news from the lab

Pedagogy/Education Science - Psychology - 15.03
Children of divorced parents more likely to start smoking
Both daughters and sons from divorced families are significantly more likely to initiate smoking in comparison to their peers from intact families, shows a new analysis of 19,000 Americans. - “Finding this link between parental divorce and smoking is very disturbing,” said lead author Esme Fuller-Thomson , Sandra Rotman Chair at the University of Toronto's Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work.

Pedagogy/Education Science - Psychology - 26.02
Mixed-race youth feel less cohesion with mothers, but greater independence
ANN ARBOR-Multiethnic and mixed-race youth feel less satisfied with their moms-but more independent-compared to other youth, according to a new University of Michigan study. - U-M researcher Elma Lorenzo-Blanco and colleagues compared parenting and family-related experiences between multiethnic/mixed-race youth and those from one racial/ethnic background.

Pedagogy/Education Science - Medicine/Pharmacology - 24.12.2012
Youth seeking weight loss treatment report bullying by those they trust
Even as adolescents struggle to lose weight through treatment programs, they often continue to experience weight-based discrimination - not just from their peers, but from adults they trust, including parents and teachers.

Pedagogy/Education Science - Medicine/Pharmacology - 11.12.2012
Mexican American toddlers lag in preliteracy skills, but not in their social skills, new study shows
Mexican American toddlers lag in preliteracy skills, but not in their social skills, new study shows - By Kathleen Maclay , Media Relations - Mexican American preschoolers fall behind their white counterparts in terms of early language and preliteracy skills, but the social competencies between the two groups are indistinguishable, according to new research from the University of California, Berkeley, and UCLA.

Pedagogy/Education Science - 21.11.2012
Online social networks drawing more, younger children
Children are participating in growing numbers in online social sites like Facebook and Twitter at increasingly younger ages, says a study led by the University of Toronto's Sara Grimes . - And that's not necessarily a bad thing, says Grimes, an assistant professor at U of T's Faculty of Information.

Pedagogy/Education Science - 19.06.2012
Blogging relieves stress on new mothers
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - 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, Penn State.

Pedagogy/Education Science - 15.06.2012
Researcher Looks at Infertility’s Impact on Women
For a woman who is unable to bear children, the pain of infertility extends far into her everyday life and can impact her relationships with family and friends for years. - Marni Rosner , who earned a doctorate in social work at the University of Pennsylvania in May, studied how infertility impacts female identity in her dissertation, " Recovery From Traumatic Loss: A Study of Women Living Without Children After Infertility." - "I was curious as to how women living without children after infertility rebuilt their identity and life after this traumatic loss," Rosner says.

Pedagogy/Education Science - Business/Economics - 4.01.2012
Kids prefer lots of choices and colors on their plates
Just because you think a food arrangement looks appetizing doesn't mean it's appealing to kids: Children are most attracted to food plates with seven different items and six different colors. Adults, on the other hand, tend to prefer only three items and three colors, reports a new Cornell study.

Medicine/Pharmacology - Pedagogy/Education Science - 25.10.2011
Behaviour training, not meds, preferred therapy for preschoolers at risk of ADHD
Parents should look towards behavioural interventions, not medication, as the first step in treating preschoolers at risk of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, says new research from the University of Toronto , the Hospital for Sick Children and McMaster University.

Medicine/Pharmacology - Pedagogy/Education Science - 30.08.2011
Parents’ stress leaves mark on the DNA of children
Media Inquiries - news [a] uwhealth (p) org - Related Information - Department of Psychiatry - Stay Connected - Follow UWSMPH on Twitter - Follow UWSMPH on Facebook - Madison, Wisconsin - Parents who are stressed during their children's early years can leave an imprint on their sons' or daughters' genes - an imprint that lasts into adolescence and may affect how these genes are expressed later in life, according to a study by researchers at the University of Wisconsin and the University of British Columbia.

Business/Economics - Pedagogy/Education Science - 15.08.2011
Beauty Impacts Hiring, Salaries and Profits
The best looking people earn an extra $250,000, on average, during their careers than the least attractive people and are more likely to remain employed, get promoted and even secure loans, according to a new book economist Daniel Hamermesh.

Pedagogy/Education Science - 14.07.2011
Bilingualism appears to boost young children’s mental abilities, study reports
When young children learn a second language, it strengthens their ability to pay attention to the right stuff, reports a new Cornell study. - "Our study showed that bilingualism in young children strengthens what is known as executive attention, which helps orient individuals in the sea of information coming in," said Sujin Yang, Ph.D. '07, lead author and now a professor at Tyndale University College in Canada.

Pedagogy/Education Science - Psychology - 6.07.2011
Children who seldom smile, laugh or hug a parent might be at risk for depression
ANN ARBOR, Mich.—A new study from the University of Michigan and the University of Pittsburgh shows that even if a child isn't crying, frowning or displaying other negative emotions on a consistent basis, another warning sign is when a child shows fewer positive displays, like hugging a parent or smiling and laughing.

Pedagogy/Education Science - Mathematics - 14.06.2011
Learning to count not as easy as 1, 2, 3
Preschool children seem to grasp the true concept of counting only if they are taught to understand the number value of groups of objects greater than three, research at the University of Chicago shows.

Medicine/Pharmacology - Pedagogy/Education Science - 16.05.2011
Sleepiness in children linked to obesity, asthma
Hershey, Pa. - Obese, asthmatic, anxious or depressed children are more likely to experience excessive daytime sleepiness, or EDS, according to Penn State College of Medicine sleep researchers. - "Although EDS in children is commonly assumed by physicians and the public to be the result of sleep-disordered breathing or inadequate sleep, our data suggest that EDS in young children is more strongly associated with obesity and mood issues as it is in adults," said Edward Bixler, professor of psychiatry and vice chair of research at the Sleep Research and Treatment Center.