Neuroscience

Walking Through Doorways Causes Forgetting

We’ve all experienced it: The frustration of entering a room and forgetting what we were going to do. Or get. Or find.

New research from University of Notre Dame Psychology Professor Gabriel Radvansky suggests that passing through doorways is the cause of these memory lapses.

The guardians of fear - molecules that provide safety nets for scary memories

As sufferers of post-traumatic stress syndrome know all too well, frightening experiences can be strong, long-lasting and notoriously difficult to erase. Now, we're starting to understand why. Far from trying to purge these memories, the brain actively protects them by hiring a group of molecular bodyguards called CSPGs (or chondroitin sulphate proteoglycans in full).

Masked Fears: Are Fears That Are Seemingly Overcome Only Hidden?

ScienceDaily (Mar. 20, 2011) — Fear is a natural part of our emotional life and acts as a necessary protection mechanism. However, fears sometimes grow beyond proportions and become difficult to shed. Scientists from Freiburg, Basel and Bordeaux have used computer simulations to understand the processes within the brain during the formation and extinction of fears.

Born to laugh, we learn to cry

Ever wondered how many of our everyday laughs, groans and sighs are instinctive rather than learned from our peers? It now seems that only expressions of laughter and relief are instinctive, whereas other emotional outbursts need to be learned from other people.

Mental introspection increases as brain areas begin to act in sync

San Diego - Neuroscientists at Georgetown University Medical Center can now show, using functional MRI images, why it is that behavior in children and young adolescents veers toward the egocentric rather than the introspective.

Anger Makes People Want Things More

Anger is an interesting emotion for psychologists. On the one hand, it's negative, but then it also has some of the features of positive emotions. For a new study published in Psychological Science, researchers find that associating an object with anger actually makes people want the object -- a kind of motivation that's normally associated with positive emotions.

For Neurons to Work as a Team, It Helps to Have a Beat

When it comes to conducting complex tasks, it turns out that the brain needs rhythm, according to researchers at the University of California, Berkeley.

Brain region linked to introspective thinking

(Ivanhoe Newswire) – A specific region of the brain appears to be bigger in people who are good at tuning into their own thoughts and reflecting upon their decisions.

Why (Smart) Practice Makes Perfect

Struggling with your chip shot? Constant drills with your wedge may not help much, but mixing in longer drives will, and a new study shows why.

Regular bedtime makes children smarter

Children in households with bedtime rules turn out to be more intelligent, according to new study.

Out of Mind, out of Sight: Blinking Eyes Indicate Mind Wandering

ScienceDaily (Apr. 30, 2010) — When your mind wanders, you're not paying attention to what's going in front of you. A new study suggests that it's not just the mind, it's the body, too; when subjects' minds wandered, they blinked more, setting up a tiny physical barrier between themselves and the outside world.

Key To Subliminal Messaging Is To Keep It Negative

ScienceDaily (Sep. 30, 2009) — Subliminal messaging is most effective when the message being conveyed is negative, according to new research funded by the Wellcome Trust.

How The Brain Interprets The Intent Of Others

Two Dartmouth researchers have learned more about how the human brain interprets the actions and intentions of others.

Being naughty or nice may boost willpower, physical endurance

Psychologist finds both good and evil actions improve performance of a physical task

The Zeigarnik effect

People remember uncompleted tasks more than completed ones, and try to finish them (like the triangle in the picture)

Laugh if you want to stay healthy

Research has found that laughter can help people stay healthy every bit as much as exercise, especially during the aging process.

Dreaming Can Improve Memory

While it is believed that sleep is among the best aides for a good memory, new research conducted by Erin Wamsley of Harvard Medical School shows that dreaming while sleeping can improve our memories even further.

Patients with Amnesia Still Feel Emotions, Despite Memory Loss

A new University of Iowa study offers some good news for caregivers and loved ones of individuals with Alzheimer's disease. Patients might forget a joke or a meaningful conversation -- but even so, the warm feelings associated with the experience can stick around and boost their mood.

Bodily motions influence memory and emotions

When talking about our feelings, we often use expressions that link emotions with movements or positions in space. If, for example, one receives good news, they might say that their "spirit soared", or that they are feeling "on top of the world". Conversely, negative emotions are associated with downward movements and positions - somebody who is sad is often said to be "down in the dumps", or feeling "low".

Psychopaths' Brains Wired to Seek Rewards, No Matter the Consequences

The brains of psychopaths appear to be wired to keep seeking a reward at any cost, new research from Vanderbilt University finds. The research uncovers the role of the brain's reward system in psychopathy and opens a new area of study for understanding what drives these individuals.