Thursday, 9 February, 2012

How common was PTSD after the 9/11 attacks? How does active coping reduce post-traumatic stress disorder among those who saw the attacks on 9/11?

Infants can identify monkey faces better than adults. Face-recognition ability is tuned to focus on people.

Can pedophiles be treated? Can they return safely to society? What is sex-offender treatment, how well does it work?

Seasonal affective disorder and holiday blues are getting people down. What is the role of light in mood? How could festive holidays cause depression?

Why do terrorists kill innocents? Are they crazy — or committed? A psychological perspective yields unsettling answers.

Coping with anger and aggression. Where does anger originate? Why is anger so common in organized sports?

We look at changing ideas of loyalty in sports, business, citizens and political parties. What are the roles of groups, teams and nations in loyalty?

The science of mothering: How does early experience affect health? How does parental behavior shape kids? The sadness of orphans. The role of rats. Harry Harlowe’s motherless monkeys. The day care enigma. The mousy dad who takes care of his kids.

Refugees. Victims of torture. What is the solution to post-traumatic stress disorder? Does talk therapy work? What about restoring cultures to refugees ripped from their homelands?

Monkeys have a palette of fearful, or defensive, behaviors that are controlled by different brain mechanisms. How do opiates and anti-anxiety drugs affect fear in monkeys?