Psychology News

Gun Owners Don’t Sleep Better and Aren’t Happier, Two New Studies Show

Hill et al find no evidence that gun ownership is associated with better sleep and happiness. Image credit: PDPics.
Feb 11, 2020 by News Staff

Despite claims that owning a gun makes a person feel safer and sleep easier, gun owners don’t sleep any better than people who do not own guns, they also aren’t any happier, according to two new studies led by the University of Arizona. Hill et al find no evidence that gun ownership is associated with better sleep and happiness. Image credit: PDPics. “We want to understand gun owners’ subjective experiences,” said lead author Dr. Terrence...

read more...
Cowen et al mapped 13 key emotions triggered when we listen to music. Image credit: Cowen et al, doi: 10.1073/pnas.1910704117.

Music Triggers 13 Key Emotions, Says New Study

Jan 13, 2020 by News Staff

In a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, an international team of researchers examined the feelings evoked by 2,168...

Verigin et al found that self-reported good liars (i) may be responsible for a disproportionate amount of lies in daily life, (ii) tend to tell inconsequential lies, mostly to colleagues and friends, and generally via face-to-face interactions, and (iii) highly rely on verbal strategies of deception, most commonly reporting to embed their lies into truthful information, and to keep the statement clear, simple and plausible. Image credit: Ryan McGuire.

New Study Identifies Key Characteristics of Expert Liars

Dec 23, 2019 by News Staff

According to a new study published in the journal PLoS ONE, good liars lean towards telling inconsequential lies, mostly to colleagues and friends, and...

Westlake et al revealed strong and systematic variation in altruistic tendencies across urban suburbs of different socio-economic characteristics; this variance appears to be conditioned by the education and occupation level of residents in the suburb, and was not consistently influenced by economic resources or crime rate. Image credit: Sasin Tipchai.

Study Provides New Insight into Human Altruistic Behavior

Dec 14, 2019 by Enrico de Lazaro

Altruism blossoms in neighborhoods populated with highly educated people working in high-status jobs, according to new research. Westlake et al revealed...

People can infer cats’ affective states from subtle aspects of their facial expressions -- although most find this challenging -- and some individuals are very good at doing so. Image credit: CaptainMeo.

Cats Have Facial Expressions and Some People Can Read Them, Scientists Say

Dec 3, 2019 by News Staff

A new study, published in the journal Animal Welfare, shows that some people are particularly good at identifying feline emotions from cats’ faces; women...

Music is universal: it exists in every society (both with and without words), varies more within than between societies, regularly supports certain types of behavior, and has acoustic features that are systematically related to the goals and responses of singers and listeners. Image credit: Gerd Altmann.

Human Songs From Around the World Share Universal Features, Study Says

Nov 25, 2019 by News Staff

Songs from cultures spanning the globe exhibit universal patterns, according to a new study published in the journal Science. Music is universal: it exists...

Cui et al examined the longitudinal effect of dog ownership and dog walking on mental health. Image credit: Susanne906.

Dog Ownership Has Positive Effect on Mental Health

Nov 7, 2019 by News Staff

A study led by the University of Western Australia has found a positive correlation between mental health benefits and dog ownership. Cui et al examined...

Bellet et al found a conclusive link between happiness and productivity. Image credit: Raw Pixel.

Workers are 13% More Productive When Happy, Study Finds

Nov 1, 2019 by News Staff

Workers make around 13% more sales in weeks where they report being happy compared to weeks when they are unhappy, according to a study by researchers...

Rats Taught How to Drive Tiny Cars

Oct 24, 2019 by Natali Anderson

Rats can learn the complex task of navigating a rodent-operated vehicle (ROV) to a desired area, according to new research from the University of Richmond. Crawford...

A capuchin monkey. Image credit: Georgia State University.

Capuchin and Rhesus Monkeys Outsmart Humans When It Comes to Cognitive Flexibility

Oct 16, 2019 by News Staff

According to a new study published in the journal Scientific Reports, when it comes to being willing to explore more efficient options to solving a problem, capuchin...

