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. Psychology

    Shared talking styles herald new and lasting romance

    Verbally in-sync conversations may help to start and maintain dating relationships.

  2. Humans

    Ancient hominid butchers get trampled

    Bone marks advanced as evidence of stone-tool use to butcher animals 3.4 million years ago may actually have resulted from animal trampling, scientists say.

  3. Psychology

    Many unhappy returns for wandering minds

    A cell phone–based survey finds that people frequently feel worse when their minds wander than when they focus on the moment.

  4. Psychology

    Aboriginal time runs east to west

    Some indigenous Australians envision time moving westward, suggesting that culture shapes how people think about this basic concept.

  5. Humans

    Deep African roots for toolmaking method

    A method for trimming stone-tool edges appeared 75,000 years ago in southern Africa, archaeologists contend, long before previous evidence of the practice.

  6. Humans

    Weighing risks, convicts display blind spots

    Prisoners often don’t appreciate likely gains or losses in making decisions, a finding with possible policy implications.

  7. Massacre at Sacred Ridge

    A violent Pueblo incident sparks debate regarding prehistoric genocide.

  8. Psychology

    Lies, damned lies and psychology experiments

    Researchers may deceive themselves when they mislead study participants.

  9. Book Review: Origins: How the Nine Months Before Birth Shape the Rest of Our Lives by Annie Murphy Paul

    Review by Bruce Bower.

  10. Psychology

    Kids learn late to tackle data overload

    An information-thrifty tactic used by adults for making accurate judgments takes hold during the tween years.

  11. Psychology

    Getting to not know you

    Knowledge of a romantic partner’s likes and dislikes declines over decades, a study finds.

  12. Siblings of autistic children may share some symptoms

    Studies may need to account for a predisposition to autistic traits in undiagnosed members of families where the disorder occurs.