ScienceDaily: Living Well News

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• Books, videos and other 'experiential products' provide same happiness boost as life experiences
• Childhood friendships crucial in learning to value others
• Joblessness could kill you, but recessions could be good for your health
• A reward is valued more if you choose it yourself: New quirky byproduct of learning from reward
• Summer can be time to address behavior problems
• Cultural stereotypes may evolve from sharing social information
• When it hurts to think we were made for each other
• Background TV can be bad for kids
• Rising temperatures can be hard on a dog's life
• Voice for radio? New research reveals it's in the cords
• Using media as stress reducer can lead to feelings of guilt, failure
• Wireless home automation systems reveal more than you would think about user behavior
• Wives with more education than their husbands no longer at increased risk of divorce
• Controlling childbirth pain tied to lower depression risk
• Caffeine intake may worsen menopausal hot flashes, night sweats
• In asthma, it's not just what you smell, but what you think you smell
• Room for improvement in elementary school children’s lunches and snacks from home

Books, videos and other 'experiential products' provide same happiness boost as life experiences Posted: 24 Jul 2014 11:43 AM PDT 'Experiential products,' items such as books or musical instruments that are designed to create or enhance an experience, can make shoppers just as happy as life experiences, according to a new study. While life experiences help consumers feel closer to others, experiential products fulfill their users' need for 'competence' by utilizing their skills and knowledge. Both effects provide the same happiness boost, researchers found.

Childhood friendships crucial in learning to value others Posted: 24 Jul 2014 11:14 AM PDT Friends play an extremely important role in a person's life. From infancy on, we have a desire to connect and those early relationships help to mold and develop our adult character. Through interactions with one another, we learn to think beyond ourselves to understand the needs and desires of others.

Joblessness could kill you, but recessions could be good for your health Posted: 24 Jul 2014 09:45 AM PDT While previous studies of individuals have shown that employees who lose their jobs have a higher mortality rate, more comprehensive studies have shown, unexpectedly, that population mortality actually declines as unemployment rates increase. Researchers set out to better understand these seemingly contradictory findings.

A reward is valued more if you choose it yourself: New quirky byproduct of learning from reward Posted: 24 Jul 2014 09:44 AM PDT Many people value rewards they choose themselves more than rewards they merely receive, even when the rewards are actually equivalent. A new study provides evidence that this long-observed quirk of behavior is a byproduct of how the brain reinforces learning from reward.

Summer can be time to address behavior problems Posted: 24 Jul 2014 09:36 AM PDT After weeks of the kids being out of school, some parents have had enough of their behavior and are counting the days until they go back. Some may also be wondering how much of the defiant behavior is normal and when it's time to seek help.

Cultural stereotypes may evolve from sharing social information Posted: 24 Jul 2014 08:26 AM PDT Cultural stereotypes may be an unintended but inevitable consequence of sharing social information, according to research. Information about people that is initially complex and difficult to remember evolves into a simple system of category stereotypes that can be learned easily as it is shared from person to person.

When it hurts to think we were made for each other Posted: 24 Jul 2014 08:25 AM PDT Psychologists observe that people talk and think about love in limitless ways but underlying such diversity are some common themes that frame how we think about relationships. For example, one popular frame considers love as perfect unity; in another frame, love is a journey. These two ways of thinking about relationships are particularly interesting because, according to a new study, they have the power to highlight or downplay the damaging effect of conflicts on relationship evaluation.

Background TV can be bad for kids Posted: 24 Jul 2014 07:41 AM PDT Leaving the television on can be detrimental to children's learning and development, according to a new study. Researchers found that background television can divert a child's attention from play and learning. Regardless of family demographics, parenting can act as a buffer against the impacts of background TV, the research team found.

Rising temperatures can be hard on a dog's life Posted: 24 Jul 2014 07:41 AM PDT Veterinarians say it is important to know the signs of heat exhaustion to make sure your pet isn't overdoing it this summer.

Voice for radio? New research reveals it's in the cords Posted: 24 Jul 2014 06:43 AM PDT Unique vocal cord vibration patterns might be the secret behind a good radio voice, new research reveals. The world-first study filmed the vocal folds of 16 male radio performers, including announcers, broadcasters, newsreaders and voice-over artists and found their vocal folds move and close faster than non-broadcasters.

Using media as stress reducer can lead to feelings of guilt, failure Posted: 24 Jul 2014 06:42 AM PDT After a long day at work, sometimes you just want to turn on the TV or play a video game to relax. This is supposed to make you feel better. But, a recent study found that people who had high stress levels after work and engaged in television viewing or video game play didn't feel relaxed or recovered, but had high levels of guilt and feelings of failure.

Wireless home automation systems reveal more than you would think about user behavior Posted: 24 Jul 2014 06:36 AM PDT Home automation systems that control domestic lighting, heating, window blinds or door locks offer opportunities for third parties to intrude on the privacy of the inhabitants and gain considerable insight into their behavioral patterns.

Wives with more education than their husbands no longer at increased risk of divorce Posted: 24 Jul 2014 06:28 AM PDT For decades, couples in which a wife had more education than her husband faced a higher risk of divorce than those in which a husband had more education, but a new study finds this is no longer the case. "Overall, our results speak against fears that women's growing educational advantage over men has had negative effects on marital stability," a co-author said. "Further, the findings provide an important counterpoint to claims that progress toward gender equality in heterosexual relationships has stalled."

Controlling childbirth pain tied to lower depression risk Posted: 23 Jul 2014 08:09 AM PDT Controlling pain during childbirth and post delivery is linked to reduced risk of postpartum depression, says a perinatal psychiatrist, based on a new study. The study showed postpartum depression rates doubled for women without pain control. Significant numbers of women have acute and chronic pain related to childbirth and need to consult with their physician if pain continues for several months.

Caffeine intake may worsen menopausal hot flashes, night sweats Posted: 23 Jul 2014 07:59 AM PDT An association between caffeine intake and more bothersome hot flashes and night sweats in postmenopausal women has been made by researchers. Approximately 85 percent of the U.S. population consumes some form of caffeine-containing beverage daily. Vasomotor symptoms (hot flashes and night sweats) are the most commonly reported menopausal symptoms, occurring in 79 percent of perimenopausal women and 65 percent of postmenopausal women.

In asthma, it's not just what you smell, but what you think you smell Posted: 22 Jul 2014 01:41 PM PDT Simply believing that an odor is potentially harmful can increase airway inflammation in asthmatics for at least 24 hours following exposure, research shows. The findings highlight the role that expectations can play in health-related outcomes.

Room for improvement in elementary school children’s lunches and snacks from home Posted: 22 Jul 2014 07:19 AM PDT Open a child's lunch box and you're likely to find that the lunches and snacks inside fall short of federal guidelines, report researchers. The findings highlight the challenges associated with packing healthful items to send to school. "When deciding what to pack, parents are juggling time, cost, convenience, and what is acceptable to their children. Unfortunately, these factors are not always in harmony with good nutrition," one author said.

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