of…
Brain structure, anxiety and negative bias linked in healthy adults
From the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign press release: Healthy college students who have a relatively small inferior frontal cortex — a brain region behind the temples that helps regulate thoughts and emotions — are more…
Study examines skills transferable from World of Warcraft
From the Missouri University of Science and Technology press release: “Stop playing that stupid video game and get a job.” It’s a sentiment expressed by generations of parents since Pong began invading unsuspecting households in…
Biased bots: Human prejudices sneak into artificial intelligence systems
From the Princeton University, Engineering School press release: In debates over the future of artificial intelligence, many experts think of the new systems as coldly logical and objectively rational. But in a new study, researchers…
Study suggests expressing gratitude may enhance well-being
From the National Communication Association press release: Expressing gratitude has become trendy; these days, you can easily find a stock of gratitude journals and notebooks at your local stationery store or bookseller, or search for…
Study links sexist and anti-gay jokes to men feeling threatened
From the Springer press release: Why do some men crack sexist and anti-gay jokes or find them funny, while others do not? According to Emma O’Connor of the Western Carolina University in the US, such…
Study explains why food looks even better when dieting
From the Hiroshima University press release: Over recent decades, our understanding of hunger has greatly increased, but this new discovery turns things on their head. Up until now, scientists knew that leptin — a hormone…
Poor sleep due to anxiety or depression may make it harder to think positive
From the University of Illinois at Chicago press release: A lack of sleep makes everything harder. Focusing, finishing assignments, and coping with everyday stress can become monumental tasks. People with anxiety and depression often have sleep…
Brains of gambling addicts: High stakes, high risk, and a bad bet
From the Kyoto University press release: You’ve been losing all night, and now another bad hand. So why raise? Gambling addiction is a mental disorder characterized by excessive risk-taking despite negative results. Scientific studies using…