mind over matter

We all know sexual harassment’s not so kind on the ol’ mental health, but a meta-analysis of 110 studies found that workplace bullying is actually more damaging. It seems that people know where to draw the line on sexual harassment because the line’s a whole lot more visible:
Workers know what actions constitute sexual harassment, in […]

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OK, this won’t come as a shock to anyone’s who’s heard a little kid shout something to the effect of, “Mommy, why is that man so fat?” New research from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis finds that the contemplative brain network, an introspective mental system involved in tasks like self-recognition and understanding […]

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I know I spend a lot of time blogging about spanked children and depressed teenagers and acne-ridden would-be athletes, but the latest research hits closer to home. A new study from the Swinburne University of Technology found that blogging makes people feel less isolated, more satisfied with their social lives and more connected to a […]

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New research from the University of Washington shows that the combination of mother-daughter conflict and low serotonin levels accounts for 64 percent of the difference among adolescent girls who harm themselves and those who do not.
“Most people think in terms of biology or environment rather than biology and environment working together,” said [Theodore Beauchaine, a […]

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New meta-analysis research suggests that spanking leads to sexual problems later in life. Getting spankings as a kid raises one’s risk for “delinquent and anti-social behavior in childhood along with aggression, criminal and anti-social behavior and spousal or child abuse as an adult.” Furthermore, children whose parents physically punished them are later more likely to […]

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If you’re searching for evidence that life’s not fair, look no further: a new study published in the Journal of Health Psychology says that acne sufferers shun exercise and experience poorer quality of life.
My first thought was, “No, if you have bad skin, at least build up a nice bod!” After all, being a But-her […]

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Northwestern research always gives me a little thrill (I was an undergrad psych minor and sometimes recognize the names), and the latest study is interesting to boot. Background: High self-monitors are people who can accurately read a social situation and use that to interact with others. They’re generally well-liked and successful. So, for socially adept people, life […]

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Alright, somebody get the Pulitzer panel on the phone, because I have an entry for Best Lede, drawn from an article in the New York Times today:
“Why does it often seem that men enjoy playing video games more than women? Perhaps because they do.”
Poetry. This is actually an interesting study, though. Eleven men and eleven […]

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I just came across a new study and did a little dance. It is fascinating, it is Valentine’s Day-appropriate, it happened here at Northwestern and - yes indeed - I know some of the subjects myself.
New research shows that men and women are looking for the same thing in a partner - but they don’t […]

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Photo by victoriapeckham
Well, it’s nearly Valentine’s Day, and love is in the air. Not the air within a ten-foot radius of me, mind you, but I’m sure it’s out there somewhere. So, since I am a hopeless romantic at heart (and making a concerted effort not to sound bitter), this week’s posts will be all […]

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