Pet cats show a similar capacity for the formation of secure and insecure attachments towards human caregivers previously demonstrated in children and dogs. Image credit: Pexels.

Pet Cats Really Bond with Their Owners, Says New Study

Sep 24, 2019 by News Staff

Domestic cats (Felis silvestris catus) form attachments with their owners that are similar to the bonds formed by children and dogs with their caretakers,...

Mathematicians often describe arguments as beautiful or dull, and famous scientists have claimed that mathematical beauty is a guide toward the truth. Do laypeople, like mathematicians and scientists, experience mathematics aesthetically? Three studies by Johnson & Steinerberger suggest that they do. Image credit: Gerd Altmann.

Ordinary People Can See Beauty in Complex Math, New Research Reveals

Sep 6, 2019 by News Staff

According to a series of experiments by Yale University and University of Bath researchers, ordinary people see beauty in complex mathematical arguments...

Higher optimism is associated with longer life span and a greater likelihood of achieving exceptional longevity. Image credit: Daniel Nebreda.

Study: Optimism is Important Psychosocial Resource for Extending Life Span in Older Adults

Aug 28, 2019 by News Staff

People with higher optimism are more likely to live longer and to achieve ‘exceptional longevity,’ that is, living to the age of 85 or beyond, according...

You’re still the same person after a drink. Image credit: Rebcenter.

Scientists Say Alcohol is No Excuse for Antisocial Behavior, You are Still Same Person after Drink

Aug 27, 2019 by The Conversation

Many of us know that feeling of waking up, headache in tow, struggling to remember what we said and did after that extra drink the night before. And then...

Poulimenos et al found that people who took advantage of a mid-day snooze were more likely to have a noticeable drop in blood pressure compared with those who didn’t nap. Image credit: Pexels.

Optimists Sleep Better and Longer, New Study Finds

Aug 12, 2019 by News Staff

People who are the most optimistic tend to sleep better and longer, according to a new study published in the journal Behavioral Medicine. Hernandez et...

Young children notice everything -- even when they don’t have to. Image credit: Hai Nguyen Tien.

Kids Pay Attention to Everything, New Study Shows

Aug 8, 2019 by News Staff

In a study published in the journal Developmental Psychology, a team of researchers surprised adult and young participants by making information that was...

While it is well known that cacao is a major source of flavonoids, this is the first time the effect has been studied in human subjects to determine how it can support cognitive, endocrine and cardiovascular health. Image credit: Sci-News.com.

Dark Chocolate Consumption May Reduce Depression Symptoms

Aug 7, 2019 by News Staff

A new study, published recently in the journal Depression and Anxiety, provides evidence that consumption of chocolate, particularly dark chocolate, may...

In virtually all countries citizens were more likely to return wallets that contained more money. Image credit: Steve Buissinne.

Study: People More Likely to Return Lost Wallet with More Money

Jun 28, 2019 by News Staff

An international team of researchers from the United States and Switzerland turned 17,303 ‘lost’ wallets containing varying amounts of money into public...

Aldridge & Rose suggest that although some children struggle to recognize when a dog is frightened, the more concerning issue is their lack of understanding of how to behave appropriately around dogs, especially those that are frightened. Image credit: Pexels.

Study: Children Often Misread Fear in Dogs, Making Bite More Likely

Jun 17, 2019 by The Conversation

The benefits of growing up with a pet are well documented — these days dogs are even used in the classroom. That said, we sometimes forget that dogs...

Scholars argue that consciousness is a fundamental quality of the Universe. Image credit: NASA / ESA / JPL-Caltech / STScI / Sci-News.com.

Is Consciousness a Fundamental Quality of the Universe?

Jun 14, 2019 by The Conversation

Scientists have long been trying to understand human consciousness — the subjective ‘stuff’ of thoughts and sensations inside our minds. There...

© 2011-2026. Sci.News. All Rights Reserved. | Back to top