http://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on Health and Medicine. (Medical Xpress) -- For many people, the motivation to exercise fluctuates from week to week, and these fluctuations predict whether they will be physically active, according to researchers at Penn State. In an effort to understand how the motivation to exercise is linked to behavior, the researchers examined college students' intentions to be physically active as well as their actual activity levels. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-affects-behavior.html Health Mon, 13 Feb 2012 08:59:57 EST news248345971 The extent to which we are able to activate our muscles voluntarily depends on motivation and will power or the physical condition and level of fatigue of the muscles, for instance. The latter particularly leads to noticeable and measurable performance impairments. For a long time, the research on muscle fatigue was largely confined to changes in the muscle itself. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-12-muscle-fatigue.html Neuroscience Mon, 05 Dec 2011 11:02:44 EST news242305355 Regular physical activity is associated with a lower risk of suffering depression in old age. This is shown by one of the largest studies on elderly Europeans to have been carried out, by researchers at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, among others. Research also shows that self-determined motivation and perceived competence are important factors in persuading elderly people to exercise more. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-11-years-life.html Health Tue, 01 Nov 2011 17:43:38 EST news239388179 Young adults undergoing addiction treatment arrive ready and willing to make the personal changes that bring about recovery, but it's the help and guidance received during treatment that build and sustain those changes, according to a longitudinal study published electronically and in press within the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence. The study was conducted collaboratively by the Center for Addiction Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School and the Butler Center for Research at Hazelden. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-09-young-adults-recover-addiction.html Health Fri, 30 Sep 2011 11:10:02 EST news236599614 Nurses, just like many of their patients, struggle to find time and motivation to exercise. But a new study may give these all-important caregivers some additional pressure and responsibility: nurses' attitudes can influence whether their patients commit to a healthy lifestyle. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-08-nurses-role-patients.html Health Tue, 30 Aug 2011 14:54:58 EST news233934855 Researchers studying mice are getting closer to understanding how stress affects mood and motivation for drugs. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-08-therapeutic-depression-addiction.html Addiction Wed, 10 Aug 2011 13:34:55 EST news232201838 Everyday tasks such as going to work or connecting with friends require us to have a certain level of motivation to carry out those actions, but people suffering from schizophrenia often lack this drive. Associate Professor of Psychology David Gard is leading an innovative study that could yield new treatment options for people with this mental health condition. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-07-schizophrenia-treatment.html Psychology & Psychiatry Fri, 29 Jul 2011 11:10:01 EST news231155681 Why do people behave selfishly and accept that their behaviour may have negative consequences for others? Astrid Matthey and Tobias Regner from the Max Planck Institute of Economics in Jena investigated this question in a laboratory experiment. They found that such behaviour often depends on whether information about the consequences for others can be ignored. Based on their findings, the researchers believe that conclusions can be drawn on, for instance, how the marketing of fair trade products could be improved. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-07-fair-self-image.html Psychology & Psychiatry Wed, 27 Jul 2011 13:30:01 EST news230992064 Researchers have found a new way to control the amount we eat: use a bigger fork. While numerous studies have focused on portion sizes and their influence on how much we eat, researchers Arul and Himanshu Mishra and Tamara Masters looked at how bite sizes affect quantities ingested. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-07-diners-big-forks.html Health Thu, 14 Jul 2011 12:40:43 EST news229865960 People seeking help for their alcohol or other drug problems enter treatment with very different levels of motivation to change. Differences in motivation appear to make a critical difference in which patients seek, comply with, and complete treatment. Findings from a study of the extent to which motivation and self-efficacy – the confidence to resist temptation and to abstain from drinking – changed during treatment, and the degree to which these variables affected drinking behaviors, indicate that treatments tailored to specific subgroups may be more effective. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-06-confidence-resist-temptation-tailor-alcohol-dependence.html Health Wed, 15 Jun 2011 17:41:43 EST news227378490 (PhysOrg.com) -- The scenario has been repeated countless times. A domestic or international disaster afflicts a significant amount of people. As images of the damage reach a broader audience, charitable giving increases. Many people donate money or time to help those affected regain their lives. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-06-spirit-desire-disaster-relief-driven.html Psychology & Psychiatry Wed, 01 Jun 2011 08:28:20 EST news226135621 According to a new study, American, but not Chinese, children's sense of responsibility to their parents tends to decline in the seventh and eighth grades, a trend that coincides with declines in their academic performance. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-05-chinese-children-differ-commitment-parents.html Psychology & Psychiatry Wed, 11 May 2011 03:55:28 EST news224304873 If it was easy to learn, it will be easy to remember. Psychological scientists have maintained that nearly everyone uses this simple rule to assess their own learning. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-04-beliefs-effort.html Psychology & Psychiatry Fri, 15 Apr 2011 11:06:26 EST news222084370