Do women remember faces better than men?
New research suggests that women are slightly better at remembering details compared to men, especially people’s faces. Women’s episodic memory even recalls past disagreements between couples better. There are diverse types of memory skills that collectively allow the human race to thrive in the world. Episodic memories are one of them. A study published in the journal Psychological Bulletin indicated that women have better recollection skills on certain types of episodic memories compared to the opposite sex.
Drinking tea improves brain health, study suggests
A recent study led by researchers from the National University of Singapore revealed that regular tea drinkers have better organised brain regions — and this is associated with healthy cognitive function — compared to non-tea drinkers. The research team made this discovery after examining neuroimaging data of 36 older adults. “Our results offer the first evidence of positive contribution of tea drinking to brain structure, and suggest that drinking tea regularly has a protective effect against age-related decline in brain organisation,” explained team leader Assistant Professor Feng Lei, who is from the Department of Psychological Medicine at the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine.
Being an optimist may help people live past 85
Humans have been searching for centuries for the secret to living longer, but the answer may be as simple as maintaining a positive state of mind. A study published by researchers at Boston University adds to the evidence that optimistic men and women may live longer than those who are pessimistic. Researchers found that people who scored higher on an optimism assessment were more likely to live past the age of 85. Those with higher optimism levels at the start of the study were more likely to have advanced degrees and be physically active, and less likely to have health conditions like diabetes or depression. However, when researchers accounted for these variables, they still found that optimism was associated with people living significantly longer.