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Eye-catching studies that didn’t make the final cut.

22 July 2010

By Christian Jarrett

A basic visual perception computer training task shows some beneficial transfer to working memory among older participants. See earlier.

‘…more educated [people] on average believe themselves to be more left wing than their actual beliefs on a substantive issue might suggest‘ [pdf]

Patients with Alzheimer’s disease show lack of insight into their memory loss.

How representative are experimental findings from American university students?‘ [pdf]

This study explores the premise that shame episodes can have the properties of traumatic memories‘.

Camera angle and amount of detail interact to influence jurors’ perception of the authenticity of video-taped suspect confessions. When the video camera is focused on the suspect (rather than on the interrogator or on both interrogator and suspect) and the confession contains greater detail, the confession is judged to be more authentic and the suspect considered more likely to be guilty.

Effects of institutional care on children’s brains (as measured with EEG) is reversible if they were removed from the institution and placed in foster care before the age of 24 months. Suggests there is a ‘sensitive period after which brain activity in the face of severe psychosocial deprivation is less amenable to recovery’.

Botox to the facial muscles slows people’s ability to read emotional sentences. ‘…our results suggest the need for further research on cognitive and emotional effects of cosmetic BTX injection’.

Disregard for children’s developmental delays shown by mothers and medical professionals in a socio-economically deprived US sample.

Rapid induction of false memory for pictures.

Women with higher pitched voices show a stronger preference than average for deeper male voices.