


Archive for January, 2011
 
Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on October 8, 2010
A new program piloted at the University of Granada shows promise for helping to prevent antisocial behavior in the early years extending into adulthood.
Researchers have pioneered an intervention program aimed at 3-year-old children called Aprender a convivir (learning to live together).
Findings of the pilot study revealed that 90 percent of the children who participated in the program interacted more actively with other children, and that 86 percent experienced a reduction in anxiety, depression, shyness or social isolation.
Funded by the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science, researchers took a sample of 131 children aged three. A control group of 53 children was identified alongside an experimental group of 78.
The experimental group was trained with the Aprender program for three months, and evaluations were taken before and after the intervention.
Based on interaction with puppets, the program was divided into four blocks with a duration of three weeks respectively. Two 1.5 hour-sessions were held per week.
Read in Full:Â http://psychcentral.com/news/2010/10/08/prevention-program-improves-antisocial-behavior-in-children/19333.html
 
ScienceDaily (Oct. 8, 2010) — Children with autism will tell white lies to protect other people’s feelings and they are not very good at covering up their lies, according to a Queen’s University study.
The study, conducted by psychology professor Beth Kelley and developmental psychology PhD student Annie Li, is one of the first scientific studies of lying and autism.
“The results are surprising because there is a notion that children with autism have difficulty appreciating the thoughts and feelings of other people, so we didn’t expect them to lie to avoid saying things that may hurt others,” says Dr. Kelley.
In one test, children with autism were told they were going to get a great gift, and were then handed a bar of soap. When asked if they liked their gift, most nodded or said yes instead of saying they were disappointed to get soap.
Researchers refer to this as pro-social lies told to maintain good relations with others.
In a second test, children were given audio clues and asked to guess a hidden object. Most guessed the easy clues, a chicken when they heard a chicken clucking — but an intentionally difficult clue (Christmas music and an Elmo doll) — was used as a test for lying.
Read in Full:Â http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/10/101008105724.htm
 
Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on October 7, 2010
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given the green light to the nonstimulant medication Kapvay (clonidine hydrochloride) as the first drug used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) that can be used as an add-on therapy to stimulant medication.
Kapvay has been approved as an extended-release tablet and extended-release oral formula for treatment in children ages 6 to 17 years.
It’s currently the only formulation of clonidine hydrochloride approved by the FDA for the treatment of ADHD and can be used as a monotherapy as well.
Manufactured by Shionogi, Kapvay is a centrally acting alpha2-adrenergic receptor agonist. These receptors are believed to involve the prefrontal cortex (PFC) of the brain.
Studies suggest that the PFC regulates attention and plays a critical role in impulse control, working memory and executive function.
“The FDA approval of Kapvay represents an exciting milestone in the field of ADHD,†said Donald C. Manning, MD, PhD, chief medical officer of Shionogi.
“The extended-release formulation of Kapvay minimizes the peaks and troughs in blood levels, thereby decreasing overactivation of the alpha receptors in the brain and periphery.â€
Read in Full:Â http://psychcentral.com/news/2010/10/07/first-adhd-add-on-drug-approved/19278.html
 
Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on October 7, 2010
A team of Penn State researchers has discovered a diet rich in walnuts and walnut oil may help our bodies deal better with stress.
The investigators looked at how these foods, which contain polyunsaturated fats, influence blood pressure at rest and under stress.
Previous studies have shown that omega-3 fatty acids — like the alpha linolenic acid found in walnuts and flax seeds — can reduce low density lipoproteins (LDL) — bad cholesterol. These foods may also reduce C-reactive protein and other markers of inflammation.
“People who show an exaggerated biological response to stress are at higher risk of heart disease,†said Sheila G. West, associate professor of biobehavioral health.
“We wanted to find out if omega 3-fatty acids from plant sources would blunt cardiovascular responses to stress.â€
The researchers studied 22 healthy adults with elevated LDL cholesterol. All meals and snacks were provided during three diet periods of six weeks each.
The researchers found that including walnuts and walnut oil in the diet lowered both resting blood pressure and blood pressure responses to stress in the laboratory. Participants gave a speech or immersed their foot in cold water as a stressor. Adding flaxseed oil to the walnut diet did not further lower blood pressure.
They report their findings in the current issue of the Journal of the American College of Nutrition.
“This is the first study to show that walnuts and walnut oil reduce blood pressure during stress,†said West.
Read in Full:Â http://psychcentral.com/news/2010/10/07/stressed-out-eat-more-walnuts/19311.html
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Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on October 8, 2010Â
Some of the relationship factors influencing the “friending†and “unfriending†phenomenon on Facebook may be better understood thanks to a new study conducted by a student at the University of Colorado Denver Business School.
The study, which may be the first of its kind, has revealed the top reasons for Facebook unfriending, who is unfriended and how they react to being unfriended.
Being “unfriended†on Facebook simply means a friend, family member or acquaintance no longer is connected to you through the website.
If posts are deemed too frequent or lack importance, the person behind those words and phrases is at greatest risk of being unfriended, according to the study.
“Researchers spend a lot of time examining how people form friendships online but little is known on how those relationships end,†said Christopher Sibona, a PhD student whose research will be published January by the Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences.
“Perhaps this will help us develop a theory of the entire cycle of friending and unfriending.â€
With more than 500 million users worldwide, Facebook has become a global phenomenon, a vast cyber neighborhood where friends meet to share photos, news and gossip. In this recent study, Sibona surveyed more than 1,500 Facebook users on Twitter.
The study found that the number two reason for unfriending was related to postings about polarizing topics like religion and politics.
Read in Full:Â http://psychcentral.com/news/2010/10/08/why-facebook-friends-unfriend-you/19334.html
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Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on October 8, 2010Â
New research suggests an individual’s personality may mask symptoms of depression, delaying appropriate care.
Researchers discovered personality affects the accuracy of reports by friends and family members of mood history and symptoms and can cause missed diagnoses of depression.
Friends and family members of a person who is highly outgoing and fun-loving and who is likely to experience happiness and excitement, for example, often miss the signs that indicate the person is depressed.
“When a person who has enjoyed socializing and whose mood normally is positive becomes depressed, friends and family often don’t recognize it. Depression is inconsistent with the expectations that people have,†said Paul R. Duberstein, Ph.D., professor of psychiatry at the University of Rochester Medical Center.
Missed diagnoses and “false negatives†can have grave consequences for patients with depression or mood disorders, the researchers stated.
Read in Full:Â http://psychcentral.com/news/2010/10/08/personality-may-hide-depression/19358.html
 
Article Date: 08 Oct 2010 – 1:00 PDT
A systematic review of research into the use of nutritional supplements for the treatment of anxiety disorders has found strong evidence for the use of extracts of passionflower or kava and combinations of L-lysine and L-arginine. Researchers writing in BioMed Central’s open access Nutrition Journal pooled the results of 24 studies involving a total of more than 2000 participants, showing that some nutritional and herbal supplements can be effective, without the risk of serious side effects.
Read in Full:Â http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/203874.php
 
Article Date: 08 Oct 2010 – 0:00 PDT
Millions of people with common, but untreated, mental, neurological and substance use disorders can now benefit from new simplified diagnosis and treatment guidelines released today by WHO. The guidelines are designed to facilitate the management of depression, alcohol use disorders, epilepsy and other common mental disorders in the primary health-care setting.
The Intervention guide extends competence in diagnosis and management to non-mental health specialists including doctors, nurses and other health providers. These evidence-based guidelines are presented as flow charts to simplify the process of providing care in the primary health-care setting.
“In a key achievement, the Intervention guide transforms a world of expertise and clinical experience, contributed by hundreds of experts, into less than 100 pages of clinical wisdom and succinct practical advice,” says Dr Margaret Chan, Director-General of the World Health Organization.Â
Read in Full:Â http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/203827.php
 
By Davin White
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CHARLELSTON, W.Va. — Many autistic students in Berkeley County go without regular instruction from a teacher certified to teach children with autism, Berkeley Superintendent Manny Arvon told state Board of Education members Wednesday.
Fifteen of the 32 who teach autistic students in the Eastern Panhandle county are uncertified, Arvon said.
With at least 130 students diagnosed with autism and several more expected next year, Arvon said his county’s biggest challenge is certifying and retaining qualified autism teachers.
The certified teachers almost always get the tough cases, he said.
“What happens is they leave, ’cause we burn them out,” he said.
Pat Homberg, director of the state Department of Education’s Office of Special Programs, agreed that it’s difficult to find enough certified teachers for autism across the state.
During the 2001-2002 school year, fewer than 400 students in West Virginia were diagnosed with autism. That number has increased to 1,230 students this year. Â
State Superintendent of Schools Steve Paine noted that West Virginia has a very high percentage of special education students, who are expensive to educate. Â
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Read in Full:Â

Relationships And What Mimicking One’s Language Style May Mean
Article Date: 06 Oct 2010 – 0:00 PDT
People match each other’s language styles more during happier periods of their relationship than at other times, according to new research from psychologists at The University of Texas at Austin.
“When two people start a conversation, they usually begin talking alike within a matter of seconds,” says James Pennebaker, psychology professor and co-author of the study. “This also happens when people read a book or watch a movie. As soon as the credits roll, they find themselves talking like the author or the central characters.”
This tendency is called language style matching or LSM. It is the focus of Pennebaker’s and co-author Molly E. Ireland’s study published in the September issue of Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
“Because style matching is automatic,” says Ireland, a psychology graduate student, “it serves as an unobtrusive window into people’s close relationships with others.”
Read in Full:Â http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/203525.php

