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right-handers, stronger motivation was
associated with greater activity in the
left hemisphere, but left-handers showed
the opposite pattern. Researchers say
these findings may have implications
for depression and anxiety treatments
that use brain stimulation. (PLoS ONE,
April)
n College students believe that using
steroids to get an edge in sports is
less ethical than using prescription
stimulants to enhance one’s grades,
finds a study by researchers at George
Washington University. Approximately
1,200 college freshmen answered a
questionnaire that presented two
scenarios comparing “Bill,” a sprinter
for his college track team who uses
steroids to improve his performance
in a championship meet, and “Jeff,” a
college student who uses a stimulant
to help him focus during his midterm
exams. Participants rated Bill as more
of a cheater than Jeff. This difference
increased among the students who
reported misusing prescription
stimulants themselves, and among those
who play sports. (Psychology of Addictive
Behaviors, online April 30)
In lefthanders, stronger motivation was associated with greater activity in the right
hemisphere, a new study suggests.
n Motivation is rooted in different
hemispheres in left- versus right-handed people, suggests a study by
psychologists at The New School
for Social Research in New York.
Researchers used EEG to compare
activity in participants’ right and left
brain hemispheres during rest, and then
asked participants to complete a survey
measuring their level of motivation. In
n Male veterans who conform to
traditional ideas of masculinity visit
their physicians less often and exhibit
other negative health behaviors,
suggests research conducted at the
University of Mississippi. The study
found that male veterans who identified
more with toughness, aggression and
achievement were less likely to seek
medical care, exercise and eat right, and
had more post-traumatic stress disorder
symptoms than those who identified
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MONITOR ON PSYCHOLOGY • JULY/AUGUST 2012
