Tom Stafford's Blog, page 135

Purple haze: paint huffing hallucinations differ by hue

[image error]Adolescent solvent abusers reported that different colours of paint cause different types of hallucinations, according to a remarkable study just published in Drug and Alcohol Review.

The research, led by Michael Takagi from the University of Melbourne, was only a small study of 16 young people who sniffed spray paints, but the results are quite striking.

Although all users reported similar levels of pleasure, all those who preferred chrome paint (gold, chrome and silver) reported they used it ...

The illusion of progress lights a fire

[image error]Psychologists have longed talked about 'goal gradient' which describes how we work harder to achieve a goal as we get closer to it. I just came across a fantastic study published in the Journal of Marketing Research which shows that we can be convinced to shift into a higher gear of work and spending, even when the perception of progress is a complete illusion.

The 'goal gradient hypothesis' was original discussed in the 1930s with regards to rats in mazes, based on the observation that the...

An eccentric history of headache treatments

[image error]Neuroscience journal Brain has an amazing article on the history of non-drug treatments for headaches. What sounds like a dry article on the history of neurology is actually a remarkable romp through many of the most eccentric treatments in medicine.

The piece has just been published online and sadly is locked behind a paywall (keeps the riff-raff out) but here are a couple of interesting excerpts. The first, completely terrifying, the second, somewhat more calming.

To start, a scorching...

More a danger to ourselves

[image error]The latest Wired UK has an interesting piece by behavioural economist Dan Ariely who notes that we are now more likely than ever to be the agents of our own demise - through the poor choices we make.

"One of the most interesting analyses on the ways in which our decisions kill us is by Ralph Keeney (Operation Research, 2008). He puts forth the claim that 44.5 per cent of all premature deaths in the US result from personal...

There's something about Johnny Foreigner

[image error]A new study just published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology has found that we are less likely to believe something told to us in a foreign accent because the difficulty of adjusting to the voice unconsciously undermines the speaker's credibility.

The research was completed by the suspiciously foreign sounding psychologists Shiri Lev-Ari and Boaz Keysar, both from the University of Chicago, who wanted to separate out the effects of deliberate prejudice about the source from the ...

Staying cool when stealing cars

[image error]Staying calm is a car thief's biggest challenge, according to a study published in the British Journal of Criminology that explored the psychology of looking inconspicuous when driving a stolen vehicle.

Criminologists Michael Cherbonneau and Heith Copes interviewed 54 car thieves from Tennessee and Louisiana about their experience of stealing automobiles, particularly focusing on what strategies they use to maintain an appearance of normality while driving away with a stolen vehicle.

Perhaps...

Researchers implant false symptoms

[image error]An intriguing study just published in the Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology has found that we can be convinced we reported symptoms of mental illness that we never mentioned and, as a result, we can actually start believing we have the symptom itself.

The faking and exaggerating of psychiatric and neurological symptoms is a big problem in the medical world, not because it is difficult to see when symptoms are inconsistent with the person's medical history, but because they c...

An epidemic of false memories

[image error]A gripping edition of This American Life explores the 'recovered memory movement' of the 1990s where patients became convinced that they had experienced horrific, sometimes supernatural, abuse as children, led on by credulous therapists who used techniques now know to cause false memories.

The programme is a 2002 exploration of when experts give bad advice. Skip the first 8 minutes - it's some irrelevant chattering about car mechanics - as it's the next 35 minutes that matter.

The piece...

Too fine to sign

[image error]Very attractive job seekers may face discrimination from prospective employers of the same sex, according to a new study just published online in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology.

Previous research has shown that attractive people are often rated more highly in areas not related to their physical appearance, such as intelligence or job performance, but may be thought of more poorly in social situations by same-sex peers.

Psychologist Maria Agthe wondered how these two effects...

2010-07-16 Spike activity

Quick links from the past week in mind and brain news:

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If you thought nothing could top the last 'digital drugs' news report, it has been surpassed. Experts consulted: school IT guy and school nurse - who simulates the sound of digital drugs with her voice. Thanks Mind Hacks reader alex!

The New York Times asks 'When did we first rock the mic?' in an article on the historical lexicography of hip-hop.

A new study covered by the excellent Addiction Inbox finds that drug prohibition likely...