News by Subject Social & Behavior

In a randomized controlled trial of 134 mildly stressed, middle-aged to older adults, participants who were assigned to a six-week mindfulness-meditation training program experienced significantly reduced negative affect variability -- which refers to subjective distress and includes a range of mood states such as worry, anxiety, anger, self-criticism, and life dissatisfaction -- compared with participants assigned to a waitlist control.

Findings from a new study suggest that people who are experiencing a romantic crush may be more drawn to seeking variety in their purchases as a way to restore a sense of control.

A recent study from The University of South Florida digs deeper into exactly why people react less strongly to insults online, and offers a glimpse at what might help people be more civil to each other.

Taking typical daily annoyances such as a long wait at the doctor's office or a traffic jam on the freeway in stride may help preserve brain health in older adults.

In-person social contact seems to offer some protection against depression and PTSD symptoms, but the same is not true of contact on Facebook, suggests a study by Veterans Affairs researchers and colleagues.

The upheaval caused by the collapse of the Soviet Union that left millions of workers unemployed for long periods of time could be the reason for the sizeable 'transition happiness gap' that existed for many years between east and western nations in Europe, according to new research.

Three-quarters of prisoners struggling to sleep have reported major improvements after receiving cognitive behavioural therapy to treat their insomnia. In the first study of its kind in the world, experts from Northumbria University have found that a single one-hour session of cognitive behavioural therapy was effective in preventing the development of chronic insomnia in 73% of prisoners. Inmates also reported that the therapy made notable improvements to their anxiety and depression.