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Learning a New Language at Any Age Helps the Brain
LiveScience: Learning a second language may help improve brain function regardless of when you start, according to a new study. Researchers found that young adults proficient in two languages performed better on attention tests and had better concentration than those who spoke only one language, irrespective of whether they had learned that second language during infancy, childhood or their teen years. The study appears in the current edition of the journal Frontiers in Psychology, led by Dr. Thomas Bak, a lecturer at Edinburgh's School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences. Read the whole story: LiveScience
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New Research From Psychological Science
Read about the latest research published in Psychological Science: Serotonin and Social Norms: Tryptophan Depletion Impairs Social Comparison and Leads to Resource Depletion in a Multiplayer Harvesting Game Amy C. Bilderbeck, Gordon D. A. Brown, Judi Read, Mark Woolrich, Phillip J. Cowen, Tim E. J. Behrens, and Robert D. Rogers What factors influence the conservation of shared resources? The authors manipulated participants' levels of serotonin activity by having them consume a drink containing tryptophan or a placebo (tryptophan depletion reduces serotonin activity).
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Use of Gestures Reflects Language Instinct in Young Children
Young children instinctively use a "language-like" structure to communicate through gestures, according to research published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science. The research, led by the University of Warwick, shows that when young children are asked to use gestures to communicate, their gestures segment information and reorganize it into language-like sequences. This finding suggests that children are not just learning language from older generations -- their own preferences in communication may have shaped how languages look today.
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Peer Pressure Might Have an Expiration Date
New York Magazine: Anyone who keeps an eye on psychological research will quickly internalize a key point: Group influence matters. In many cases, what our peers are doing and saying can actually override our own opinions and better judgement. A new study published in Psychological Science provides a pretty cool example, and suggests — at least within the specific confines of one lab experiment — that there's something like a peer-pressure expiration date. A trio of researchers from Chinese universities had subjects rate the attractiveness of 280 female faces.
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Per ottenere sollievo dallo stress decidiamo di “pre-crastinare” (To get relief from stress we decide to “pre-crastinate”)
La Stampa: Ogni nuovo compito o lavoro che ci viene affidato è causa di stress. Quasi tutti ne siamo soggetti, perché sentiamo crescere un’ansia dentro che ci vorrebbe far liberare di questo il prima possibile. E, difatti, in molti reagiscono in questo senso: secondo uno studio, quando viene loro affidato un nuovo compito, anziché procrastinare – ossia rimandare – scelgono di “pre-crastinare”, cioè iniziare il prima possibile e fare più cose insieme per liberarsene allo stesso modo il prima possibile. Questo, atteggiamento, secondo gli scienziati, è un modo per liberarsi o ottenere sollievo dallo stress – anche se richiede un maggiore sforzo. Read the whole story: La Stampa
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Anatomy Of A Dance Hit: Why We Love To Boogie With Pharrell
NPR: There's no doubt Pharrell's "Happy" is the biggest hit of the year so far. It spent 15 weeks at the top of the Billboard 100 and inspired hundreds of fan videos on YouTube. Just a few weeks ago, six Iranian teenagers got arrested for posting a video of themselves dancing to the catchy song. So what is it about "Happy" that triggers a nearly uncontrollable need to tap your foot, bob your head or move to the rhythm in some way? It may be more about what's missing from the song than what's there. Read the whole story: NPR
