-
Early Attachment May Affect Our Ability to Resolve Conflict in Relationships
Scientific American: Many relationship experts say it's not the fights that matter so much as the making up post-fight. Well a long-term study found that attachment to our caregivers during infancy can predict an ability for resolving an argument later in life. Scientists out of the University of Minnesota have been following a group of subjects since the mid-1970s and recently had them come into the lab with their romantic partners. Couples were asked to discuss something they disagreed on, and then they were given a cool-down period, talking about something they both liked. Read the whole story: Scientific American
-
To Feel Less Pain, Don’t Look Away
Dreading getting your flu shot? Surprisingly, if you want the shot to hurt less, don’t look away—look at the shot! A study published in Psychological Science found that people experienced less pain from hot contact on their skin when they were looking at their hand, and even less so when they were viewing an enlarged version of it. Volunteers were instructed to press a foot pedal when they began to feel pain from a heat probe on their left hand that gradually increased in temperature while they viewed, through mirror manipulations, either their own hand or a wooden object appearing where the hand would be.
-
Can’t let an argument go? Blame your parents, not your partner
The Daily Mail: If a lovers’ tiff leaves your blood boiling for hours afterwards, don’t blame your partner. Blame your parents. The better relationship you had with your mother and father as a child, the better you are at getting over arguments as an adult, scientists claim. So whether you can’t help holding a grudge or are happy to bury the hatchet has more to do with your childhood than your partner’s failure to empty the bin. Read the whole story: The Daily Mail
-
Should children learn a second language?
The Los Angeles Times: Does being bilingual help children learn to prioritize information, provide a defense against some effects of Alzheimer's or just provide a great workout for the brain? All of the above, according to studies discussed Friday at the 2011 American Assn. for the Advancement of Science meeting in Washington D.C., where a number of researchers presented on the benefits of being bilingual. Read the whole story: The Los Angeles Times
-
I 5683 you: When texting takes over our brains
The Toronto Star: Trying to get your crush to notice you? You may want to change your cellphone number. Frequent texting has so rewired our brains, says a recent German study, that when dialling numbers we unconsciously think of the words behind them. We even adopt the emotional feeling of the words, such that we prefer dialling numbers that correspond to “positive” words, such as LOVE (5683) or FRIEND (374363), rather than FEAR (3327) or SLIME (75463). Read the whole story: The Toronto Star
-
Your mother may be to blame for your relationship woes
The Los Angeles Times: The strength of the bond you formed with Mom during the first two years of life strongly affects how efficiently you and your partner will move beyond a fight and join forces to accomplish mutual goals, a new study finds. But if those first years failed to cement your attachment to Mom, take heart: the same study suggests that finding a mellow mate--someone who "gets over it" quickly in the wake of an argument--can help even the insecurely attached to find happiness in a relationship. Read the whole story: The Los Angeles Times
