Bruce Bower

Bruce Bower

Behavioral Sciences Writer

Bruce Bower has written about the behavioral sciences since 1984. He often writes about psychology, anthropology, archaeology and mental health issues. Bruce has a master's degree in psychology from Pepperdine University and a master's degree in journalism from the University of Missouri. Following an internship at Science News in 1981, he worked as a reporter at Psychiatric News, a publication of the American Psychiatric Association, until joining Science News as a staff writer. In 1996, the American Psychological Association appointed Bruce a Science Writer Fellow, with a grant to visit psychological scientists of his own choosing. Early stints as an aide in a day school for children and teenagers with severe psychological problems and as a counselor in a drug diversion center provided Bruce with a surprisingly good background for a career in science journalism.

All Stories by Bruce Bower

  1. Archaeology

    Ancient Site Holds Cannibalism Clues

    An 800-year-old Anasazi site in Colorado yields contested evidence of cannibalism.

  2. Traumas trip up inner-city girls

    Inner-city teenage girls may often experience a severe stress reaction that makes it more difficult for them to succeed in school.

  3. Show me the data

    A debate has broken out over whether neuroscientists should share the voluminous data that they generate in their experiments.

  4. Strep infection sets off tics in some kids

    Some children may have a genetic susceptibility to developing obsessive-compulsive disorder and tic ailments after a streptococcal infection.

  5. Nausea drug may aid alcoholism treatment

    A drug that lowers the activity of serotonin and other chemical messengers in the brain may boost the effectiveness of psychological treatments for a severe form of alcoholism.

  6. Study explores abortion’s mental aftermath

    A majority of women report no increase in psychological problems after having an abortion, although nearly one in five express dissatisfaction and regret 2 years later about their decision.

  7. Depression may play a role in stroke risk

    Feelings of hopelessness and other signs of major depression markedly raise a person's likelihood of suffering a stroke.

  8. Babies posture to learn

    Infants make better action-oriented decisions when they adopt a familiar posture, such as sitting upright, instead of an unfamiliar one, such as crawling.

  9. Hypnotic hues in the brain

    Hypnosis uniquely colors the activity of brain areas involved in visual perception, supporting the view that hypnotized people enter a distinct psychological state rather than only play a role designed to please the hypnotist.

  10. Inside Violent Worlds

    Political conflict and terror look different up close and local.

  11. Study of stimulant therapy raises concerns

    A community survey in North Carolina indicates that many children receiving stimulant treatment don't have attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.

  12. Looking for the brain’s g force

    Controversial evidence suggests that a frontal-brain network underlies psychological measures of general intelligence.