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UrduAcclaimed psychologist Roxane Cohen Silver of the University of California, Irvine – whose groundbreaking studies on stress and coping have advanced understanding of how traumatic incidents like terror attacks, infectious disease outbreaks and natural disasters affect people – has been elected a member by the American Academy of Arts & Sciences.
Tag: Psychological Science
Stress in America 2023: A nation grappling with psychological impacts of collective trauma
U.S. society appears to be experiencing the psychological impacts of a collective trauma in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the results of a new survey by the American Psychological Association. Psychologists warn that a superficial characterization of life being “back to normal” is obscuring the post-traumatic effects on mental and physical health.
Our favorite bittersweet symphonies may help us deal better with physical pain
Researchers found that listening to our preferred music reduces pain intensity and unpleasantness, knowledge which could optimize music-based pain therapies
No universal body image experience in pregnancy – study
A new study has discovered large variations in how pregnancy can affect women’s perceptions of their own body, including experiences of negative body image.
In the “I” of the Beholder: People Believe Self-Relevant Artwork is More Beautiful
New research shows how we prefer art that speaks to our sense of self. The findings could lead to more effective forms of art therapy, but can also lead media companies to generate addictive content online.
Take the money now or later? Financial scarcity doesn’t lead to poor decision making
When people feel that their resources are scarce – that they don’t have enough money or time to meet their needs – they often make decisions that favor short-term gains over long-term benefits. Because of that, researchers have argued that scarcity pushes people to make myopic, impulsive decisions.
15 Psychological Scientists Receive APS’s 2024 Lifetime Achievement Awards
The Association for Psychological Science (APS) has awarded the 2024 APS Lifetime Achievement Awards to 15 psychological scientists whose contributions have advanced understanding of topics ranging from how to alleviate human suffering to cultural differences and similarities in mental processes.
For Whom the School Bells Toll: New Psychological Research for the New Academic Year
A collection of research published in the APS journals in 2022 and 2023 related to peer relationships, pandemic-related learning losses, the positive impacts of growth mindsets, and much more.
Formerly depressed patients continue to focus on negative
People who have recovered from a major depressive episode, when compared with individuals who have never experienced one, tend to spend more time processing negative information and less time processing positive information, putting them at risk for a relapse, according to research published by the American Psychological Association.
Public May Overestimate Pushback Against Controversial Research Findings
Do researchers overestimate the risk that certain research findings will fuel public support for censorship, defunding, and other harmful actions? Findings from a pair of studies published in Psychological Science by authors Cory J. Clark (University of Pennsylvania), Maja Graso (University of Groningen), Ilana Redstone (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign), and Philip E. Tetlock (University of Pennsylvania).
Robot preachers get less respect, fewer donations
As artificial intelligence expands across more professions, robot preachers and AI programs offer new means of sharing religious beliefs, but they may undermine credibility and reduce donations for religious groups that rely on them, according to research published by the American Psychological Association.
APA poll reveals toxic workplaces, other significant workplace mental health challenges
A new survey from the American Psychological Association revealed that 19% of workers say their workplace is very or somewhat toxic, and those who reported a toxic workplace were more than three times as likely to have said they have experienced harm to their mental health at work than those who report a healthy workplace (52% vs. 15%).
People Generalize Expectations of Pain to Conceptually Related Tasks
Avoiding experiences associated with pain can be an adaptive behavior. But when avoidance generalizes to safe movements and activities, it can come at the cost of other valued activities or even culminate in disability due to reduced activity levels.
Journal highlights contributions of Black psychologists
Despite historical strides and the important perspectives Black psychological researchers offer to their field, the contributions of Black psychologists have been left out of many foundational teachings in psychology, according to the journal American Psychologist.
Native Americans’ Awareness of Omission and Discrimination Fuels Civic Engagement
Derogatory stereotypes constitute a clear form of discrimination, but an absence of information about a group in mainstream society can also communicate a lack of respect. That is the case for Native Americans, who are often underrepresented in media and policy discussions. In a recent Psychological Science study, researchers found that Native American adults who identified more strongly as Native were more likely to notice group omission and discrimination, prompting increased civic engagement.
