http://phys.org/ en-us Phys.org internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. It's been a puzzle why our two closest living primate relatives, chimpanzees and bonobos, have widely different social traits, despite belonging to the same genus. Now, a comparative analysis of their brains shows neuroanatomical differences that may be responsible for these behaviors, from the aggression more typical of chimpanzees to the social tolerance of bonobos. http://phys.org/news221221873.html Biology Tue, 05 Apr 2011 11:32:19 EST news221221873 (PhysOrg.com) -- Being low mouse on the totem pole is tough on murine self-esteem. It turns out it has measurable effects on brain chemistry, too, according to recent experiments at Rockefeller University. Researchers found that mice that were bullied persistently by dominant males grew unusually nervous around new company, and that the change in behavior was accompanied by heightened sensitivity to vasopressin, a hormone involved in a variety of social behaviors. The findings suggest how bullying could contribute to long-term social anxiety at the molecular level. http://phys.org/news220515011.html Medicine & Health Mon, 28 Mar 2011 07:10:57 EST news220515011 Communication technologies that help people stay connected to the workplace are often seen as solutions to balancing work and family life. However, a new study in the March issue of the Journal of Health and Social Behavior suggests there may be a "dark side" to the use of these technologies for workers' health—and these effects seem to differ for women and men. http://phys.org/news218818280.html Other Sciences Tue, 08 Mar 2011 15:10:01 EST news218818280 In a new study published in the journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking, University at Buffalo researcher Michael A. Stefanone, PhD, and colleagues found that females who base their self worth on their appearance tend to share more photos online and maintain larger networks on online social networking sites. http://phys.org/news218724484.html Other Sciences Mon, 07 Mar 2011 13:50:01 EST news218724484 (PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers in the US studying the behavior of black-tailed prairie dogs at a local zoo have discovered they behave differently, kissing and cuddling each other more when people are watching than when they are unobserved. http://phys.org/news217144178.html Biology Thu, 17 Feb 2011 07:50:01 EST news217144178 Being successful in school requires a combination of social, emotional, and academic competencies. A new analysis of more than 200 school-based social and emotional learning programs has found that such programs improve students' attitudes and behaviors, and in some cases, even boost academic performance. http://phys.org/news216017494.html Other Sciences Fri, 04 Feb 2011 05:10:01 EST news216017494 (PhysOrg.com) -- If you've ever tried waving to someone distant in a bustling crowd, you'll have some idea of how hard it can be for small rainforest animals to signal to each other with so many other distractions to catch the eye. http://phys.org/news214747515.html Biology Thu, 20 Jan 2011 12:05:34 EST news214747515 While scientists believe that climate change and related extreme weather events such as drought and flooding will likely affect the earth's flora and fauna, just how much is not known. A new study by researchers Walter Jetz from Yale University and Dustin Rubenstein from Columbia University however shows an important link between the natural variation in climate conditions and complex behaviors among birds. http://phys.org/news213979394.html Biology Tue, 11 Jan 2011 14:43:45 EST news213979394 (PhysOrg.com) -- A new study by a Northeastern University researcher and her colleagues indicates that the size of a certain part of the human brain plays a significant role in determining the breadth of social relationships. Scientists found that the amygdala, a small structure in the temporal lobe of the brain, appears to be important to a rich and varied social life among adult humans. Their finding, published in the journal Nature Neuroscience, provides insight into how abnormalities in regions of the brain may affect social behavior in neurologic and psychiatric disorders. http://phys.org/news213382412.html Medicine & Health Tue, 04 Jan 2011 16:54:17 EST news213382412 (PhysOrg.com) -- New research from the UK shows the brain continues to develop after childhood and puberty, and is not fully developed until people are well into their 30s and 40s. The findings contradict current theories that the brain matures much earlier. http://phys.org/news212215025.html Medicine & Health Wed, 22 Dec 2010 07:40:01 EST news212215025 A key focus of the health care debate has involved immigrants and their impact on the U.S. health care system. http://phys.org/news211467406.html Medicine & Health Mon, 13 Dec 2010 12:57:45 EST news211467406 Researchers have found that the naturally-occurring hormone and neurotransmitter oxytocin intensifies men's memories of their mother's affections during childhood. The study was published today in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. http://phys.org/news210269524.html Medicine & Health Mon, 29 Nov 2010 17:00:01 EST news210269524 Pity the poor female fruit fly. Being a looker is simply not enough, it seems. If you're to get a date, much less a proposal, you must also smell and act like a girl. Otherwise, you might just have a fight on your hands. Read more in next week's issue of the online, open access journal PLoS Biology. http://phys.org/news209756739.html Biology Tue, 23 Nov 2010 17:46:33 EST news209756739 Many mental health disorders, such as autism and schizophrenia, produce changes in social behavior or interactions. The frequency and/or severity of these disorders is substantially greater in boys than girls, but the biological basis for this difference between the two sexes is unknown. http://phys.org/news209225041.html Medicine & Health Wed, 17 Nov 2010 14:50:02 EST news209225041 (PhysOrg.com) -- People who leave strict religious groups are more likely to say their health is worse than members who remain in the group, according to a Penn State researcher. http://phys.org/news204387101.html Medicine & Health Wed, 22 Sep 2010 15:30:04 EST news204387101 New research from the University of New Hampshire shows that the "gateway effect" of marijuana - that teenagers