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. Some police see through killer’s lies

    For the first time, a person's ability to size up a highly motivated liar has been assessed in a study of police officers viewing videotaped interviews of a murder suspect.

  2. Organ donations take family toll

    Taiwanese people who donate organs from a deceased family member still support that decision 6 months later, despite frequently experiencing negative consequences related to their culture and religion.

  3. Hormone therapy may prove memorable

    Healthy, older women may be protected against losses of verbal memory that typically occur with age if they receive hormone-replacement therapy.

  4. Into the Mystic

    Scientists confront the hazy realm of spiritual enlightenment.

  5. Archaeology

    Maize domestication grows older in Mexico

    Maize cultivation existed in southern Mexico at least 6,300 years ago, according to a recent radiocarbon analysis of two maize cobs unearthed in a cave nearly 40 years ago.

  6. Anthropology

    Neandertals and humans each get a grip

    A fossil analysis indicates that, by about 100,000 years ago, modern humans in the Middle East had hands suited to holding stone tools by attached handles, whereas Neandertals did not.

  7. People on the go follow the flow

    The human visual system flexibly uses available visual information for guidance as people walk toward targets, according to tests conducted in virtual environments that violate the laws of optics.

  8. Teenage depression shows family ties

    Parents and siblings of severely depressed teenagers suffer from a disproportionately high rate of severe depression, strengthening the theory that a common form of this disorder afflicts young and old alike.

  9. Conductors single out sour side notes

    Experienced classical-music conductors learn to pinpoint the sources of sounds originating from the side as well from in front of them, an essential skill for fine-tuning the performance of each musician in an orchestra.

  10. Anthropology

    Rumble in the Jungle

    A new book raises troubling and controversial issues regarding research on a famous South American Indian population.

  11. Brain takes emotional sides for sexes

    Men's and women's brains may adopt different approaches to fostering memories of emotional experiences.

  12. When diabetics dismiss their treatment

    Diabetics who retreat from close relationships in favor of self-reliance may have particular difficulty adhering to diabetes treatments if their physician communicates poorly with them.