Peers cure autism in kids
Peer solicitation — a child inviting another to play — can improve reciprocal social interaction among children with autism, according to a Vanderbilt University study released today in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. Researchers studied playground interactions between children with autism and typically developing peers and found the two groups play similarly when engaged in independent play with kids they just met. While the children with autism initiated and engaged in less play overall than typically developing children, the researchers found that other children can facilitate and increase interactions by simple requests. These findings highlight the pivotal role that peers have in social interaction, noting that it only takes a single child to prompt other children to interact.
Spare the rod, save the child from crime
A new study shows that the reasons parents hit those they love includes a lot more than just correcting misbehaviour. It provides evidence on the effect spanking has on children, and what can be done to end it. The book features longitudinal data from more than 7,000 US families as well as results from a 32-nation study and presents the latest research on the extent to which spanking is used in different cultures and the subsequent effects of its use on children and society. Research shows that spanking corrects misbehavior. But it also shows that spanking does not work better than other modes of correction, such as time out, explaining, and depriving a child of privileges. Moreover, the research clearly shows that the gains from spanking come at a big cost. These include weakening the tie between children and parents and increasing the probability that the child will hit other children and their parents, and as adults, hit a dating or marital partner. Spanking also slows down mental development and lowers the probability of a child doing well in school.
Music cures a damaged brain
In the first study of its kind, two researchers have used popular music to help severely brain-injured patients recall personal memories. Amee Baird and Séverine Samson outline the results and conclusions of their pioneering research in the recent issue of the journal Neuropsychological Rehabilitation. Although their study covered a small number of cases, it's the very first to examine ‘music-evoked autobiographical memories' (MEAMs) in patients with acquired brain injuries (ABIs), rather than those who are healthy or suffer from Alzheimer's disease. Baird and Samson played extracts from Billboard Hot 100 number-one songs in random order to five patients. Music was more efficient at evoking autobiographical memories than verbal prompts.
Pregnant moms crib about being fat
The AC Nielsen group has recently launched the Yummy Mummy survey. It spoke to new and expecting mothers across metros and non-metros in India to understand them better in terms of their worries, their personal challenges, their preferences. Some interesting findings of the survey are: Eighty seven per cent of them agree that they worry about their physical appearances during and post pregnancy. Ninety per cent of them agree that stretch marks are one of the most worrisome issues with respect to their looks. Seventy five per cent of them agree that they believe stretch marks appear only on the tummy. Fifty two per cent of them feel that stretch marks have no cure.
Don’t mix energy drink with liquor
Mixing energy drinks with alcohol is riskier than just drinking alcohol alone, according to a new study that examines the impact of a growing trend among young adults. “We found that college students tended to drink more heavily and become more intoxicated on days they used both energy drinks and alcohol, compared to days they only used alcohol,” said Patrick, lead author of the study. According to the researchers, the public health implications include not only physical risks to individuals from blacking out and alcohol poisoning, for example, but also exposing the community to dangerous situations in which young adults may be “wide awake drunk” after a night of partying.