who use marijuana are more likely to move on to harder illicit drugs as young adults - is overblown. http://phys.org/news202619339.html Medicine & Health Thu, 02 Sep 2010 04:50:01 EST news202619339 Community feasting is one of the most universal and important social behaviors found among humans. Now, scientists have found the earliest clear evidence of organized feasting, from a burial site dated about 12,000 years ago. These remains represent the first archaeological verification that human feasting began before the advent of agriculture. http://phys.org/news202382957.html Other Sciences Mon, 30 Aug 2010 15:00:07 EST news202382957 Picture a crowded beach at the height of summer. Boys and girls of all shapes and sizes cavort in the waves and lounge on beach towels. It’s the skin-baring season -- and that can exacerbate body image woes for many teens. Who do you think is most unhappy with their bodies? Underweight or overweight? Girls or boys? http://phys.org/news199706785.html Medicine & Health Fri, 30 Jul 2010 11:30:11 EST news199706785 Adolescent girls who think they are overweight, but are not, are at more risk for depression than girls who are overweight and know it, according to Penn State sociologists. http://phys.org/news196945320.html Medicine & Health Mon, 28 Jun 2010 12:20:28 EST news196945320 Part of what makes those relationships so golden during the golden years is that people of all ages are more likely to forgive and respect one's elders, according to research from Purdue University. http://phys.org/news196688086.html Medicine & Health Fri, 25 Jun 2010 13:00:01 EST news196688086 In a new Biological Psychiatry article, Dr. Regina Sullivan and colleagues have dissected the behavior of mother rats and their infant pups, modeling nurturing by stroking and abuse with electric shock. In this animal model of infant abuse, they took into consideration the unique infant neurobehavioral learning attachment system that ensures infant rats' attachment to their caregiver regardless of the quality of care received. http://phys.org/news196347382.html Medicine & Health Mon, 21 Jun 2010 14:10:01 EST news196347382 Contrary to popular belief, the ups and downs of romantic relationships have a greater effect on the mental health of young men than women, according to a new study by a Wake Forest University sociology professor. http://phys.org/news195219399.html Other Sciences Tue, 08 Jun 2010 12:37:11 EST news195219399 A new study of young people in the two years after high school finds that those in romantic relationships are less likely than their peers to report heavy drinking and marijuana use. http://phys.org/news194879710.html Medicine & Health Fri, 04 Jun 2010 14:50:01 EST news194879710 For the first time, biologists have directly shown how spontaneous mutation of a small RNA (sRNA) regulatory molecule can provide an evolutionary advantage. Reporting in this week's Science, Indiana University Bloomington scientists also identify the sRNA as a key regulator of social behavior in Myxococcus xanthus, a soil bacterium widely studied for its ability to cooperatively construct fruiting bodies that house stress-resistant spores when food runs out. http://phys.org/news193581640.html Biology Thu, 20 May 2010 14:00:09 EST news193581640 They are both nest-building social insects, but paper wasps and honey bees organize their colonies in very different ways. In a new study, researchers report that despite their differences, these insects rely on the same network of genes to guide their social behavior. http://phys.org/news191586697.html Biology Tue, 27 Apr 2010 11:31:59 EST news191586697 (PhysOrg.com) -- Research shows a correlation between happiness and deeper rather than superficial conversations. UA psychologist Matthias Mehl and his team recorded thousands of conversations and other ambient sounds to get a picture of what makes people happy. http://phys.org/news186909739.html Medicine & Health Thu, 04 Mar 2010 07:22:39 EST news186909739 Autism is a disease characterized by difficulties in communicating effectively with other people and developing social relationships. The team led by Angela Sirigu at the Centre de Neuroscience Cognitive (CNRS, France) has shown that the inhalation of oxytocin, a hormone known to promote mother-infant bonds and social relationships, significantly improved the abilities of autistic patients to interact with other individuals. To achieve this, the researchers administered oxytocin to 13 autistic patients and then observed their social behavior during ball games and during visual tests designed to identify ability to recognize faces expressing different feelings. Their findings, published in PNAS on 15 February 2010, thus reveal the therapeutic potential of oxytocin to treat the social disorders from which autistic patients suffer. http://phys.org/news185555373.html Medicine & Health Tue, 16 Feb 2010 15:20:01 EST news185555373 Most people have scores of contacts, scattered around their mobile phone, e-mail address book and multiple social networking sites. Scientists at Hewlett-Packard can tell you which of those contacts are your closest friends. http://phys.org/news180293006.html Technology Thu, 17 Dec 2009 19:40:01 EST news180293006 New scientific evidence refutes the preconception that testosterone causes aggressive, egocentric, and risky behavior. A study at the Universities of Zurich and Royal Holloway London with more than 120 experimental subjects has shown that the sexual hormone with the poor reputation can encourage fair behaviors if this serves to ensure one's own status. http://phys.org/news179504442.html Medicine & Health Tue, 08 Dec 2009 14:50:04 EST news179504442 Researchers at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, have successfully generated the first transgenic prairie voles, an important step toward unlocking the genetic secrets of pair bonding. The future application of this technology will enable scientists to perform a host of genetic manipulations that will help identify the brain mechanisms of social bonding and other complex social behaviors. This advancement may also have important implications for understanding and treating psychiatric disorders associated with impairments in social behavior. The study is available in the December issue of Biology of Reproduction. http://phys.org/news178895408.html Biology Tue, 01 Dec 2009 13:20:04 EST news178895408