Tag Archives: Behavior

How Marijuana Affects Your Brain & Behavior- New Study

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Stoners have a reputation for being exceptionally mellow, but a recent study of the effects of marijuana use on daily behavior may suggest otherwise. According to researchers from Yale University of Medicine and the Pennsylvania State University, the study found a positive short-term correlation between marijuana use and hostile and impulsive behavior.

“Marijuana use is associated with changes in impulse control and hostility in daily life,” according to the study, published in March. Researchers found that participants were more aggressive on days they used marijuana, and the following day, than on days they didn’t get high.

The study analyzed 43 participants’ marijuana, alcohol, tobacco use and hostile and impulsive behavior daily for 14 days using random effects models. Scientists found that marijuana use alone, without the alcohol and tobacco combination, increased impulsive and hostile behavior on the day participants used the drug and the day after.

The study was brief, but due to the results and increased recreational marijuana use, researchers believe the topic warrants further research.

 A 2012 study in Biological Psychiatry found that weed can cause anxiety for regular users during periods of withdrawal and puts those with genetic tendencies at risk for developing schizophrenia, Cosmopolitan reported. Some of the alleged negative side effects of marijuana can be reduced if it’s legal, regulated and tested by health officials, according to marijuana advocates. “People are used to buying weed on the black market with no idea about quality,”  deputy director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws Paul Armentano told Cosmopolitan. “As consumers get more sophisticated, they’ll demand higher quality and better testing.”

Another study on the effects of marijuana use published in the Psychology of Addictive Behaviors in September showed that the drug had an indirect negative relationship with grades among a cohort of college students. The study showed students who smoked more went to class less and therefore received relatively lower grade point averages than those who didn’t engage in marijuana use.

In November, a survey of police officers across the United States conducted by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration showed that 6% of the 1,000 officers surveyed reported marijuana use as the biggest drug threat. However, as of 2014, no one had died from marijuana use alone.

Credit: Yahoo

How The Season Of Our Birth Affect Our Behavior And Health

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Seasons have the power to shape our feelings, attributes, and behavior, even before we’re born. Every time of year, it seems, brings its own formative influences.

? Winter-born babies have mothers who are, on average, younger, less educated, and less likely to be wed, finds one study. This may help account for seasonal differences inchild development. Wealthier women, researchers suggest, may tend to try for non-winter births.

? In the northern hemisphere, studies show, those born in winter or early spring face an increased risk of schizophrenia. Possible factors include exposure to the flu and lower levels of sunlight during gestation.

? Most babies crawl at about seven months, but in an Israeli study, babies born in winter or spring started about a month ahead of the others—possibly due to warm-weather dress and more floor time at crawling age.

? For “hyperthymic,” or spirited and highly positive personalities, May was the most likely birth month, a 2011 study found. This may be related to birth-season differences in the function of neurotransmitters like serotonin.

? Night owls are more likely to be born in the spring or summer. Longer periods of daylight may prepare infants to be more active later in the day. Conversely, morning people tend to be born in the fall or winter.

? Children born in late spring or summer are more likely to be diagnosed with emotional and behavioral disorders in school, one study shows. Greater exposure to infection in mid-gestation may be a factor.

? In the U.S., August tends to have the most births. The reason is unknown; peaks vary around the world. One theory: Sinking temperatures nine months earlier cause people to spend more time indoors—and between the sheets.

? August-born children, often the youngest in their grade due to age cut-offs, have been shown to score lower than their classmates on standardized tests. Whether they fare worse as adults is not yet clear.

? British and Israeli studies found that individuals born in summer or autumn are more likely to be seriously nearsighted. Birth weight, which varies with birth season, is one potential factor being considered.

? A study of Americans older than 100 found they were most likely to have been born in Autumn. They may have faced fewer early stresses, including very high or low outside temperatures in their first month.

? Babies born in autumn and winter are more likely to suffer from food allergies, studies find. Researchers believe that Vitamin D deficiency in the cooler months may contribute to this trend.

? December sees a spike in first intercourse for adolescents in romantic relationships. Researchers call this the “holiday season effect.” Other teens are more likely to make their “debut” in late spring or early summer.  Studies have shown that condom sales and porn-related Google searches also peak during these times of year.

Credit: psychologytoday