Genes linked to educational attainment are also tied to fewer behavior...
A recent study indicates that genetic variants associated with higher educational attainment are also linked to lower levels of some behavioral and emotional difficulties in children and adolescents,...
View ArticleIntelligence tests are a weaker predictor of job performance than long...
A large synthesis of recent workplace data reinforces evidence that general intelligence tests are a weaker predictor of overall job performance than long believed. By combining data from over 109,000...
View ArticleLearning to read may shape how adults reason about what others believe
A study of literate and illiterate women in Turkey found that reading fluency was strongly linked to performance on a test of reasoning about what one person thinks another believes. The findings,...
View ArticleWeight loss medications alter how the brain and kidneys manage body fluids
Medications like liraglutide help treat diabetes and obesity, but they also influence how the body handles water and sodium. A new study shows that these drugs directly lower levels of a key...
View ArticleSleep loss reduces muscle endurance by rewiring brain networks, study finds
A new small study reveals that getting less than four hours of sleep reduces physical endurance by altering how different networks in the brain communicate. Rather than muscles tiring out faster,...
View ArticleOxytocin amplifies negative childhood memories for anxiously attached adults
Oxytocin is often called the “love hormone,” but it can actually make childhood memories seem more negative for people who struggle with relationship anxiety. A new experiment demonstrates that...
View ArticleThe gender gap in risk-taking disappears when economists account for guessing
A large study of Chinese schoolchildren shows that girls are not inherently more risk-averse than boys. By accounting for cognitive errors and guessing, researchers found that gender differences in...
View ArticleMusicians are less prone to the ventriloquism illusion, study finds
An experiment comparing musicians and nonmusicians found that musicians tend to be less susceptible to the ventriloquism effect. When a sound came from one location and a visual flash from another,...
View ArticleCreative drawing ability is linked to the brain’s white matter wiring, study...
Creative drawing ability is associated with the structure of the wiring that links sensory, movement and thinking systems across the brain, according to a study published in Cerebral Cortex. The...
View ArticleScientists uncover a possible trade-off in how the hippocampus replays new...
When the brain rests after learning something new, it actively replays the recent experience to lock it into memory. A recent small study published in the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience reveals that...
View ArticleBrain injury triggers unexpected hormone release in progenitor cells
Following a brain injury, specific progenitor cells produce a neuropeptide to prevent their neighboring cells from maturing too quickly, a process that aids in tissue repair. This regulatory mechanism...
View ArticleWhere you direct your attention may shape your body’s inflammatory response
Focusing your mind on physical sensations in your skin might help your body tamp down sudden inflammation, according to a new investigation. Researchers found that when individuals deliberately paid...
View ArticleResearchers explore how J-Pop listening habits impact visual memory
A small pilot study exploring the brain activity of young adults found that listening to preferred Japanese pop music was associated with higher descriptive scores in visual memory and subjective focus...
View ArticleEye contact may act as a learning “switch” for babies’ brains
Direct eye contact from an adult speaker appears to guide how infants choose which words to learn by aligning the baby’s brain activity with the adult’s. A new study suggests that this one-way neural...
View ArticleBrain replays motor skills during sleep without help from the memory center
When we sleep, our brains replay the events of the day to solidify new skills, a process scientists previously thought was always controlled by a region called the hippocampus. A new study in mice...
View ArticleA love of intense sweetness shows a surprising link to financial choices
People who have a strong preference for intensely sweet tastes tend to grab a small reward available right now rather than wait for a larger one. New research published in Frontiers in Psychology...
View ArticleBrain receptors for dopamine and insulin coordinate to control compulsive eating
A new study in mice reveals how receptors for dopamine and insulin act together in a specific brain region to regulate compulsive eating habits. The research, published in Molecular Psychiatry,...
View ArticleTeen cannabis use linked to flattened cognitive development in large U.S. study
New research suggests that adolescents who begin using cannabis may experience a slowing in their cognitive development compared to peers who do not use the drug. The findings, published in...
View ArticleScientists reveal the brain’s hidden role in building exercise endurance
Repeated physical activity builds endurance by triggering widespread adaptations throughout the human body, but a new study reveals that the brain actually directs these physiological changes....
View ArticleLosing deep belly fat may slow brain aging and protect memory
Losing deep belly fat rather than just overall body weight is linked to slower brain aging and better cognitive function years later. The research, published in Nature Communications, suggests that...
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