News by Subject Social & Behavior

Gesturing with the hands while speaking is a common human behavior, but no one knows why we do it. Now, a group of UConn researchers reports in the May 11 issue of PNAS that gesturing adds emphasis to speech--but not in the way researchers had thought.

Two new mouse studies provide new insight into how noise exposure can lead to high blood pressure and cancer-related DNA damage.

College students who listened to classical music by Beethoven and Chopin during a computer-interactive lecture on microeconomics -- and heard the music played again that night -- did better on a test the next day than did peers who heard the same lecture, but instead slept that evening with white noise in the background.

Mount Sinai research highlights the need for more hearing checks among groups at high risk for falls.

Self-inflicted injury, aggression toward others and yelling are common problem behaviors associated with young children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. These actions can result from the child being denied attention or access to items they enjoy, as well as from internal discomfort or environmental stressors such as noise or large crowds.

New study published in PNAS shed light on some of the earliest examples of human symbolic behavior: Ancient engravings were likely produced with aesthetic intent and marked group identity.

Researchers -- and parents -- have long known that babies learn to speak by mimicking the words they hear. But a new study shows that babies also might try to imitate the singing they hear in songs.

New research suggests melodic alarms could improve alertness, with harsh alarm tones linked to increased levels of morning grogginess.