Alcohol and Aggression

Statistics on violence support a strong link between alcohol intoxication and violent acts. Not all people, however, become aggressive when they are drinking. Researchers from Ohio State University and several other institutions conducted a laboratory experiment with result suggesting that the personality trait of being present-oriented heightens the chance of aggression after consuming alcohol.

One Trait Has Huge Impact On Whether Alcohol Makes You Aggressive

Virtual Violence Causes Brain Changes

There is ample research to support that violence in video games has cognitive, emotional, and psychological effects on those who play them. Research presented at the 2011 annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) provided evidence that video game violence alters regions of the brain involved in thought and emotional processes.

Violent Video Games Alter The Brain

Breakthroughs in Neuroscience: Schizophrenia, Depression, and Anxiety

Exciting new findings suggesting treatment directions for schizophrenia, depression, and anxiety were presented at Neuroscience 2011, the annual meeting for the Society for Neuroscience. Insights into how childhood stress can affect the brain, how factors believed to be involved in schizophrenia are related, and how a specific brain chemical enhanced antidepressant response are among the crucial findings presented.

New Understanding Of Brain Systems Suggests New Treatment Options For Schizophrenia, Depression And Anxiety

Multitasking Moms and Dads

Many people pride themselves on being able to multitask their way through a busy life. When it comes to parents, however, fathers may perceive multitasking as a much more positive thing than do mothers. Research conducted at Michigan State University revealed that mothers are multitasking about 2/5 of their waking hours and finding it to be a negative experience, whereas fathers are multitasking 1/3 of the time and finding it to be a positive experience.

Working Mothers Multitask More Than Fathers, And Don't Like It

The Healing Power of Dreams

Dreams and the sleep process have been a source of fascination for centuries. The content of dreams can range from the mundane to the bizarre. Sometimes they make sense to us; other times they lack meaning and structure. Dreaming occurs during REM sleep, a time at which our brain waves closely resemble those when we are awake and alert, yet we are deeply asleep. Individuals deprived of REM sleep can show cognitive, physical, and emotional deficits over time.

Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley have found more support for the importance of REM sleep and dreams. Evidence suggests that our brains suppress stress chemicals and process emotional information during sleep, allowing healing from painful memories to take place.

During REM Sleep Stress Chemicals Shut Down And The Brain Processes Emotional Experiences

Teach Your Children Well . . . How to Trust and Love

Attachment theory, first proposed by John Bowlby in the early 20th century, supports the idea that how a child is treated by his or her parents will have a long lasting impact on the child's ability to participate in meaningful relationships. Adult attachment theory, as proposed by Hazan & Shaver, Bartholomew & Horowitz, and other researchers in the 1980s and 1990s, extended the original model to romantic relationships.

Support for the link between childhood attachment status and adult attachment status has been difficult to attain. Longitudinal research conducted at the University of Minnesota is helping to bridge that gap.

The Ability To Love Takes Root In Earliest Infancy

Trouble Sleeping? Pass On Taking Pills

Many people suffer from insomnia from time to time. Many others have poor quality sleep or don't get enough sleep. If you are one of them, think again before taking medication or drinking alcohol to try to help you sleep. You could be making matters worse.

Researchers at Ryerson University found that 40% of their college student participants suffered from poor sleep and expended a lot of energy in trying to force themselves to sleep, including self-medicating efforts. Cognitive behavior therapy to help understand mistaken ideas about sleep and replace them with more healthy ones is suggested as a more effective alternative.

Not Getting Enough Sleep? Popping A Pill Not The Best Way To Get Rid Of Insomnia In The Long Term Suggests Sleep Experts

Have a Headache? Take Some Music for Relief!

Music is an important part of many people's lives. It provides entertainment, keeps you company on long drives, gives you a soundtrack for memorable life moments, and helps some people focus on tasks. Researchers at the University of Utah Pain Research Center have found that listening to music can focus highly anxious people's attention away from pain.

Study Assesses Pain Relieving Benefits From Music

Hot or Not? Some Men Tend to Overestimate Their Own Attractiveness

In the world of romance, miscommunications between men and women are frequent and are often based on misinterpretations of the other person's behavior. Consider this scenario:

Guy 1: "Aw, man, I met this HOTTIE at that party last night."

Guy 2: "Oh, yeah?"

Guy 1: "I could tell just how much she wanted me, dude. She kept smiling at me."

Guy 2: "Sweet! Did you get her phone number?"

Guy 1: "Nah, I asked, but she didn't give it to me, but she's just playing hard to get. I know it. She really wants me. I bet she'll be at Jane's party this weekend. I can't wait!"

At that same moment across town . . .

Woman 1 (a/k/a HOTTIE): "I had fun at the party last night, but this one guy kept following me around and bugging me."

Woman 2: "Oh, no! What did you do?"

Woman 1: "Well, I kind of wanted to tell him off, you know? But I was just very polite and distant, and he still kept following me around. It was creepy."

Woman 2: "How did you finally get away from him?"

Woman 1: "Well, after he asked for my phone number -- which I would have NEVER given him -- I got too uncomfortable and left. I hope I don't see him at Jane's party this weekend."

Why does this happen? Researchers at Williams College and the University of Texas at Austin have some insights.

All It Takes Is A Smile (For Some Guys)...

Connecting Addiction with Depression and Anxiety

Scientists have long believed that certain types of drug abuse are connected with depression and anxiety at a biochemical level. The evidence to support this theory continues to accumulate at an impressive rate. Research done at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health indicated that individuals with depression and anxiety were more likely to take prescription narcotics for non-medical reasons (in other words, to abuse them). Read more of this research summary at Medical News Today.

Link Between Opioid Abuse And Mood And Anxiety Disorders

Self-Expression Protects Teens from Peer Pressure

Being able to talk about one's thoughts and feelings to trusted family and friends is important at any age. Recent research reveals, however, that teens who are able to talk freely to parents tend to be better able to resist peer pressure, including pressure to use drugs. This research review from WebMD explains more.

Teens Who Can Express Themselves More Likely to Avoid Drugs