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Adrienne Romer
“Structural Alterations within Cerebellar Circuitry Are Associated with General Liability for Common Mental Disorders” We examined structural neural correlates of a general psychopathology factor in a large sample of young adults. We identified reduced cortico-cerebellar white matter integrity and gray matter volume as transdiagnostic correlates, suggesting that this circuitry supporting basic information integration, coordination, and monitoring may contribute to general liability for psychopathology.
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Stephanie Elaine Wemm
“Different Sides of the Same Addiction Coin: Common Patterns of Hormone Responses in Problem Gamblers and Heavy Smokers” We compared hormone levels (the DHEA and its sulfate, DHEA-S, to cortisol ratio) at baseline and in response to a stressor in problem gamblers, heavy smokers, and healthy controls. Similar patterns of a blunted stress response emerged in gamblers and heavy smokers, suggesting a common physiological vulnerability to stress.
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People Who Value Virtue Show Wiser Reasoning
We’re often better at working through our friends’ problems than our own—but people who are motivated to develop the best in themselves and others don’t show this bias.
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Work Before Fun? That Might Not Always Be Best
Work first, play later. That’s the conventional wisdom that promises to make people more productive at work and allow them to enjoy their fun stress-free. The truth may be very different. So says social psychologist Ed O’Brien in a recent paper published in the journal Psychological Science on the balance between leisure and work. “People have this strong intuition that the good stuff will be better if it comes after these difficult things,” says Dr. O’Brien, an assistant professor of behavioral science at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. But instead, he says, “cashing in now feels just as good.
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My Smartphone Died, and I Didn’t Miss It. Well, Maybe a Little.
Two weeks ago, my smartphone shut down because of a low battery as I was about to board a flight to Europe. That seemed odd, given that I had barely used it that day. I plugged it in on the plane, but seven hours later, it still wasn’t functioning. When I arrived at my hotel I tried a different charger, to no avail. The phone was dead — terminally so, it turned out. I hadn’t brought a laptop, so I had no access to the internet or email. I had no camera, no guidebooks, no maps. I took a deep breath and decided to make the best of it. I’m hardly a smartphone addict. I rarely look at social media. I had happily traveled in Europe in the years before cellphones.
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The Hidden Meaning of Kids’ Shapes and Scribbles
High on the list of awkward social interactions is the moment when a dentist or a coworker shows off her young child’s nonsensical art. A bystander might think the art—or at least the fact of its existence—is cute. Or she might think it’s ridiculous or downright terrifying. In either case, a common reaction is to smile and ask, “What’s it supposed to be?” After all, these creations rarely look like anything fully recognizable or “real.” I uncovered a host of idiosyncrasies after asking parents about their kids’ art. There was a sideways house (or was it a knife?); a giant tooth resembling candy corn; a supposed self-portrait consisting of an oval with some jagged lines in the middle.
