All Articles Tagged As: communication

Mechanism and function of humor identified by new evolutionary theory (6/30/2008)

Research identifies the reason humor is common to all human societies, its fundamental role in the evolution of homo sapiens and its continuing importance in the cognitive development of infants ...> Full Article

If it's hard to read, is it hard to do? (6/25/2008)

Marketers and designers would do well to choose easy-to-read fonts ...> Full Article

Knowing looks: Using gaze aversion to tell when children are learning (6/3/2008)

People use eye contact in a variety of ways every minute of every day but how often do you find yourself staring into space with concentrating on an issue or problem? Psychologists now know that people who are carrying out a complex task tend to look away from anyone else who is nearby. They refer to it as 'gaze aversion'. ...> Full Article

Running Words Together: The science behind cross-linguistic psychology (4/1/2008)

While communication may be recognized as a universal phenomenon, differences between languages -- ranging from word-order to semantics -- undoubtedly remain as they help to define culture and develop language. Yet, little is understood about similarities and differences in languages around the world and how they affect communication. Recently, however, two studies have emerged that aid in our understanding of cross-linguistic distinctions in language usage. ...> Full Article

Researchers Suggest Subliminal Communication May Boot Performance for Simple Tasks (3/22/2008)

A new study in Science suggests that subliminal communication can motivate participants to expend more energy performing a simple task. ...> Full Article

Grappling with grammar: How the brain copes in language impaired kids (3/17/2008)

Researchers have discovered that a system in the brain for processing grammar is impaired in some children with specific language impairment (SLI), but that these children compensate with a different brain area. The findings offer new hope for sufferers of SLI, which affects seven per cent of children and is a major cause of many not reaching their educational potential. To date, it has not been clear whether these children generally struggle to process language, or whether they have specific problems with grammar. The UCL findings reveal the latter for a sub-group (G-SLI), and suggest that educational methods that enhance these compensatory mechanisms may help such children overcome their difficulties. ...> Full Article

Bird brains suggest how vocal learning evolved (3/16/2008)

Though they perch far apart on the avian family tree, birds with the ability to learn songs use similar brain structures to sing their tunes. Neurobiologists at Duke University Medical Center now have an explanation for this puzzling likeness. ...> Full Article

E.T. not likely to have human-like intelligence (3/16/2008)

Extraterrestrials will probably never 'phone' Earth in a way we'd understand as they're unlikely to have evolved human-like intelligence - but that doesn't mean we should give up the search for life beyond our planet, an ANU expert will argue today. ...> Full Article

Non-human primates convey meaning through call combinations (3/12/2008)

Researchers have made what they say is the first experimental demonstration that a primate other than humans conveys meaning by combining distinct alarm calls in particular ways. The study appears in the March 11th issue of Current Biology, a publication of Cell Press. ...> Full Article

Chimps May Have A 'Language-ready' Brain (3/4/2008)

An area of the brain involved in the planning and production of spoken and signed language in humans plays a similar role in chimpanzee communication, researchers report. ...> Full Article

Psychologist finds gender differences in forgiving (3/4/2008)

Forgiveness can be a powerful means to healing, but it does not come naturally for both sexes. Men have a harder time forgiving than women do, according to Case Western Reserve University psychologist Julie Juola Exline. But that can change if men develop empathy toward an offender by seeing they may also be capable of similar actions. Then the gender gap closes, and men become less vengeful. ...> Full Article

Brain Area Critical for Chimpanzee Communication Corresponds to Similar Area in Human Brain (3/3/2008)

Researchers have found the area in the chimpanzee brain involved in the production of chimpanzee manual gestures and vocalizations is similar to what is known as Broca's area in the human brain. The study, available in today's online edition of Current Biology, is the first to directly link chimpanzee and human brain areas associated with communicative behaviors, suggesting chimpanzee communication is not only more complicated than previously thought, but also that the neurobiological foundations of human language may have been present in the common ancestor of modern humans and chimpanzees. ...> Full Article

Is Your Partner Happy? It May Be Hard to Know (2/20/2008)

High self-monitors -- people who are highly attuned to social situations and who most prone to moderate their behavior and the image they present to others accordingly -- are less satisfied in their romantic relationships than low self-monitors, a Northwestern University study finds. ...> Full Article

