Psychology
- Brain
Cool Jobs: Getting in your head
Experimental psychologists study animals and people to understand the roots of behavior.
- Animals
Profile: A human touch for animals
Temple Grandin uses her own autism to understand how animals think. The animal scientist is famous for fostering the humane treatment of livestock.
- Brain
Lessons from failure: Why we try, try again
We all suffer failures. But we don’t always try again. Focusing on what they can be learned might help people keep going, brain imaging data now show.
- Brain
Explainer: What is anxiety?
Anxiety is the stress linked to worries about an upcoming event — one that may not even happen. But anxiety can affect the body every bit as much as does the stress provoked by staring down a hungry lion.
- Health & Medicine
If you’re awake, you’re probably eating
The idea that we eat three meals a day is a myth. People eat nearly constantly, and that may not be good for our health.
- Brain
Study challenges safety for teens of two depression drugs
Scientists reanalyze data on the safety of common drugs to treat depression and find that they don’t seem to help teens. Worse, the drugs may harm them.
- Psychology
Friends’ good moods can be contagious
Good mental health spreads through teen social networks, but depression doesn’t, a new study finds.
- Brain
Childhood stress can leave changes in the adult brain
A new study finds that young men who had experienced lots of stress early in life carried a lasting legacy — changes in the size and shape of their brains.
- Health & Medicine
Vaping can lead to teen smoking, new study finds
A study in L.A. high school students finds that those who vape are much more likely than those who don’t to eventually take up smoking cigarettes.
By Meghan Rosen and Janet Raloff - Math
New math: Fail + try again = real learning
Hands-on instruction by trial and error is gaining traction. Kids really can learn mightily from their mistakes.
By Susan Moran - Brain
Back off, bullies!
Mental health is another reason to stop bullies. Victims of bullying are more likely to develop anxiety problems than are victims of abuse or neglect, a new study finds.
- Health & Medicine
Stress for success
Stress and anxiety can lead to serious mental and behavioral problems. Identifying stressors can help people cope with anxiety. Even better, viewing stress as a strength can tone down anxious feelings and boost productivity.