U.S. Still Religious, But Trust In Institutions Wanes

"Though more Americans go to church or believe in God than their counterparts in virtually every other Western country, fewer Americans now trust religious institutions. A recent Gallup poll showed that just 44 percent of Americans have a great deal of confidence in 'the church or organized religion.'"

Boomers Retiring Sooner Than They Expected

"Fifty-nine percent of U.S. baby boomers born after 1946 are choosing to retire despite a popular belief baby boomers will work well past age 65, a survey found."

Too Much Happiness Can Make You Unhappy, Studies Show

"Studies show that there is a darker side to feeling good and that the pursuit of happiness can sometimes make you . . . well, less happy. Too much cheerfulness can make you gullible, selfish, less successful — and that’s only the tip of the iceberg."

Gallup: The Most and Least Religious States

"Mississippi is the most religious U.S. state, and is one of eight states where Gallup classifies at least half of the residents as 'very religious.' At the other end of the spectrum, Vermont and New Hampshire are the least religious states . . ."

Nearly 40% of Women Today Have Never Been Married

"Nearly 40% of women have never been married, and fewer are in a first marriage, according to a new government report that takes a detailed look at first marriages and their chances for survival."

Pew: More Americans See 'Too Much' Religious Talk In Politics

"According to a new survey, 38 percent of Americans say there is too much 'expression of religious faith and prayer from political leaders.'"

Texting is Ultimate Social Tool for Teens, Study Says

"Mobile devices often get accused of alienating people from the world around them. But for U.S. teens, cell phones (especially text messaging) are a key way to stay connected with friends and other people in their lives, according to new research from the Pew Internet & American Life Project."

Study: People With Lots of Facebook Friends More Likely to be Narcissists

"Research from Western Illinois University showed a link between the number of Facebook friends you have and how active you are on the site to the likelihood of being a "socially disruptive" narcissist."

Study: Marriage Education Can Be Helpful

"A study of more than a dozen different marriage education classes showed the programs help couples improve communication, U.S. researchers said."

Trying to be Empathetic Key for Couples

"A man likes to know when his wife or girlfriend is happy, but a woman wants the man in her life to know when she is upset, U.S. researchers found."

Why Loneliness Can Be Deadly

"Loneliness can send a person down a path toward bad health, and even more intense loneliness, studies have shown. But while some have assumed the culprit was a dearth of others to remind a person to take care of himself or herself, new research suggests there's a direct biological link between being lonely and ill health."

Wealthy Americans Became Significantly Wealthier in 2011

"Taxpayers earning more than $250,000 saw their total adjusted gross incomes rise by 13.8%, while those bringing home between $200K and $250K enjoyed a 6.7% increase, according to a CNNMoney analysis. Middle-class Americans? Not so fortunate. Those making between $50K and $100K saw their incomes creep up only 1.5%."

Study: Whites Have 20 Times More Household Wealth Than Blacks

"The median household wealth of blacks was a mere $5,677 in 2009, just 5% of the $113,149 median wealth of whites, according to the Pew Research Center."

Incompetent People Too Ignorant to Know It

"A growing body of psychology research shows that incompetence deprives people of the ability to recognize their own incompetence."

Study: Men Underestimate Their Own Weight, Overestimate Weight of Women

"A new study finds a disparity in the way men view their own weight, compared to how they view the weight of their wives or girlfriends, MyFoxTwinCities reported."

Number of U.S. Mosques Up 74% Since 2000

"The number of Islamic places of worship in the United States soared 74% in the past decade."

Rich People More Likely to Cheat, Behave Badly, Research Finds

"In a series of experiments, University of California at Berkeley researchers showed again and again that upper-class individuals were more prone to unethical behavior than people from more deprived backgrounds, according to the study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences."

Study: We're Getting Less Friendly on Facebook

"Whether it's pruning friends lists, removing unwanted comments or restricting access to their profiles, Americans are getting more privacy-savvy on social networks, a new report found."

U.S. Bachelor Degree Rate Passes Milestone

"More than 30 percent of American adults hold bachelor’s degrees, a first in the nation’s history, and women are on the brink of surpassing men in educational attainment, the Census Bureau reported on Thursday."

Families Living in Extreme Poverty Doubled Since 1996

"The number of families living on $2 or less per person per day for at least a month in the USA has more than doubled in 15 years to 1.46 million."