RMIT University researchers have used data from mobile phone accelerometers — the tiny sensors tracking phone movement for step-counting and other apps — to predict people’s personalities. RMIT University computer scientist Associate Professor Flora Salim said previous studies had predicted personality types using phone call and messaging activity logs, but this study showed adding accelerometer […]
Research questions link between unconscious bias and behavior: ‘Implicit bias’ is often cited as the underlying cause of discrimination;a new look at the evidence suggests the connection isn’t that strong
A new study calls into question the effectiveness of a popular concept for addressing social problems such as discrimination. Implicit bias, a term for automatically activated associations, is often perceived to be a primary cause of discrimination against social groups such as women and racial minorities. Identifying and understanding implicit bias and modifying behavior that’s […]
Many choices seems promising until you actually have to choose: UB research explains motivation factors contributing to choice overload
People faced with more options than they can effectively consider want to make a good decision, but feel they’re unable to do so, according to the results of a novel study from the University at Buffalo that used cardiovascular measures and fictional dating profiles to reach its conclusions. Despite the apparent opportunities presented by a […]
Indoor tanning may be an addiction abetted by both genetic and psychiatric factors
A combination of elevated symptoms of depression along with modifications in a gene responsible for dopamine activity, important to the brain’s pleasure and reward system, appear to influence an addiction to indoor tanning in young, white non-Hispanic women. That finding comes from a new study, reported by researchers at Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center and […]
It doesn’t take much for soldiers to feel cared for: Researchers conduct randomized controlled trial of caring texts
A soldier named Jerome Motto received caring letters from home in World War II. They helped boost his spirits and later led to one of the nation’s first successful suicide interventions. Today, with military personnel being more mobile, researchers tested out the effectiveness of caring texts sent to active-duty military. The study of 658 randomized […]
Nanoparticles in food can alter the behavior of gut bacteria
Researchers from the University Medical Center of Mainz in Germany and colleagues from other centers in Germany, Austria, and the United States have discovered that the ultra-tiny particles can bind to gut bacteria. In a study paper about their work — which now appears in the journal npj Science of Food — the authors explain […]
Common food additives may promote anxiety-related behavior and reduce social behavior in mice, research shows
Food additives known as dietary emulsifiers, commonly found in processed foods to improve texture and extend shelf life, may adversely affect anxiety-related and social behaviors in mice, Georgia State researchers have found. The scientists also observed sex differences in the mice’s behavioral patterns, suggesting that emulsifiers affect the brain via distinct mechanisms in males and […]
Brain’s cerebellum found to influence addictive and social behavior
In a study published online today in the journal Science, researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, part of Montefiore, prove for the first time that the brain’s cerebellum—long thought to be mainly involved in coordinating movement—helps control the brain’s reward circuitry. The surprising finding indicates that the cerebellum plays a major role in reward […]
Yes, Anxiety Can Be a Learned Behavior, & You're Teaching It to Your Kids
Anxiety is a normal part of being a parent. From dealing with countless unknowns to being in charge of other people’s lives, there is always plenty to worry about. But some parents who live with anxiety (both diagnosed and undiagnosed) beyond day-to-day nervousness may also be concerned about whether they can pass their anxiety down […]
Self-perception and reality seem to line-up when it comes to judging our own personality: For most people, how you think of yourself closely matches that of your peers
When it comes to self-assessment, new U of T research suggests that maybe we do have a pretty good handle on our own personalities after all. “It’s widely assumed that people have rose-coloured glasses on when they consider their own personality,” says Brian Connelly, an associate professor in U of T Scarborough’s Department of Management. […]