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Motivational Concepts

Any Choice is Good Choice (November 19, 2007)
A study indicates that the mere ability to choose is as rewarding as getting the better of two possible outcomes. Karen Hopkin reports.

Hunger

A Second, Clean Plate May Be A Cue To Keep Eating (February 06, 2007)
Super Bowls provide plenty of opportunity for snacking, and for researchers who study eating habits. A soon-to-be published experiment done at a Super Bowl party found that people ate more when they had their plates consistently cleaned off than if their detritus was left on the plate.

Eating Disorders Caught By A Hair (October 24, 2006)
A test of isotopes found in a patient's hair reveals recent changes in diet and body chemistry associated with anorexia and bulimia.

Sex, Drugs and Chocolate Cake (Octoper 20, 2006)
The same brain chemicals involved in the pleasure gotten from eating are triggered by sex and drugs.

Lying in Weight: The Hidden Epidemic of Eating Disorders in Adult Women (And A Few Men) (May 23, 2007)
In this episode, molecular biologist and journalist Trisha Gura discusses her new book, Lying In Weight, about eating disorders in adult, even elderly, women, as well as a small percentage of men. Plus we'll test your knowledge of some recent science in the news.

Sexual Motivation

Users Of Online Dating Services Often Fib (February 7, 2007)
A study of users of four popular online dating services found that a majority lied about their weight, and many lied about their height.

My Unfunny Valentine: The Truth About Online Dating; and The Myelin Repair Foundation—A New Model For Outcome-Oriented Biomedical Research (February 14, 2007)
In this episode, Scientific American Mind contributing editor Robert Epstein talks about the pitfalls and potential of online dating. And Myelin Repair Foundation founder Scott Johnson talks about how the foundation is accelerating the search for multiple sclerosis therapies, as well as serving as a model for a new kind of biomedical research approach.

Craving for Sex May Trip Other Hungers in Men (June 2, 2008)
Watching women in bikinis tends to make men more impulsive when it comes to monetary decisions. Christie Nicholson reports.