“The Tribe Has Spoken”: Race and Gender Bias Influence Voting Outcomes in Reality TV Show
Zero-sum situations in which one person’s loss is another’s gain are known to bring out people’s worst tendencies—and the reality television show Survivor is no exception
High-quality child care contributes to later success in science, math
Children who receive high-quality child care as babies, toddlers and preschoolers do better in science, technology, engineering and math through high school, and that link is stronger among children from low-income backgrounds, according to research published by the American Psychological Association.
Loneliness, insomnia linked to work with AI systems
Employees who frequently interact with artificial intelligence systems are more likely to experience loneliness that can lead to insomnia and increased after-work drinking, according to research published by the American Psychological Association.
Children with attention, behavior problems earn less money, have less education, poorer health as adults
Children who struggle with attention and behavior problems tend to end up earning less money, finish fewer years of school and have poorer mental and physical health as adults, compared with children who don’t show early attention and behavior problems, according to research published by the American Psychological Association.
Are we really foreseeing break-ups?
“I knew they wouldn’t last!” is the reaction we often get when we tell others that a couple they know has broken up.
Social stress, problem-solving deficits contribute to suicide risk for teen girls
Teen girls who have greater difficulty effectively solving interpersonal problems when they experience social stress, and who experience more interpersonal stress in their lives, are at greater risk of suicidal behavior, suggests research published by the American Psychological Association.
Brain-to-Brain Synchrony Between Students and Teachers Predicts Learning
Monitoring of students’ brain activity shows that brain-to-brain synchrony (or “getting on the same wavelength”) is predictive of learning outcomes.
Therapy sessions benefit mothers, children in homeless shelter
Short-term therapy sessions with parents and their children in homeless shelters could help improve parenting skills and reduce parental stress and children’s post-traumatic stress symptoms, according to a pilot study published by the American Psychological Association.
Conspiracy Theorists May Not Always Think Rationally, but They Don’t Generally Believe Contradictory Claims
It’s easy to characterize conspiracy theorists as people who will believe just about anything. However, it’s not true that conspiracy theorists commonly believe contradictory conspiracies, such as the claim that Diana, Princess of Wales, both was murdered and is still alive after faking her own death.
APA panel issues recommendations for adolescent social media use
A presidential panel of the American Psychological Association has issued recommendations for the use of social media by adolescents, noting that while these platforms can promote healthy socialization, their use should be preceded by training in social media literacy to ensure that youth have skills that will maximize the chances for balanced, safe and meaningful experiences.
Assisted reproduction kids grow up just fine – but it may be better to tell them early about biological origins, twenty-year study suggests
Landmark study finds no difference in psychological wellbeing or quality of family relationships between children born by assisted reproduction (egg or sperm donation or surrogacy) and those born naturally at age 20.
Some people may be attracted to others over minimal similarities
We are often attracted to others with whom we share an interest, but that attraction may be based on an erroneous belief that such shared interests reflect a deeper and more fundamental similarity—we share an essence—according to research published by the American Psychological Association.
Black Women’s Childhood Symptoms of Disordered Eating Predict Symptoms in Adulthood
The majority of research on disordered eating has focused on the experiences of white women, contributing to the myth that eating disorders don’t affect Black women, according to researcher Jordan E. Parker (University of California, Los Angeles). Her new research debunks this myth.
Lonely People’s Divergent Thought Processes May Contribute to Feeling “Alone in a Crowded Room”
Lonely individuals’ neural responses differ from those of other people, suggesting that seeing the world differently may be a risk factor for loneliness regardless of friendships.
Personality, satisfaction linked throughout adult lifespan
Certain personality traits are associated with satisfaction in life, and despite the changes people may experience in social roles and responsibilities over the course of their adult lives, that association is stable regardless of age, according to research published by the American Psychological Association.
Americans share fake news to fit in with social circles
Both conservative and liberal Americans share fake news because they don’t want to be ostracized from their social circles, according to research published by the American Psychological Association.
Highlight facts or appeal to feelings? The psychology of persuading individuals to contribute to a collective goal
Researchers from Fudan University, China Europe International Business School, and Peking University published a new Journal of Marketing article that examines how marketers can use different messaging to persuade individuals to contribute to a collective goal.
