readings in psychology for january 19 2011

My daughter Karla's drawings always make me smile!

Here is what I am reading today:

• why we reflexively grab ourselves when wounded

“If you’ve ever accidentally brushed your hand against a hot stove, you’ll probably remember immediately clutching the burn with your other hand—an instinct that seems to help relieve the pain. In contrast, we often pull back in fear if someone else tries to touch a wound. Although psychologists have long recognized this distinction, no one properly understood the cognitive mechanisms that allow reflexive self-touch—rather than a stranger’s touch—to soothe pain.”

• neuroscience and the theologian

“Neuroscientist Patrick McNamara became interested in the scientific study of religion when he was working with Parkinson’s patients in the 1990s. In his earlier work with people with Alzheimer’s, McNamara, director of the School of Medicine’s Evolutionary Neurobehavior Laboratory, had seen religion bring solace in the face of a devastating neurological condition. But his Parkinson’s patients rarely relied on their faith to cope with their disease.  Before their illness struck, these patients were no less religious than other people. Why, he asked, were they less religious after they were afflicted?”

• reducing diet early in fetal development hurts brain development

“Eating less during early pregnancy impaired fetal brain development in a nonhuman primate model, researchers from The University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio report.”

• brain tumors and cell phones?

“The highest-quality research data available suggests that long-term exposure to microwaves from cellular phones may lead to an increased risk of brain tumors, reports a paper in the November/December issue of Journal of Computer Assisted Tomography.”

• high fat diet alters the brains of mice

“he brains of mice fed a high-fat diet for an extended period of time showed irreversible changes in areas associated with reward and pleasure, a new study has found.”

• first impressions in the classroom

“A study of how medical students evaluate their professors is illustrating the critical importance of making a good first impression.”

• brain imaging: childhood ADHD and BiPolar

“Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago are the first to use brain imaging to examine the effects of emotion on working memory function in children with pediatric bipolar disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.”