Voice reveals infidelity
Think your partner is cheatingIJ His or her voice may be a dead giveaway. New research by Albright College associate professor of psychology Susan Hughes, PhD, has found that men and women alter their voices when speaking to lovers versus friends and that such variations can potentially be used to detect infidelity. “It's not just that we change the sound of our voice, but that others can easily perceive those changes,” said Hughes. The study looked at how individuals alter their voices, or engage in voice modulation, when speaking to romantic partners versus same-sex friends during brief telephone conversations.
Block play improves child’s spatial skills
Playing with blocks may help preschoolers develop the kinds of skills that support later learning in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), according to a new study by researchers at the University of Delaware and Temple University. For low-income preschoolers, who lag in spatial skills, such play may be especially important. The study is published in the journal Child Development. The study found that by age 3, children from lower-income families were already falling behind in spatial skills, likely as a result of more limited experience with blocks and other toys and materials that facilitate the development of such skills. Giving children such toys to play with can help them develop skills that will have long-lasting effects.