Preventing tragedy: FSU expert examines suicidal motives in mass shootings, terrorism

By: Amy Walden | Published: February 21, 2024 | 9:21 am | SHARE: According to the Gun Violence Archive, the United States reported 656 mass shootings in 2023. When it comes to understanding and preventing tragedies such as murder-suicides, mass shootings and terrorism, some may question why assailants in these cases are motivated to kill.

Love is more complex than ‘5 love languages,’ says expert

The ‘5 Love Languages’ popularized by Gary Chapman often get brought up when discussing relationships, but this Valentine’s Day one Virginia Tech psychologist suggests taking a different approach to fostering and nurturing high-quality, loving relationships. To understand Louis Hickman’s perspective, it’s important to also understand the love languages.

Monkey see, monkey do: how sideline sports behaviours affect kids

For children’s sports, there’s no doubt that parents are essential – they’re the free ferry service, the half-time orange supplier, and the local cheer squad. But when it comes to sideline behaviour, some parents can behave badly, and when this happens it’s often a case of ‘monkey see, monkey do’.

Psychologist Calls Attention to Social Media as a Public Health Hazard

In New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ State of the City speech, he discussed protecting kids’ mental health in the face of excessive social media usage.  Dr. Anthony Anzalone, a clinical psychologist at Stony Brook Medicine, also agrees that social media…

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.

Researchers blow whistle on forensic science method

If forensic experts have access to a suspect’s gun, they can compare the microscopic markings from discarded shell casings with those found at a crime scene. Finding and reporting a mismatch can help free the innocent, just as a match can incriminate the guilty. But new research reveals mismatches are more likely than matches to be reported as “inconclusive” in cartridge-case comparisons.

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.

Worries about artificial intelligence, surveillance at work may be connected to poor mental health

Employees’ concerns about the use of artificial intelligence and monitoring technologies in the workplace may be negatively related to their psychological well-being and lead them to feel less valued, according to a survey from the American Psychological Association.

Alcohol makes you more likely to approach attractive people but doesn’t make others seem better looking: Study

It’s “liquid courage,” not necessarily “beer goggles”: New research indicates that consuming alcohol makes you more likely to approach people you already find attractive but does not make others appear more attractive, according to a report in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.

Enter Sandman: Study shows dreams spill over into the workplace and can be channeled for productivity

Studies show that on any given morning, about 40 percent of the working population recalls its dreams. New research from Casher Belinda, assistant professor of management at the University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business, shows that when dreams are first recalled, people often draw connections between their dreams and waking lives, and the connections they draw alter how they think, feel and act at work.

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.

Virginia Tech psychologist offers tips for parents and schools to help address bullying

The start of a new school year can be exciting, but for some students it comes with fear and anxiety – especially for those who are victims of bullying. According to Virginia Tech psychologist Rosanna Breaux, about 1 in 4 children experience bullying in elementary school. “The hurtful behavior can happen in a variety of ways – physical, verbal, or social,” says Breaux.

Research Details Perils of Not Being Attractive or Athletic in Middle School

Life is harder for adolescents who are not attractive or athletic. New research shows low attractive and low athletic youth became increasingly unpopular over the course of a school year, leading to subsequent increases in their loneliness and alcohol misuse. As their unpopularity grows, so do their problems.

Study finds people expect others to mirror their own selfishness, generosity

Research from the University of Illinois shows that a person’s own behavior is the primary driver of how they treat others during brief zero-sum-game competitions, carrying more weight than the attitudes and behaviors of others. Generous people tend to reward generous behavior and selfish individuals often punish generosity and reward selfishness – even when it costs them.

Psychology graduate explores human preferences when considering autonomous robots as companions, teammates

With the fierce debate broiling over the promise versus perceived dangers of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and autonomous robots, Nicole Moore of the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) has had a study published in the American Society for Engineering Management (ASEM) that is especially timely.Titled, Stakeholder Preferences for an Autonomous Robot Teammate, Moore’s research focuses on user-held preferences: specifically, which factors in autonomous robot design are the most preferable to their human counterparts, and whether these criteria vary according to the ways the technology is applied.

Multicultural Psychology Consultation Team promotes culturally responsive care in hospital system

The synergistic epidemics of COVID-19, racial injustice, and health inequities have prompted patients and communities to press harder for culturally responsive health care. In Harvard Review of Psychiatry (HRP), published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer, members of the originating Multicultural Psychology Consultation Team (MPCT) describe how they’re delivering culturally responsive mental health treatment while promoting inclusive health care workplace environments.

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%).

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.

The psychological challenges of rural living

People who endure the daily hassles of big cities often romanticize life in the country. But rural living is not necessarily the carefree, idyllic experience that many people imagine, said Emily Willroth, an assistant professor of psychological and brain sciences in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis. Willroth co-authored a study in the Journal of Personality suggesting that people in rural areas face unique challenges that may shape their personalities and psychological well-being.