Researchers of human behaviour have identified an "orgasm gap": Men usually orgasm during intercourse, whereas women often do not. This book addresses this mystery. The two leading explanations are either that women are “psychologically broken” - Freud’s theory – or badly designed – the “by-product theory.” However, there is a much more compelling third explanation. Evolutionary biology, anatomy, physiology, and direct sex research suggest women have evolved under their own selection pressures and orgasm is a fitness-increasing consequence of such selective factors. This is revealed in their patterns of orgasmic response, which are neither random nor inexplicable.

SFI Lero and Breakthrough Cancer Research

Digital tools such as discussion boards, apps and websites are often noted as leading sources of cancer misinformation. This misinformation might pertain to prevention of cancer, screening outcomes and treatment options. In the  current digital era, many patients unsurprisingly seek out information via the internet. It is unrealistic to expect patients to avoid online information pertaining to a diagnosis they have received, which makes it all the more important to equip patients with the tools to evaluate information they are engaging with.

Researchers from the University College Cork, the School of Applied Psychology hosted a two-day event to present and discuss in person the new training handbook of ASpida. They invited a group of individuals with chronic pain, members of the Chronic Pain Ireland (CPI) who participated in a series of activities that focused on pilot testing the new protocol.

ASpida is an innovative community-based program that aims to tackle the effects of stigma in chronic pain.

Quillette piece on our research into the nature and function of female orgasm

Every second of every day, across the face of planet Earth, there are 18,000 ejaculations of sperm, and 4.4 births. The stark reality that sperm (and the men who produce it) are biologically cheap, in comparison to eggs (and the women who bear them) is arithmetically inescapable. It is worth keeping facts like these in mind, to resist the incessant desire that humans have, to pretend that we are not, in Martin Daly’s memorable phrase, “just another critter.” ... Read more

Steve Sharman, Raegan Murphy, John Turner and Amanda Roberts have published their latest findings on the predictors of suicide attempts in male UK gamblers seeking residential treatment. Click here for more information: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2021.107171

Shane Galvin and Raegan Murphy recently presented a poster on Shane's PhD work at the New Advances in Online Research Methods: Virtual Summer School Conference at UCD. Shane presented his work on his Rasch Analysis of the Matrix Reasoning Task. Data for the Matrix Reasoning Item Bank fits the dichotomous Rasch model. This may be useful to further internet-based research aiming to include measures of matrix reasoning, and to further the development of psychometric tools for use in internet-based research.

Tony Su, Fiona Buckley & Samantha Dockray