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. Anthropology

    Early agriculture flowered in Mexico

    Mexico may have served as a center of early plant domestication in the Americas, according to researchers who have excavated a site near Mexico's Gulf Coast.

  2. Healthy aging may depend on past habits

    A 60-year study indicates that middle-aged men can exert a considerable amount of personal control over their eventual physical and mental health as seniors.

  3. Teens’ ADHD treatment gets low-dose boost

    Teenagers diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder may reap substantial academic benefits from treatment that combines behavioral training with low doses of stimulant medication.

  4. Anthropology

    Evolution’s Youth Movement

    The fossils of ancient children may provide insights into the evolution of modern Homo sapiens.

  5. Look on the bright side and survive longer

    People who, as young adults, describe their lives using a variety of terms for positive emotions live substantially longer than those who express little positive emotion, according to a long-term study of Catholic nuns.

  6. Many refugees can’t flee mental ailments

    Refugees interviewed in camps in Nepal exhibit post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental ailments, especially if they have survived torture in their native country.

  7. Here come mom and dad

    Children in two-parent families spend more time with their mothers and fathers now than they did 20 years ago.

  8. Brains show evolutionary designs

    Mammal species exhibit basic types of brain design from which they have evolved a wide array of brain sizes, according to a new analysis.

  9. Domesticated goats show unique gene mix

    A genetic analysis finds a surprising amount of genetic unity in goats living in Europe, Africa, and Asia, supporting the theory that goats were widely transported and traded throughout human history.

  10. Dolphins may seek selves in mirror images

    Dolphins apparently recognize their own reflections.

  11. School kids cite widespread bullying

    A substantial proportion of children in grades 6 through 10 report bullying other children or being bullied themselves.

  12. Music, language may meet in the brain

    Brain areas considered crucial for understanding language may also play an important role in music perception.