Social Sciences

Environmental characteristics of bars, as well as women’s behavior in bars, influence their risk for bar-related aggression, according to a study conducted by researchers in the University at Buffalo’s Research Institute on Addictions (RIA).

The study showed that heavy drinking, going to and leaving a bar with individuals not well-known to the women and talking to a greater number of individuals while in the bar environment are social behaviors associated with bar-related aggression. The c

Women who used the once-a-week birth control patch, ORTHO EVRA® (norelgestromin/ethinyl estradiol transdermal system), were more likely to use their medication as directed than women who took a birth control pill, according to a study published in the current issue of Contraception.

“It’s not always easy, but it is very important for women using any birth control pill to take it at the same time every day to prevent unplanned pregnancy,” said Vanessa Cullins, M.D. FACOG. “What’s exciting i

Chocolate bars and other supermarket products might sell better from green-coloured point-of-sale stands, Cathrine Jansson will tell delegates at a meeting of the SCI (Society of Chemical Industry) on 3 March. She will be previewing results of new research on the effect of colour on consumers’ behaviour which suggests that we spot green items faster than any other colour tested.

New research

Research into effective design and packaging usually focuses on brand awareness. Jan

Women who were sexually abused as children are much more likely to be current smokers than women who weren’t abused as children. That’s a key finding of a preliminary study on possible connections between sexual abuse and smoking — a topic that has been largely overlooked in medical research.

The study is published in the February issue of the journal Addictive Behaviors.

“We found childhood sexual abuse is a strong predictor of smoking for women,” says Colmar De Von Figueroa-Mo

People on diets should be forgiven for moaning that chocolate tastes better when you’re hungry. Just missing breakfast makes you more sensitive to sweet and salty tastes, according to research published this week in BMC Neuroscience.

Hunger could increase your ability to taste, by increasing the sensitivity of the taste receptors on your tongue, or by changing the way you perceive the same taste stimuli, the author suggests.

Professor Zverev from the University of Malawi persua

Experts agree that when it comes to teamwork, constructive conflict can result in better decisions and performance. When teams develop ideas together, debate differing perspectives, and synthesize those perspectives, the resulting group decision is often superior to a decision made by one person. But what about destructive conflict – when personalities clash, rivalries erupt, emotions flare, and the whole dynamic turns bad?

In a new study, two teamwork researchers at Stevens Institute of T