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. Animals

    I, Magpie

    Some magpies recognize themselves in mirrors, indicating that a basic form of self-recognition evolved in one family of birds.

  2. Evolution’s Ear

    Recent changes in hearing-related genes may have influenced language development

  3. Archaeology

    Saharan surprise

    A chance discovery in the Sahara leads to the excavation of a Stone Age cemetery containing remains from two lakeside cultures.

  4. Psychology

    Core calculations

    Number words may serve as mental tools for expanding on basic, nonverbal numerical knowledge rather than as determinants of such knowledge.

  5. Humans

    Toddlers triumphant

    In new studies, toddlers display dramatic advances in object recognition that may underlie verbal and symbolic achievements.

  6. Good mood gone bad

    Feeling happy may lessen children’s ability to perform tasks that require attention to detail, a new study suggests.

  7. Psychology

    Lie defectives

    A new analysis challenges the view that a few people with special experience can detect others’ lies with great accuracy.

  8. Psychology

    Woman knob twists

    People nonverbally impose a specific order on descriptions of witnessed events, a tendency that may influence the structure of new languages, a new study suggests.

  9. Psychology

    Wave of resilience

    Indian survivors of the devastating Asian tsunami employed spiritual and community coping strategies to regain emotional balance

  10. Humans

    Schooling the vote

    Where you cast your ballot can affect how you cast your ballot.

  11. Psychology

    Simpleminded Voters

    An innovative research technique has led researchers to conclude that well-informed voters often use simple rules of thumb to sift through mountains of campaign information and pick the candidate who best reflects their own political views.

  12. Humans

    Worth the cooties

    Boys who attend preschool classes with a majority of girls do better developmentally than other boys.