The recent discovery of three women in Cleveland, Ohio, who had been abducted for such an extended period, has rekindled hopes that others long-missing could still be found. The search for Madeleine McCann appears to have been re-invigorated, coinciding with the recent publication of an 'age-progressed' photograph.

But new data...

James McCormick has been convicted of three counts of fraud after selling fake bomb detectors and jailed for ten years - the judge declaring the multi-millionaire businessman had blood on hands.

The 'Advanced Detection Equipment' was based on a golf ball finder device and sold for up to £27,000 in...

Working hard is intrinsically a good and moral thing to do - the so-called 'Work Ethic' - does this really exist? Is the work ethic even regarded as a good thing any more? 'Work-life balance' is all the vogue, so perhaps the 'work ethic' destroys family life and over all...

Margaret Thatcher's electoral success could be linked to her superior performance before TV cameras, compared to her main adversaries of the era.

Psychologists Peter Bull and Kate Mayer from the University of York analysed in unparalleled depth Thatcher's performances in the main TV interviews of the day.

Their...

North Korea has been described as the most secretive nation on earth - yet in order to negotiate successfully with an adversary, it's essential to get inside their heads.

Professor Victor Cha from Georgetown University in the US was Director for Asian Affairs at the National Security Council -...

Janne Korhonen from the Department of Organization and Management at Aalto University in Finland has just published an academic paper exploring whether we should really be trying as hard as we currently are, to make contact with extra-terrestrial intelligences; our assumption that aliens 'out there' would be benign, could be...

Mary Louise Cowan and Anthony Little from the University of Stirling have just published one of the most comprehensive psychological investigations into the role of humour in flirting. The study explains why being funny is closely linked to being fancied.

Previous research on ads placed in Lonely hearts columns finds...

It's difficult to remember given all that's happened with Vicky Pryce and Chris Huhne, that this epic case began with an apparently innocuous speeding offence.

But Huhne's driving licence was already so over-burdened with points, more would have tipped him over the limit, with possible shattering consequences for his...

The worst betrayal is discovering someone we trusted has in fact been exploiting us.

Then comes the rumination on the wrong we've suffered, followed, inexorably, by revenge fantasies. Our lives become diverted because the addictive power of payback renders it impossible to focus on anything else.

But dwelling...

The headlines are that Daniel Day Lewis has made Academy Award history by winning the Oscar for best actor for the third time. But is there a darker story behind the glittering awards ceremony? Jennifer Lawrence won the equivalent award for her performance in Silver Linings Playbook, but if her...

Tim Twietmeyer, who has completed the Western States Endurance Run 25 times, on each occasion in under 24 hours (the world's oldest and most prestigious 100-mile race) is quoted as declaring: "There is nothing noble in being superior to some other man. The true nobility is being superior to your...

It's particularly intriguing given the psychology of manipulation, that Oprah has been reported, following the interview, to be largely 'persuaded' by Lance Armstrong's account of the doping scandal.

Psychologists familiar with the Machiavellian (or manipulative) personality type may not be that surprised. Machiavellianism, or manipulativeness, crucially explains effectiveness in evading...

Being lost in the wrinkles of middle age, it took a national newspaper telephoning us yesterday requesting a psychological analysis of why Rihanna has been posting suggestive images on Twitter, before we understood the celebrity story of the moment.

After apologising that we couldn't help, the feature editor's question -...

Did Oscar Wilde give the best psychological advice on New Year's Resolutions? These usually involve redoubled, yet fruitless, efforts to resist the temptation you succumbed to last year, so in The Picture of Dorian Gray (1891), Wilde declared, "The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield...

Scrooge exists and is stalking the corridors of academe. Finance and behaviour experts complain that gift giving at Christmas should not happen, theoretically, because it's highly irrational.

Economists grumble giving cash would actually look after the interests of recipients better, than that pair of socks or the soon abandoned scarf....

According to ancient Mayan Prophecy, today is meant to herald the end of the world. But just in case there is still a world to read this, why are such apocalyptic visions all the rage?

Whether the Mayans actually prophesied the end of the world on this date is...

When asked to describe one memorable regret in their lives, a recent large survey found the most common qualm amongst a nationally representative poll of North Americans, involved ''romance''. This covered love, sex, dating or marriage.

Romantic remorse includes divorce, marrying the ''wrong person,'' an affair, not pursuing someone...

The internet, not just Twitter, seems to abound with false rumours and malicious gossip, but is their popularity testament to a fundamental tendency of believing in the bogus?

Given most people already know the web is brimming with phony information (after all, who on the planet has yet to receive...

Which candidate attracted your support during the 2012 US presidential ballot?

The hype surrounding election campaigning hinges on the argument that if the opponent triumphs, it will be cataclysmic for the nation. So when a rival candidate succeeds, this could be traumatic for supporters of the losers.

Timothy...

Extreme disasters which occur just before an election, do appear to sway voters, the latest research has found.

Andrew Healy and Neil Malhotra from Loyola Marymount University and Stanford Graduate School of Business, recently published a study where they examined the effect of tornado damage across the USA on...