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Infants Can’t Distinguish Between Large and Small Groups
Human brains process large and small numbers of objects using two different mechanisms, but infants have not yet developed the ability to make those two processes work together, according to new research from the University of Missouri.
“This research was the first to show the inability of infants in a single age group to discriminate large and small sets in a single task,” said Kristy vanMarle, assistant professor of psychological sciences in the College of Arts and Science. “Understanding how infants develop the ability to represent and compare numbers could be used to improve early education programs.”
To read the complete article, go to www.sciencedaily.com.
Blogging Relieves Stress On New Mothers
New mothers who read and write blogs may feel less alone than mothers who do not participate in a blogging community, according to family studies researchers.
“It looks like blogging might be helping these women as they transition into motherhood because they may begin to feel more connected to their extended family and friends, which leads them to feel more supported,” said Brandon T. McDaniel, graduate student in human development and family studies at Penn State. “That potentially is going to spill out into other aspects of their well being, including their marital relationship with their partner, the ways that they’re feeling about their parenting stress, and eventually into their levels of depression.”
To read the complete article, go to www.sciencedaily.com.
Power of Playtime: Single Mothers Can Reduce Stress by Playing, Engaging With Children
A group of three Kansas State University researchers is studying ways to help single mothers improve their relationship with their children.
Among many of their findings, they have discovered that single mothers who engage with children in daily activities — such as reading stories or playing games — may experience lower levels of stress.
The researchers — Blake Berryhill, Tulsa, Okla.; Kristy Soloski, Parma, Ohio; and Rebekah Adams, Ripon, Calif. — are all doctoral students in marriage and family therapy and work with the K-State Family Center.
About 41 percent of births in the United States are to unwed mothers, Berryhill said, and it has been shown that single mothers often have higher levels of parental stress than married mothers. Parental stress involves the difficulty that a mother can experience from the demands of being a parent.
To read the complete article, go to www.sciencedaily.com.
Antibacterials in Personal-Care Products Linked to Allergy Risk in Children
Exposure to common antibacterial chemicals and preservatives found in soap, toothpaste, mouthwash and other personal-care products may make children more prone to a wide range of food and environmental allergies, according to new research from Johns Hopkins Children’s Center.
Results of the NIH-funded study are published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.
To read the complete article, go to www.sciencedaily.com.
Intensive Mobile Phone Use Affects Young People’s Sleep
Young adults who make particularly heavy use of mobile phones and computers run a greater risk of sleep disturbances, stress and symptoms of mental health. “Public health advice should therefore include information on the healthy use of this technology,” says researcher Sara Thomée from the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.
To read the complete article, go to www.sciencedaily.com.
