Latest Science and Society News

Raising U.S. Life Expectancy Could Save $632 Billion

Forty years ago, Americans could expect to live slightly longer than Europeans. This since has reversed: In spite of similar levels of economic development, Americans now live about a year-and-a-half less, on average, than their Western European counterparts and also less than people in most other developed nations. How did Americans fall behind?

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Social Acumen Equals Spatial Skills, Psychologist Finds

People who are socially skilled – who are adept at metaphorically putting themselves in someone else’s shoes – are also more proficient when it comes to spatial skills, according to a new study led by a Johns Hopkins University psychologist. The study, published online in today’s Journal of Experimental Psychology, found that the more socially accomplished a person is, the easier it is for him or her to assume another person’s perspective (literally) on the world. “The results were striking: there was a profound difference in this ability among people with better social skills and those with weaker ones,” said study leader Amy Shelton, a professor in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at the Zanvyl Krieger School of Arts and Sciences.

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Fair play – a question of self-image?
Why do people behave selfishly and accept that their behaviour may have negative consequences for others? Astrid Matthey and Tobias Regner from the Max Planck Institute of Economics in Jena investigated this question in a laboratory experiment. They found that such behaviour often depends on whether information about the consequences for others can be ignored. Based on their findings, the researchers believe that conclusions can be drawn on, for instance, how the marketing of fairtrade products could be improved.
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Biomedical research funders respond to the Review of Research Using Non-Human Primates

The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), Medical Research Council (MRC) and Wellcome Trust have responded to the independent Review of Research Using Non-Human Primates led by Professor Sir Patrick Bateson FRS.

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New research identifies GP and parental reluctance to address childhood obesity

One in five 11-year-old children is currently defined as obese, and the country faces a potentially huge burden of increased obesity-associated morbidity and early mortality. New research by the University of Bristol has found that despite the health implications of childhood obesity, many GPs remain reluctant to discuss the topic with parents or to refer overweight children to weight reduction services.

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Worrying can impact interpersonal relationships, study finds

Most people worry from time to time. A new research study, led by a Case Western Reserve University faculty member in psychology, also shows that worrying can be so intrusive and obsessive that it interferes in the person’s life and endangers the health of social relationships. These people suffer from what’s called generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), says Case Western Reserve psychologist Amy Przeworski.

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