Linguist tunes in to pitch processing in brain (2/19/2008)

More of the brain is busy processing pitch from language and other sounds than previously thought, according to a researcher in neurophonetics at Purdue University. ...> Full Article

Yes, dear: Romantic relationships can make you defensive, 'avoidant' (2/16/2008)

Some people in relationships tend to be defensive and avoid prickly discussions and even words like "divorce"-something that can lead to anxiety later, a University of Michigan researcher says. ...> Full Article

'Love Hormone' Promotes Bonding (2/12/2008)

Gazing into your lover's eyes isn't only romantic; it may also mimic early attachments that forever alter your brain and body. ...> Full Article

Breaking New Ground in Relationship of Language to Thought (2/9/2008)

New study to examine efficiency of spacial language in Mesoamerica ...> Full Article

Languages Evolve In Rapid Bursts, Rather Than Following A Steady Pattern (2/7/2008)

Scientists at the University of Reading have discovered that languages change and evolve in rapid bursts rather than in a steady pattern. The research investigates thousands of years of language evolution, and looks at the way in which languages split and evolve. It has long been accepted that the desire for a distinct social identity may cause languages to change quickly, but it has not previously been known whether such rapid bursts of change are a regular feature of the evolution of human language. ...> Full Article

A good fight may keep you and your marriage healthy (1/25/2008)

A good fight with your spouse may be good for your health, research suggests. ...> Full Article

Songbirds' Brains Provide Clues to Human Speech (1/20/2008)

Analyzing how the brains of songbirds respond to singing patterns has provided new information about how humans learn to communicate with each other, according to Duke University researchers. ...> Full Article

Human auditory neurons more sensitive than those of other mammals (1/17/2008)

The human ear is exquisitely tuned to discern different sound frequencies, whether such tones are high or low, near or far. But the ability of our ears pales in comparison to the remarkable knack of single neurons in our brains to distinguish between the very subtlest of frequency differences. ...> Full Article

Popular opinion not always so popular (1/13/2008)

Whether you're a voter choosing the next president, a manager making policy decisions or a consumer selecting a brand, it's likely your decision is influenced by the opinions of others. ...> Full Article

Culture Influences Brain Function (1/12/2008)

People from different cultures use their brains differently to solve the same visual perceptual tasks, MIT researchers and colleagues report in the first brain imaging study of its kind. ...> Full Article

Study Explains Role of Bias in Policy Discussions (1/8/2008)

A new study discusses the ideological and practical challenges faced when trying to engage ordinary citizens in policy decisions. The study, published in Communication Theory, examines how these theories have been translated into practice and provides an outline that can be used to address these challenges. ...> Full Article

Researchers Recognize Sense of Fairness in Nonhuman Primates (11/16/2007)

Nonhuman primates respond negatively when their fellow animals receive better rewards, but the reaction is based on fairness and not on awareness that better rewards are available. ...> Full Article

New invention set to revolutionise learning for babies (11/12/2007)

A ground-breaking new device which could revolutionise the way babies learn has been created by a health psychologist from the University of Wolverhampton. ...> Full Article

Which is the most talkative gender? It all depends (11/10/2007)

A Gallup poll recently confirmed that men and women both believe that it is women who are most likely to possess the gift of gab. Some even believe that women are biologically built for conversation. This widespread belief is challenged in research published by SAGE in the November issue of Personality and Social Psychology Review. ...> Full Article

Humans And Monkeys Share Machiavellian Intelligence (10/26/2007)

When it comes to their social behavior, people sometimes act like monkeys, or more specifically, like rhesus macaques, a type of monkey that shares with humans strong tendencies for nepotism and political maneuvering. ...> Full Article

Study on Joint Attention Has Implications for Understanding Autism (9/29/2007)

A hallmark of human nature is the ability to share information and to comprehend the thoughts and intentions of others. This capability involves social cognition (the cognitive processes involved in social interaction) and makes a significant contribution to the foundations for language development, as well as social competence. It also sets us apart from other primates. ...> Full Article

Orangutans Communicate As If They Were Playing Charades (8/7/2007)

When using gestures to get their points across, orangutans rely on the same basic strategy that humans follow when playing the popular game and intentionally modify or repeat hand (or other) signals based on the success or failure of their first attempt. ...> Full Article