Quick links from the past week in mind and brain news:
Erotica has a measurable psychological effect even we can’t consciously detect it, reports Scientific American. Ironically, the study is published in a journal called PNAS.
Modern gimmick or sensible application of attachment theory? Infant psychotherapy is discussed by the Post Gazette.
A study of Asian elders finds that curcumin, an ingredient in curry, helps keep the brain healthy, reports The Times.
Gene ‘flaw’ increases autism risk, reports BBC News.
This month’s PLoS Medicine is a special issue on social medicine.
Researchers are working on a promising blood test for Alzheimer’s disease, reports BBC News.
Alpha Psy has a wonderful guide to sex differences in cognition.
The headline simply repeats a common feature of depression as if it were news but the study suggests a reason why people with depression can have a consistent change in mood during the day (known as diurnal variation).
An intriguing study on the the cognitive psychology of face recognition is tackled by Cognitive Daily.
Concise article from Blog Around the Clock on how babies develop sleep patterns.
The New York Times reviews Marc Hauser’s book that argues we have a ‘moral grammar’. Commentary on the controversial claims here and here.
Having a positive ethnic identity boosts the happiness of teens, reports Medical News.
Mind Hacks 