Cultivating students' executive function skills doesn't appear to boost their academic performance, according to a meta-analysis of 25 years of research. Scientists at the University of Michigan and the American Institutes for Research analyzed 67 studies, examining whether improvements in executive function skills lead to increases in reading and math achievement as measured by standardized tests. The researchers found strong evidence that executive function and achievement are highly correlated, but there are not yet strong data indicating that fostering executive functioning skills through school interventions improves students' achievement (Review of Educational Researchopens in new window, online March 4).
Aggressive boys tend to develop into physically stronger teens, suggests a study by University of Minnesota psychologists. They examined teacher and self-report ratings and hand-grip strength measurements gathered every three years from two samples of twins who began participating in the study at age 11. The researchers found that more aggressive boys — but not girls — showed greater gains in physical strength during adolescence compared with their less aggressive peers, even after adjusting for participants' weight and height (Psychological Science, online Feb. 25).
Members of the U.S. Congress really do have the power to persuade their constituents on policy issues, suggests a study by Ohio State University researchers. In one experiment, researchers set up 19 online town hall meetings with members of the House of Representatives to discuss immigration policy. In each session, about 20 constituents were given background information to read about the issue before the online town hall. Participants watched the live one-hour town hall on their computers and heard their representative state his or her views on the issue and answer questions. A control group read the same background information but did not participate in the town hall. Results showed that constituents' views moved toward those of their representatives after participating in the town hall, while the views of constituents who simply read background materials did not change. Those constituents who watched their representatives also left the town hall meetings with higher levels of trust in and approval of their elected officials and a 9.8 percent greater likelihood of voting for him or her in the next election. Even constituents from the opposing party were more likely, after the town hall, to agree with their congressperson when compared with those who didn't attend (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciencesopens in new window, online March 16).
Educating college students on drinking risks can help lessen drinking behaviors — but only temporarily, according to a study by Old Dominion University psychologists. More than 1,000 undergraduates received a counseling session on the dangers of binge drinking; two-thirds of participants were required to attend the session because they had violated the university's alcohol policy. At the one-month follow-up, 82 percent of students reported drinking less than before the intervention, but 84 percent of this group returned to their baseline drinking levels at the one-year follow-up (Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychologyopens in new window, online March 2).
Babies who are breastfed for at least a year may be smarter and richer as adults, according to research by scientists at the Federal University of Pelotas in Brazil. They analyzed data from nearly 3,500 infants in Brazil who were followed for 30 years. The study found the longer a baby breastfed, up to a year, the greater the benefit later in life. Infants who breastfed for at least a year had, on average, a four-point higher IQ, a year more of schooling and a higher monthly income (by about $105) at age 30, compared with those who were breastfed for less than a month (The Lancet Global Health, April).
The brain-damaging protein deposits in Alzheimer's disease known as amyloid may start accumulating in the brains of people as young as age 20, according to research by Northwestern University scientists. They compared the autopsy brains from 13 normal individuals ages 20 to 66 years, from 16 individuals ages 70 to 99 without dementia, and from 20 individuals ages 60 to 95 with Alzheimer's disease. They found evidence of amyloid in the basal forebrain — which plays a role in memory and attention — in the brains of all the study participants. Scientists have used amyloid as a marker to track the disease's progression. However, until now, it had only been observed in aging adults (Brainopens in new window, online March 2).
Suicide rates for young people are almost twice as high in rural areas as they are in urban areas, finds research out of Ohio State University. The study looked at data from more than 66,000 young people ages 10 to 24 who died by suicide in the United States from 1996 through 2010. For this period overall, researchers found suicide rates of 20 per 100,000 for males and four per 100,000 for females in rural areas, compared with 10 per 100,000 for males and two per 100,000 for females in urban areas. The gap between the urban and rural suicide rates grew significantly during the period. The authors note that people who live in rural areas have less access to mental health services, more stigma surrounding help-seeking and easier access to guns than their urban counterparts (JAMA Pediatricsopens in new window, online March 9).
Loneliness and social isolation may lead to early death, according to a meta-analysis by Brigham Young University psychologists. They analyzed data collected from 70 studies and more than 3.4 million people from 1980 to 2014. The studies, which followed people for about seven years on average, showed that people who were socially isolated, lonely or living alone had about a 30 percent higher chance of dying during a given study period than those who had regular social contact. The effect was greater for younger people than for those over age 65 (Perspectives on Psychological Scienceopens in new window, March).
