Psychology

Big Surprise?: Parents' Beliefs Dictate Treatment Choices

In the category of "Duh?" for the week, we have a new article from France looking at how parental beliefs regarding autism dictate treatment choices. Dardennes et al. (2011) put 78 parents through a questionnaire called "the Lay-Beliefs abou ...

Article - Kim Wombles - Mar 18 2011 - 5:34pm

Losing Virginity Linked To Better Body Image In Men- Women, Not So Much

Losing virginity can improve your self-image,  according to Penn State researchers- if you are a college-age male.  On average, college-age males become more satisfied with their appearance after first intercourse while college-age females become less sati ...

Article - News Staff - Mar 23 2011 - 10:02am

Why Don't You Believe In Global Warming? Making Greener Minds

The past few years have seen a decline in the percentage of Americans who believe what scientists say about climate science.  The science community shares some of the blame, obviously; the IPCC made rookie errors in its recent assessment and even intention ...

Article - Hank Campbell - Sep 5 2012 - 11:11am

Negative Perceptions Of Teenagers With Acne

HARROGATE, England, March 30, 2011 /PRNewswire/-- The largest survey of its kind in the UK provides insight into just how teenagers and parents perceive teenagers with acne.  The results of the survey confirm that teenagers with acne are consistently perc ...

Article - Anna Ohlden - Mar 30 2011 - 4:34pm

Depression Impairs 'Empathic Accuracy'

Depression erodes intimate relationships not just by making one person withdrawn, needy, or hostile, but also because it impairs a depressed person's ability to perceive the others' thoughts and feelings. It impairs what psychologists call " ...

Article - News Staff - Mar 30 2011 - 5:09pm

Lessons Everywhere You Look: On Autism And Disability

Some days I wonder if we were set up from the get-go to expect less, to hope for less, to dream of less. My son's prognosis was grim and bitter to the heart when he was a tender five. And yet here he is at 21 continually amazing us with the strides he ...

Article - Kim Wombles - Apr 3 2011 - 6:39am

Facilitated Communication: Bandwagon Endorsements; It All Feels Good

In the autism world, feel-good stories really don't come along all that long often, and heartwarming stories about severely impaired individuals all of a sudden speaking out in perfect English through the use of dedicated facilitators are uplifting st ...

Article - Kim Wombles - Apr 5 2011 - 7:08pm

Space Metaphors- Right, Left Values More Literal Than You Might Think

When we are 'up', we are happy, 'down' not so much.   'Right' is trustworthy while 'in left field' not so much, according to language and culture.  But we don't all think right is right. Take handedness- people ...

Article - News Staff - Apr 13 2011 - 2:44pm

At Easter, Kids Eat Less Junk Food If They Decide How Much To Take

Children eat fewer Easter eggs during the Easter holidays if parents let them decide how many they can have, according to Saima Ehsan and colleagues from the University of Surrey, who will present their research at the British Psychological Society's ...

Article - News Staff - Apr 17 2011 - 6:00pm

If Restaurants Label Pasta As Salad, Dieters Choose It More

Dieting is hard work.  While ingesting the calories to gain weight is simple, the loss of those calories and the mental 'hunger' and the exercise it requires is no small thing. Given that, it's no surprise dieters who look for healthy food c ...

Article - News Staff - Apr 19 2011 - 11:35am