Thanksgiving can be a lightning rod. Many people have complicated family relationships, particularly with their family of origin. There are divorces, remarriages, estrangements, old wounds, and painful losses. Sometimes, we have a circle of friends who are our “real,” albeit adopted, family. Combine complicated family dynamics with issues surrounding eating, weight, and body image, and you get…Thanksgiving. We’ve all heard that there are two taboo topics of conversation: politics and religion. I recommend expanding that list. Most of us have a complicated relationship with food. The majority >>>

Moms, take note! Your child may pick up on your prejudice against obese people at an age as young as three years old, according to a new study. Researchers suggest that children begin to reflect the attitudes of those around them much earlier than thought. "Anti-fat prejudice is associated with social isolation, depression, psychiatric symptoms, low self-esteem and poor body image," said Ted Ruffman professor at University of Otago's Department of Psychology in New Zealand. Previous research had indicated anti-fat prejudice could be seen in pre-school children aged slightly >>>

Stimulant medications for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder cause sleep problems among the children who take them, a study from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) concludes. The study addresses decades of conflicting opinions and evidence about the medications’ effect on sleep. In the meta-analysis, researchers from the UNL Department of Psychology combined and analyzed the results from past studies of how ADHD medications affect sleep. In a study published online Nov 23 by the journal Pediatrics, the researchers found children given the medicines take significantly longer to fall >>>

Humans have a remarkable ability to synchronize to complex, temporally structured acoustic signals, an ability which is believed to underlie social coordination and may be a precursor to speech. This ability takes years to develop. Although infants move to periodic rhythmic stimuli, children do not synchronize movements to frequency or tempo until the age of 8 or 9. Synchrony in young children is facilitated by social interaction, and promotes prosocial behavior in both children and adults. Rhythmic behavior has recently been observed in other animals, including parrots, budgerigars, sea lions, >>>

Stanford psychologist Jeanne Tsai found different cultures value different positive facial expressions, and that these differences arise in deep brain circuits that can predict who people like and dislike. By Clifton B. ParkerL.A. Cicero Jeanne Tsai portraitAssociate Professor Jeanne Tsai directs the Culture and Emotion Lab at Stanford. Her research found that differences in deep brain circuits can predict who people like and dislike.Culture may play a key role in whether people "like" or "don't like" others, new Stanford research shows.The differences are notable among Americans of European >>>

by Katherine Speller 2h ago Politicians seem to have an aversion to the truth — after all, we’re able to write about the laundry list of lies presidential candidates tell every. single. week. But as more and more outlandish not-truths make it into our headlines — from altered childhood memories to widely-debunked Planned Parenthood videos — we just had to ask: Why does this keep happening? MTV News talked to Ronald E. Riggio, a psychologist and expert on leadership and organizational psychology, to figure that out. The short answer? They can get away with >>>

Older toddlers, aged about 2, are picking up on potentially harmful anti-fat attitudes from their mothers. That is a finding from University of Otago research, based on a study of 70 Dunedin infants and toddlers, and their parents. The study, with researchers from New Zealand, Australia and the United States, followed other research showing obesity prejudice and discrimination were increasing. Prof Ted Ruffman, of Otago's psychology department, said anti-fat prejudice was ''associated with >>>

With the holidays just around the corner, more than a few of us will be hosting a festive dinner party, buffet or potluck. And as pleasant as any holiday event may be, it seems like the moment someone rings the dinner bell, an otherwise civil gathering turns into a stampede as guests mob the food table.In an effort to keep the meal as manageable as possible, here are a few rules to follow to keep dinner organized. Just call it a little "buffet psychology." 1. Organize the food layout, with a definite beginning and ending. Set the plates, napkins and silverware/plasticware >>>

In her college career as a psychology major and student employee, and now in her first job after college, Monica Nelson '15 has melded her penchant for detail and precise data with analytics, web design and a passion for the liberal arts. The result for the first-generation college student from Castle Hayne, North Carolina: goals met, and new goals set. That's not as simple as it sounds in 2015, as President Carol Quillen is quick to note. "Davidson seniors are applying for jobs that in many cases did not exist when they first arrived on campus," Quillen said at a recent convocation. Case in >>>

Getting a good grade on a college-level psychology exam is an accomplishment. Giving birth to a baby is also quite an accomplishment. When you combine the two — taking a psychology exam while giving birth — that goes beyond “accomplishment” and into superhero territory. That is exactly what one determined young woman in Macon, Georgia, did this month. During a grueling 20-hour labor, the 21-year-old college student and single mom, Tommitrise Collins, completed a psychology exam, eventually earning a “B” on the test — and a new daughter, Tyler Elise. “It took me 4-5 hours after >>>