Does more money correlate with greater happiness?
Are people who earn more money happier in daily life? Though it seems like a straightforward question, research had previously returned contradictory findings, leaving uncertainty about its answer.
Diversity Training for Police Officers: One-and-Done Efforts Aren’t Enough
New research explores the reasons for, and antidotes to, persistent racial disparities in policing, despite police departments’ repeated investments in bias-training programs.
The Self-Taught Vocabulary of Homesigning Deaf Children Supports Universal Constraints on Language
Thousands of languages spoken throughout the world draw on many of the same fundamental linguistic abilities and reflect universal aspects of how humans categorize events. Some aspects of language may also be universal to people who create their own sign languages.
Journalists invited to premier global event in integrative psychological science
ICPS is designed to surmount artificial disciplinary boundaries that can impede scientific progress and to highlight areas of investigation in which those boundaries have already been overcome.
People save more money when their goals fit their personality traits
People whose savings goals align well with their dominant personality traits are more likely to save money, according to research published by the American Psychological Association.
Reducing social media use significantly improves body image in teens, young adults
Teens and young adults who reduced their social media use by 50% for just a few weeks saw significant improvement in how they felt about both their weight and their overall appearance compared with peers who maintained consistent levels of social media use, according to research published by the American Psychological Association.
Psychological Stress Impedes Performance, Even for Olympic Athletes
Analysis of biometric data of 2020 Olympic archers provides empirical support for something sports fans have long suspected: When athletes feel the pressure, their performance suffers.
Commonly used police diversity training unlikely to change officers’ behavior, study finds
New research from Washington University in St. Louis suggests that the day-long implicit bias-oriented training programs now common in most U.S. police departments are unlikely to reduce racial inequity in policing.
Stereotyping veterans as heroes may limit their future careers
While much of the American public venerates people who enlist in the military, constantly referring to all veterans as “heroes” may direct them into lower-paying careers associated with selflessness, according to research published by the American Psychological Association.
Events Serve as “Stepping Stones” en Route to Retrieved Memories
Lost your keys again? One way to retrace your steps involves scanning your memory to find them, such as reaching back to the last moment you clearly remember having them—say, as you walked in the door—before skipping ahead to a “phone call” event and then a “watching TV” event, at which point you might recall placing the keys next to the remote.
The Dangers of “Bureaucra-think&”: Research Demonstrates Structural Bias and Racism in Mental Health Organizations
New research shows that mental health organizations may systematically transmit bias and racism through common bureaucratic processes and, in some cases, through staff merely doing their job.
Young chimpanzees and human teens share risk-taking behaviors
Adolescent chimpanzees share some of the same risk-taking behaviors as human teens, but they may be less impulsive than their human counterparts, according to research published by the American Psychological Association. The study gets at age-old nature/nurture questions about why adolescents take more risks: because of environment or because of biological predispositions?
Similarities in Human and Chimpanzee Behavior Support Evolutionary Basis for Risk Taking
Research suggests that findings about human risk preferences also apply to risk-taking in chimpanzees, our closest evolutionary ancestor in the animal kingdom, and that individual chimps’ risk preference is stable and trait-like across situations.
Male gender bias deters men from some career paths
Men are less likely to seek careers in early education and some other fields traditionally associated with women because of male gender bias in those fields, according to research published by the American Psychological Association.
Volatile pay for gig workers linked to health problems
Gig workers, waiters, salespeople and others who rely on fluctuating income may be paying for wage volatility with their health, according to research published by the American Psychological Association.
In negotiations, hoodwinking others has a cost, study finds
Lying to another person to get the better of them in a financial negotiation might win you more money, but you are likely to end up feeling guilty and less satisfied with the deal than if you had been honest, according to research published by the American Psychological Association.
Fear of Professional Backlash May Keep Women from Speaking Up at Academic Conferences
Women are less likely to ask questions during question-and-answer sessions at academic conferences. Research in Psychological Science suggests that this may be due to anxiety about how colleagues will receive their comments.
Negative self-perception appears to self-perpetuate, researchers find
At the end of a bad day, how do you feel about yourself? The answer could indicate not only how your self-perception formed, but also how it renews, according to experimental results from a research group in Japan.