Snapshot of America’s Sexual Behaviors
Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on October 5, 2010
In the most comprehensive study of its kind, researchers have revised the little black book on America’s sexual and sexual health behaviors.
Indiana University scientists believe the new findings provide an updated and much needed snapshot of contemporary Americans’ sexual behaviors.
Understanding gained from the new study includes a description of more than 40 combinations of sexual acts that people perform during sexual activities, patterns of condom use by adolescents and adults, and the percentage of Americans participating in same-sex encounters.
The National Survey of Sexual Health and Behavior (NSSHB) was conducted by researchers from the Center for Sexual Health Promotion (CSHP) in Indiana University’s School of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation (HPER).
Read in Full:Â http://psychcentral.com/news/2010/10/05/snapshot-of-americas-sexual-behaviors/19181.html

8 Habits of Lousy Listeners
Most people know that one of the keys to success in relationships is good listening.
Experts tell us to use “active†listening, “I messages,†and open-ended questions. Articles urge us to stop talking when someone speaks, to use our body language effectively to encourage the other guy, and to work to understand what is meant as well as what is said. We’ve been told that men are from Mars and women are from Venus and we’ve been taught how to translate the gender languages. Yet despite all that, developing good listening skills continues to be a challenge for some people.
Generally, it’s better to emphasize the positive and teach folks useful skills. But at least some people some of the time find it equally useful to have the negative pointed out and explained. They want guidelines for what not to do. So here are eight ways that lousy listeners louse up communication and probably louse up their relationships.
1. Lousy listeners are attending to other things when you are speaking.
Proud of their ability to multitask, they continue to scan the newspaper, pick up the living room, text, or clean their desk while being addressed. An occasional ‘uh-huh’ is supposed to cue you that, really, they are with you. They’re not — or at least not totally. Their mind is distracted. Chances are they miss important pieces of your message — even if they protest that they don’t.
Read in Full:Â http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2010/10/05/8-habits-of-lousy-listeners/

The allure of the lady (and man) in red
When female chimps are nearing ovulation they display red on their bodies. Male chimps respond by masturbating and attempting to mount them. A new study claims we humans have moved on from this, but not a lot. Daniela Kayser‘s team found that when a lady wears red it prompts men to ask her more intimate questions and to sit closer to her. Surprisingly, this is the first time that the effect of colour on human sexual attraction behaviour has been studied. Past research has relied on asking participants to report their attraction rather than measuring their actual behaviour.
Twenty-three heterosexual or bisexual male undergrads were shown a photo of a blonde-haired, blue-eyed female rated in pilot work by men as moderately attractive. Half the participants saw a version in which she wore a red shirt, the other half saw an identical version bar for the fact that the shirt was green. Next the participants were asked to select 5 questions from a choice of 24 to ask the woman (these ranged from ‘Where are you from?’ to ‘How could a guy get your attention at a bar?’). The key finding was that men who’d viewed the woman wearing red opted to ask more intimate questions.

Proof Positive: Can’t Buy Me Love, But What About Happiness?
Too many people spend money they haven’t earned, to buy things they don’t want, to impress people they don’t like.â€
– Will Smith
“What’s a soup kitchen?â€
– Paris Hilton
Daniel Gilbert, Harvard psychologist and author of the best-selling Stumbling on Happiness, gave the keynote address at the American Psychological Association convention earlier this year. He challenged the three things he said his mother told him would make him happy: marriage, money and children. I’ve discussed the first one in talking about how, or if, relationships can make us happy. But now it is time to ask to ask the $64,000 question. Which, as it turns out, is the $75,000 question.
I’ll explain.
Can money make you happy? Is it true that those who say money can’t buy happiness don’t know where to shop? The general, mumbled answer you get from most people on the question is that money won’t do it. But what did the expert say? “Money can definitely make you happy,†Dr. Gilbert said at the convention, “and if you don’t think it does, give me yours.”
He pointed to data showing a direct relationship between a country’s per capita income and its reported degree of happiness. Poverty fosters a host of physical and emotional problems. It eclipses a sense of well-being and leaves in its wake a dearth of happiness. “Lack of money is the root of all evil,†as George Bernard Shaw said.
Read in Full:Â http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2010/10/04/proof-positive-cant-buy-me-love-but-what-about-happiness/



