Below is a round-up of news from various academic fields this week.
Remote treatment for OCD works
Bethany M. Wootton from the University of Tasmania has just published a study in Clinical Psychology Review which demonstrates that remote treatment for OCD works well.
This has implications for many areas, including those suffering from OCD who find it difficult to leave the house, and for cost-cutting measures in treatment.
A study of eighteen participants showed that remote treatment produced a significant decrease in symptoms, and these participants did much better than the control group, with face-to-face treatment not making a meaningful difference.
5th century Iberian sanctuary rites uncovered

Photo (left) and plan of the sanctuary Puerta del Sol (right) and distribution of rooms, caves and stele of female deity.
Chemical analysis of a ceramic set, which was found in the sanctuary at Puerta del Sol, has revealed that native sulphur, vegetable fat, ruminant animal fat and beeswax were used as part of the rituals.
The sanctuary was probably created in reverence for a female deity, who was worshipped by Iberians in the 5th and 4th centuries BCE.
Researchers call for interdisciplinary perspectives on culture, language and thought
An international team of researchers have released a paper in Current Opinion in Psychology, urging academics to look at culture, language and thought from an interdisciplinary point of view.
The paper particularly focuses on cognitive and cultural psychologists, who examine different elements of human language and thought from separate perspectives.
The researchers recommend that future research should focus on the co-evolution of language and culture, and how these interacted with each other to have an impact on culture.
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