Mindfulness meditation can help fight insomnia and improve sleep, according to research conducted at the University of Southern California. The study involved approximately 50 adults age 55 and older with moderate sleep problems. Half were randomly assigned to complete a mindfulness awareness program that taught them meditation and other exercises designed to help them become more aware of the thoughts and feelings running through their minds. The other half completed a sleep education class that taught them ways to improve their sleep habits. Both groups met six times, once a week for two hours. Compared with the people in the sleep education group, those in the mindfulness group had less insomnia, fatigue and depression at the end of the six sessions (JAMA Internal Medicineopens in new window, online Feb. 16).
People with psychopathy can produce highly convincing but fake expressions of feelings, suggests research by psychologists at Brock University in Ontario. In one experiment, undergraduates rated four videos of false remorse stories told by violent offenders. The two videos from offenders with the highest number of psychopathic traits received significantly higher genuineness ratings. One reason these people are able to mimic emotions so well may be because they have practice at doing it, the authors suggest (Evolutionary Psychological Scienceopens in new window, online March 17).
Experiencing financial difficulties in college may increase the risk of female students developing eating disorders, according to research conducted at the University of Southampton. More than 400 undergraduate students from universities across the United Kingdom completed surveys assessing family wealth, financial difficulties and attitudes toward food and eating. Students completed the survey every three to four months, up to four times. The researchers found that a higher level of financial difficulty in the initial survey corresponded with more severe attitudes toward food, eating and weight loss in the third and fourth surveys, after accounting for initial eating attitudes. Also, having extreme attitudes toward food and eating predicted short-term financial difficulties for female students, suggesting the possibility of a cyclic relationship, the authors report. Results did not indicate a relationship between financial situation and eating attitudes in men (The International Journal of Eating Disordersopens in new window, online Jan. 27).
Low vitamin D levels are linked with depression in young women, finds research conducted at Oregon State University. In the study of 185 female undergraduates, researchers measured participants' vitamin D levels from blood samples and asked the students to complete a depression symptom survey once each week for five weeks. The researchers found that participants with lower levels of vitamin D at the start of the study were more likely to have clinically significant depressive symptoms throughout the study period, even after taking into account such factors as time of year, exercise and time spent outside (Psychiatry Researchopens in new window, online March 6).
Antipsychotic drugs may lead to an earlier death for people with dementia, according to a University of Michigan study. Researchers examined data from more than 91,000 veterans over age 65, comparing death rates between those patients who were given antipsychotic drugs for dementia and similar patients with dementia who didn't take antipsychotics. They found that those taking haloperidol had a 3.8 percent increased risk of dying compared with those who took no antipsychotic medication; those taking olanzapine had a 2.5 percent higher risk of death. The mood stabilizer valproic acid had a similar effect. Use of antidepressants was also associated with higher risk of death, though not to the same degree as antipsychotics and valproic acid (JAMA Psychiatryopens in new window, online March 18).
Workplace suicide rates appear to be on the rise, according to a study by researchers from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. They analyzed U.S. census data and compared suicide rates among different occupations, finding that 1,719 people died by suicide in the workplace from 2003 to 2010. Rates of suicide on the job declined from 1.5 per million workers in 2003 to 1.2 per million in 2007, and then climbed to 1.8 per million in 2010. Men were more likely to take their lives than women, and older workers were more likely to commit suicide than their younger counterparts. Jobs with the greatest risk for workplace suicide include law enforcement, firefighting and protective services, such as private detectives and security guards (American Journal of Preventive Medicineopens in new window, online March 16).
Brainpower peaks in different ways as we age, according to research conducted at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The study included analyses of the responses of more than 48,500 people who took online tests on the websites Games with Wordsopens in new window and Test My Brainopens in new window. Researchers found that, on average, people think the fastest around age 18, while their short-term memory peaks at around age 25. Our ability to read people's emotional states is generally best in our 40s and 50s, and "crystalized intelligence," a measure of accumulated knowledge, doesn't peak until people are in their late 60s or early 70s (Psychological Science, online March 13).
— Amy Novotney
