Your Health - Snapshots of some of the latest peer-reviewed research within psychology and related fields.

In brief

Snapshots of some of the latest peer-reviewed research within psychology and related fields.

Monitor Magazine - APA

October 2013, Vol 44, No. 9

SLEEP

A sleepless night makes us more likely to reach for doughnuts or pizza than whole grains and leafy green vegetables, suggests a study led by University of California, Berkeley, psychologists. Using fMRI, the researchers scanned the brains of 23 healthy young adults, first after a normal night's sleep and then after a sleepless night. They found impaired activity in the sleep-deprived brain's frontal lobe, which governs complex decision-making, and increased activity in the brain centers that respond to rewards. They also found that participants favored unhealthy snacks and junk foods when they were sleep deprived but not when they were well-rested (Nature Communications, Aug. 6).

Black adults are more likely than white adults to skimp on sleep, and the sleep gap is especially wide for black professionals, according to a study out of the Harvard School of Public Health. Based on the results of a nationally representative survey of nearly 140,000 men and women, 29 percent of adults routinely get fewer than seven hours of sleep each night. Sleep skimping was more common among blacks in general than whites — 37 percent compared with 28 percent — but researchers found an even more noticeable difference between professionals: 42 percent of black professionals reported fewer than seven hours of sleep each night compared with 26 percent of white professionals. A sleep gap was not found among food and retail workers, and the overall racial gap was similar in men and women (American Journal of Epidemiology, online Sept. 9).

The color of your night light may affect your mood, according to a study involving hamsters conducted by psychologists at Ohio State University. The researchers exposed adult female hamsters to four weeks of nighttime conditions with either no light, dim red light, dim white light (similar to that found in normal light bulbs) or dim blue light. The hamsters that were kept in the dark at night drank the most sugar water — a treat they enjoy — followed closely by those exposed to red light. Those that lived with dim white or blue light at night drank significantly less sugar water, which the scientists say may indicate evidence of a mood problem. The researchers then examined the hippocampus of the hamsters' brains and found that those that spent the night in dim blue or white light had a significantly reduced density of dendritic spines, a condition that has been linked to depression (The Journal of Neuroscience, Aug. 7).

Diet & Nutrition

Soda consumption may be related to behavioral problems in young children, according to a study led by Columbia University researchers. The scientists examined data from a survey of 3,000 5-year-olds and their mothers in 20 large U.S. cities. After controlling for socio-demographic factors, researchers found any non-diet soft drink consumption by the children was associated with increased aggressive behavior. The soda-drinking children also had more attention problems than children who did not drink sodas (The Journal of Pediatrics, online Aug. 21)

Women may be happier when they gain weight, even though they are not as healthy, according to a study conducted at Helmholtz Zentrum München, the German Research Center for Environmental Health. The researchers evaluated weight-and health-related quality of life data collected from more than 3,000 people over seven years. They found that weight gain led to a deterioration in physical health among women and obese men, but the female study participants experienced improved mental quality of life as their weight increased. The findings were observed even in women who were already overweight when the study began (International Journal of Public Health, September).

Overweight, obese and lean women are equally capable of impulse control, suggests a study conducted at the University at Buffalo. In the study, which included 24 lean and 24 overweight or obese women, participants took a series of hypothetical tests that promised different amounts of money available either now or in the future. Some participants were then asked to think about future events that would occur during the time periods involved in the monetary test. For example, if they were choosing between $95 now and $100 in six months, researchers asked them to think about the most vivid event that would be happening to them in six months, such as a birthday party. A control group was asked to think about vivid scenes from a Pinocchio story they had read. The researchers found that the women who engaged in the future thinking exercise were more willing to wait for the money and that there were few differences among the lean and the overweight or obese women (Appetite, December).

Monitor Magazine - The Science of Karma

QUESTIONNAIRE

The ‘science of karma' - Why is this idea that the good guy can win so revolutionary? 

Organizational psychologist and top-rated Wharton professor Adam Grant says one secret to success is helping others succeed.

By Anna Miller

Monitor Staff

October 2013, Vol 44, No. 9

Print version: page 28

Adam Grant, PhD, is one of those people you want to resent: At 32, he's the youngest 
tenured professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where he has the 
highest course evaluation ratings of any teacher and where he's never taught a class that 
didn't win an Excellence in Teaching Award.

He graduated magna cum laude from Harvard, earned his PhD in organizational psychology
from the University of Michigan in less than three years and has published more than 60 
journal articles in his young career.

He's well-rounded, too: He's been an all-American diver (athletic, check), professional 
magician (charismatic, check) and is married with two young girls (loving and 
lovable, check, check).

But you can't resent him because, darn it, you like him.

According to Grant, being genuinely giving isn't just icing on the cake — it's why there's 
a cake at all. In his recent book, "Give and Take" (which is, naturally, a New York Times 
and Wall Street Journal best-seller), Grant compiles his and others' organizational psychology 
research on work motivation, pro-social behaviors, leadership and more, and sprinkles in stories 
of successful businesspeople and organizations, to make a compelling case that you don't have to 
be ruthless to get ahead at work. Instead, he says, techniques such as doing "five-minute favors" 
for others and reconnecting with loose acquaintances can reap long-term career rewards.

"There's reason to believe when you adopt a consistent stance of pro-social behavior, that has a 
profound effect on the depth and the breadth of your relationships," Grant says, "and so you end 
up with a wider set of relationships and a richer, more meaningful set of connections."

Employers can advance their businesses by tapping into people's kindheartedness, too, he says. 
In a study he conducted during graduate school with a team of students, Grant found that campus 
call center workers primarily raising scholarship money brought in 171 percent more revenue 
each week after hearing how their work positively affected someone's life (Organizational Behavior 
and Human Decision Processes, 2007). In another study, Grant and David Hofmann, PhD, found 
that physicians and nurses used 45 percent more soap and hand-sanitizing gel next to signs that 
read "hand hygiene prevents patients from catching diseases," whereas a sign that swapped 
"patients" with "you" had no effect (Psychological Science, 2011).

"Psychologists tend to study the causes of pro-social behavior, not the consequences," he says. 
"What I've tried  to do as an organizational psychologist is ask, ‘What are the implications of these 
behaviors for success?'"

The Monitor talked to Grant about what he's learned:  http://www.apa.org/monitor/2013/10/karma.aspx

You're Welcome?.....

Check out this recent article on linkedin:

How often do you say "you're welcome" after someone says "thank you." Well, if you were brought up to adhere to social niceties like myself, probably all the time. However, is the right phrase you should be saying?  Read more to see why we might be saying the wrong phrase after someone thanks us!

"....according to one leading psychologist, this isn’t the best choice of words. After four decades of studying persuasion, Influence author Robert Cialdini has come to see “you’re welcome” as a missed opportunity. “There is a moment of power that we are all afforded as soon as someone has said ‘thank you,’” Cialdini explains. To capitalize on this power, he recommends an unconventional reply:

“I know you’d do the same for me.”

Read More:
http://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20131112175357-69244073-why-you-shouldn-t-say-you-re-welcome