Hot MedFax

Who doesn't want her partner to say, "Hey, you look great in those jeans (and no, they don't make you look fat)"? Well, a new study is saying that the compliment could actually have negative physiological consequences . A team of researchers from Binghamton University recruited 65 married couples and had them engage in two interactions in which each spouse selected a discussion topic about a stressor external to their marriage (e.g. poor physical fitness, the desire to get a new job). Before and after the interactions, spouses separately completed questions about their expectations and appraisals of their partner’s responsiveness during the discussion, according to newswise.com. The researchers took saliva samples from each spouse and measured for cortisol—a hormone that helps regulate stress in the body—at the beginning of the study and after each discussion. The most consistent finding was that observable behaviors when support was given and received...

Who doesn't love The Late Show with Stephen Colbert?  Or Bill Maher?  Or even, "Throwing Shade," the new satirical news show on TVLand? Well, now a new study is saying that despite the fact that they make us laugh, these shows actually often dismissed as mere entertainment, have real political effects on the people who watch them, according to newswise.com. New research suggests that study participants chose satirical news that matched their pre-existing attitudes – liberal or conservative – and that watching satirical news reinforced those attitudes as much as watching serious news. The study found that people with little interest in politics were more likely to select satirical over serious news. In addition, watching satirical news affected feelings of political efficacy – people’s belief that they can influence political processes. “Satirical news matters,” says Silvia Knobloch-Westerwick , author of the study and professor of communication at The Ohio...

So you think you've got it made.  It's snowing outside and you're sitting in your pj's with your feet up on the desk and you've just conducted a conference call, all from inside your house. I love working from home but it's turning out to have a price tag. Telecommuting extends the work week at little extra pay, according to a new study, newswise.com reports. In labor circles, telecommuting has been hailed as a boon, giving employees the flexibility to work outside the office. But a new study shows working at home may just add hours, at little to no extra pay. The study, from sociologists at the University of Iowa and the University of Texas, was based on a long-running national survey of American workers with a standard 40-hour work week. It found that those who opted to work at least part of the time away from the office ended up working an average of three hours more per week, encroaching on home and family time. Admit it.  Don't you check...

Facebook.  Love it or hate it, we all usually sign on at least occasionally. But now a new study says that it can find you a job -- depending on who's your friend.   And where you live. But whether you should concentrate your networking on your numerous “weak ties,” which is how most jobs are found, or a single “strong tie” who will champion your cause depends in part on the country in which you live, according to newswise.com. Research from Tufts University found that the role of weak and strong ties in job searches is important around the world, but the value of a single strong tie is even more important for job seekers in countries with pronounced income inequality, such as South Africa, Nicaragua, and Haiti. Conversely, it turns out that a single strong tie is not as important for job seekers in countries with greater socio-economic equality, such as Sweden, Slovenia, and the Netherlands. “In many ways, the results tell us the best way to use your ne...

Who'd have thunk it? Liberals and conservatives both believe they're moral , but for different reasons, a new study points out. Liberals' support for same-sex marriage is rooted in their concerns about fairness; conservatives' opposition to same-sex marriages is rooted in their concerns about violations of the sacred order, according to newswise.com. Liberals' opposition to the development of oil pipelines is rooted more in concerns about fear of desecrating the environment; conservatives' support for the development of oil pipelines is rooted more in their concerns about (corporate) fairness. In surveys about the oil pipeline issue, liberals' primary complaint was based on sanctity -- and they claimed that sanctity was a more relevant consideration than did conservatives. The survey didn't get into abortion, though I think we all know where each side stands on that (please tell me why men feel it's imperative -- or even their busin...

I found this surprising. Well, maybe not.  But maybe not.  According to a new study, parents are raising their kids to achieve or be happy, the Washington Post relates. What's wrong with that?  They're not valuing caring for others. About 80 percent of the youth in the study said their parents were more concerned with their achievement or happiness than whether they cared for others. The interviewees were also three times more likely to agree that “My parents are prouder if I get good grades in my classes than if I’m a caring community member in class and school.” Why is this important? Because if we want our children to be moral people, we have to, well, raise them that way, right?  We've certainly seen enough of the kids who make fun of others for being different, or because they don't wear the right sneakers, or live in the right neighborhood.  And isn't this, at the head of it all, where bullying comes from? I guess you can't teach moralit...

We've been told to coach our kids' soccer teams.  Sit with them at tea parties.  And when they're older, try to get to know their friends (well, maybe not). But a new study is now saying that watching TV with them is actually the key. According to newswise.com, parents' presence when watching TV with kids affects their learning ability.  Can they think of anything else to blame us for??!! The study shows an increased physiological change in children when parents view programs with them as opposed to being in a separate room. While the web site noets that parenting today, for many, has become nothing more than sitting a child in front of a television or handing them a device that plays their favorite video, other studies show that kids become more interested in activities when their parents are involved. And it’s not just being a coach for their child’s youth sports team or attending the school play. It could be as simple as watching TV with the child inst...