Being single NOT worse for you than smoking

This story has come around again that being single is worse for you than smoking - this time in The Independent. I pointed out this story a couple of weeks ago in my blog. It is highly likely that this is complete rubbish. In fact here is the last line from the BBC News article: "A long-term smoker is thought to have a one in two chance of dying prematurely. Whether the lifetime risk of being single even begins to approach this figure is highly dubious." Quite.
> From The Independent
> From BBC News

Bad mood improves memory

Journos seem surprised by this study that found that those who were in a bad mood were better eye witnesses than those in a good mood. To me, it makes perfect sense. My firm belief is that being in a good mood is all about self-deception, for God's sake don't look too closely at the details. I'm happy because I'm in denial about life, and long may it last!
> From News Medical

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Newsflash: Children are humans too!

Adults are always a bit sniffy about the latest trends in children's fashions. One of the newest is apparently the popularity of tatoos - not real ones but spray on. This article ends with a child psychologist claiming that spray on tatoos might encourage real tatoos in the future. Whereas of course forbidding the child to have any sort of tatoo will automatically make it less likley to have a tatoo, right? Errr. No.

The article continues: "This is part of a general trend where younger and younger children are emulating teenagers and adults in clothes and make-up." This article is part of a general trend of treating children as though they were from another species rather than members of the human race. Adults spend much of their waking lives copying other, higher status, humans so what is so unusual about children doing the same?
> From The Telegraph (free registration required)

Positive psychologists on the march

If you haven't yet heard of positive psychology, then wake up! Some psychologists are fed up with dealing with people who are genuinely mentally unwell. Instead they prefer to deal with those who are basically OK, but would like to feel a little better about things generally. Enter the 'life coach'.
> From The Australian

Top selling computer game targets women

As cosmetic manufacturers are starting to wake up to the fact that they have traditionally been ignoring half of their potential market, so games manufacturers are also seeing the light. With the sexes reversed of course! Computer games developers are in the business of inducing the most addictive behaviour from their products but they have traditionally concentrated on men. The Sims, the chart topping series of games, appeals more directly to women by concentrating on relationships rather than the spatial abilities that shoot 'em ups require.
> The Sydney Morning Herald

Brain diseases show massive increase over last 20 years

You may have already spotted this story in the news but I noticed that Adbusters has also picked it up. Which, of course gives me an excuse to link to their excellent site.
> From Adbusters

Bronze better than silver (psychologically of course)

A classic study of how happy medal winners were with their different coloured medals. It compared bronze winners with silver and found that the former were generally happier than the latter. This is because the silver winners tended to compare themselves with the winner and the bronze with the rest of the pack. And the noddy moral in this article is? Be happy with your lot. The question is, how much control do we actually have over our thoughts?
[From ABS-CBN News]

Music lessons enhance IQ

Here is a longer post than normal which highlights the importance of reading the actual study rather than just the news report.

First a quote from the report: "The idea that studying music improves the intellect is not a new one, but at last there is incontrovertible evidence from a study conducted out of the University of Toronto."

And here is what the study says in it's conclusion: "The findings indicate that music lessons cause small increases in IQ, but comparable nonmusical activities do not have similar consequences." and continues: "It is well established that simple attendance at school raises IQ (Ceci & Williams, 1997), and that school instruction is particularly effective when classes are small (Ehrenberg, Brewer, Gamoran, & Wilms, 2001). Music lessons, taught individually or in small groups, may provide additional boosts in IQ because they are like school but still enjoyable. Moreover, music lessons involve a multiplicity of experiences that could generate improvement in a wide range of abilities. From this perspective, extracurricular activities (other than drama lessons) with similar properties (e.g., chess lessons, programs in science or reading) may confer similar benefits."
[From Medical News Today]
[From The American Psychological Society (PDF file)]

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My boss doesn't care about my feelings!

And that's precisely how he got where he is today. So what is the difference between being labelled a psychopath and a successful businessman? A psychopath is happy to use violence to achieve his aims. That is certainly one way of looking at what it takes to succeed in business. Of course this situation is not either/or, there is a continuum. Professor Hare's study aims to dicover what personality traits are useful in business with more than an implication that some psychopathic tendencies are useful.
[From BBC News]

Unwritten rules of the motorway

Some interesting differences between the way that we drive in the UK and the States with philosophising about what it might mean. 'In general, says psychologist Professor Steve Stradling, "roads are one of the most democratic forums in which public life is acted out."' Which made me wonder what exactly Parliament was for. Then I realised - it's for making sure more roads are built so that we can continue our 'democratic' processes.
[From BBC News]

Bicycle bicycle bicycle
I want to ride my bicycle bicycle bicycle
I want to ride my bicycle
I want to ride my bike
I want to ride my bicycle
I want to ride my...

Worth a thousand words

Oh, and read this illustrated story of a 3rd year medical student doing one of her rotations in a psychiatric unit.

Here are a couple of links that I picked up from Dr John Grohol's Psychology Blog. Firstly the story that Finnish conscripts have managed to get out of military service by claiming Internet Adiction. Secondly the more sinister story that we are taking so much Prozac as a nation that it is detectable in the drinking water. Add Flouride, add Prozac - get the balance just right and perhaps we can all be happy and healthy. What are the chances?

Medicine hope for psychedelic drugs
Another raft of studies examining the therapeutic possibilities of hallucinogens for treating cancer.
[From BBC News]

The Psychology of Magic
Very interesting article from a few years ago describing a visit by Simon Singh to The Magic Circle. Although only really revealing what we already know, that magicians use misdirection to achieve some of their effects, it contains some interesting asides. They include the fact that the Magic Circle library includes whole books devoted to one trick - such as 50 ways to make a card inserted into the pack 'magically' rise to the top.
[From The Guardian]

Tattoos help psychologist build a rapport
A psychologist decided to have tatoos when he realised it was the only way the tatooist would confide in him.
[From ic Wales]

Your name key to sexiness
Silly. Silly. Silly. But I still read it and posted it to my blog.
[From CNN]