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- April 13, 2012
- 10:23 AM
- 161 views
Don’t Freak Out on Friday the 13th: Stay Positive
by APS Daily Observations in Daily Observations
It’s Friday the 13th for the second time in 2012. With one more Friday the 13th coming in July, for some superstitious people this is a scary time—but stay positive. ... Read more »
Seligman, M., & Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2000) Positive psychology: An introduction. American Psychologist, 55(1), 5-14. DOI: 10.1037//0003-066X.55.1.5
- April 5, 2012
- 10:32 AM
- 185 views
Math Anxiety Is (Literally) in Your Head
by APS Daily Observations in Daily Observations
Math can be a fun, logic puzzle for some people. But for others, doing math is a headache-inducing experience. Scientists at the Stanford University School of Medicine have recently shown ... Read more »
Young, C.B., Wu, S.S., & Menon, V. (2012) The Neurodevelopmental Basis of Math Anxiety. Psychological Science. PMID: 22434239
- April 3, 2012
- 09:39 AM
- 137 views
The Perils of Trying to Unlearn
by APS Daily Observations in Daily Observations
There are tons of studies about how to improve learning, but what happens when we want to unlearn is less clear. Research on learning by association goes back to Pavlov’s ... Read more »
Coutanche, M., & Thompson-Schill, S. (2012) Reversal Without Remapping: What We Can (and Cannot) Conclude About Learned Associations From Training-Induced Behavior Changes. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 7(2), 118-134. DOI: 10.1177/1745691611434211
- March 23, 2012
- 10:07 AM
- 257 views
Crisscrossing Senses
by APS Daily Observations in Daily Observations
Ever wonder what the number 5 tastes like? What color is G sharp? Or what type of personality does January have? If you were a synesthete, you might be able ... Read more »
Wagner, K., & Dobkins, K. (2011) Synaesthetic Associations Decrease During Infancy. Psychological Science, 22(8), 1067-1072. DOI: 10.1177/0956797611416250
- March 9, 2012
- 09:49 AM
- 223 views
Mind Changer and Game Changer
by APS Daily Observations in Daily Observations
APS Past-President Elizabeth Loftus, University of California, Irving, is the highest-ranking female in the list of top 100 psychologists. She’s gained world-wide renown for her experiments showing that memory, far ... Read more »
Loftus, E.F. (1980) Psychological aspects of courtroom testimony. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 27-37. PMID: 6930909
- March 6, 2012
- 12:26 PM
- 223 views
Silly Sports Rituals? Think Again
by APS Daily Observations in Daily Observations
When a game begins, there is no telling how it will end. How can players cope with the unpredictability of sports? The rituals that athletes count on to win a ... Read more »
Damisch, L., Stoberock, B., & Mussweiler, T. (2010) Keep Your Fingers Crossed!: How Superstition Improves Performance. Psychological Science, 21(7), 1014-1020. DOI: 10.1177/0956797610372631
- March 1, 2012
- 12:03 PM
- 282 views
Placebo Power
by APS Daily Observations in Daily Observations
APS Fellow and Charter Member Irving Kirsch, associate director of the Placebo Studies Program at Harvard Medical School, says the difference between the effect of a placebo and the effect ... Read more »
Kirsch, I., Deacon, B.J., Huedo-Medina, T.B., Scoboria, A., Moore, T.J., & Johnson, B.T. (2008) Initial severity and antidepressant benefits: a meta-analysis of data submitted to the Food and Drug Administration. PLoS medicine, 5(2). PMID: 18303940
- February 27, 2012
- 03:33 PM
- 237 views
Where Learning STEMs From
by APS Daily Observations in Daily Observations
The need for STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) professionals has become critical in the United States. A recent Washington Post article stated there is a shortage of qualified U.S. ... Read more »
Bang, M., & Medin, D. (2010) Cultural processes in science education: Supporting the navigation of multiple epistemologies. Science Education, 94(6), 1008-1026. DOI: 10.1002/sce.20392
- February 16, 2012
- 08:57 AM
- 283 views
Heritability in the Era of Molecular Genetics
by APS Daily Observations in Daily Observations
Today it seems to be common knowledge that most behavioral and psychological traits have a heritable genetic component. But what does it really mean when a study says that the ... Read more »
Johnson, W., Penke, L., & Spinath, F. (2011) Heritability in the Era of Molecular Genetics: Some Thoughts for Understanding Genetic Influences on Behavioural Traits. European Journal of Personality, 25(4), 254-266. DOI: 10.1002/per.836
- February 15, 2012
- 03:44 PM
- 254 views
A ‘Bite-Size’ Rebuttal
by APS Daily Observations in Daily Observations
In the January 2012 issue of Perspectives on Psychological Science, two articles were published in which the authors argued that the trend of increasingly shorter journal articles could have a ... Read more »
Bertamini, M., & Munafo, M. (2012) Bite-Size Science and Its Undesired Side Effects. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 7(1), 67-71. DOI: 10.1177/1745691611429353
- February 14, 2012
- 08:49 AM
- 296 views
Finding What Works for Those Who Work for Their Country
by APS Daily Observations in Daily Observations
Veterans who have served their country deserve the best treatment possible. And Bradley Karlin, Director of the Psychotherapy Programs at US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), helps insure that the ... Read more »
Karlin, B., & Humphreys, K. (2007) Improving Medicare coverage of psychological services for older Americans. American Psychologist, 62(7), 637-649. DOI: 10.1037/0003-066X.62.7.637
- February 8, 2012
- 02:36 PM
- 319 views
Dating in the Digital Age
by APS Daily Observations in Daily Observations
The report card is in, and the online dating industry won’t be putting this one on the fridge. A new scientific report concludes that although online dating offers users some ... Read more »
Finkel, E. J., Eastwick, P.W., Karney, B. R., Reis, H.T., & Sprecher, S. (2012) Online Dating: A Critical Analysis From the Perspective of Psychological Science. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 13(1). info:/
- February 7, 2012
- 04:20 PM
- 324 views
Oxytocin’s (Not So) Better Half
by APS Daily Observations in Daily Observations
Feeling all warm and fuzzy? Chalk it up to oxytocin, the touchy-feely hormone that allows us to trust, bond, and even fall in love. Despite nicknames such as “the moral ... Read more »
Kemp, A., & Guastella, A. (2011) The Role of Oxytocin in Human Affect: A Novel Hypothesis. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 20(4), 222-231. DOI: 10.1177/0963721411417547
- January 26, 2012
- 10:44 AM
- 333 views
Writing Tip: Better “You” Than “I”
by APS Daily Observations in Daily Observations
You are a sick man…you are a spiteful man.
That’s not the first line of Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s Notes from the Underground; Dostoyevsky used the first person: “I am a ... Read more »
Brunyé, T., Ditman, T., Mahoney, C., & Taylor, H. (2011) Better you than I: Perspectives and emotion simulation during narrative comprehension. Journal of Cognitive Psychology, 23(5), 659-666. DOI: 10.1080/20445911.2011.559160
- January 23, 2012
- 04:52 PM
- 397 views
Good Reason to Dwell on What Might Have Been
by APS Daily Observations in Daily Observations
Don’t beat yourself up for daydreaming about what would have happened if you’d chosen a different career, bought a different house, or committed to a different partner. Research suggests that ... Read more »
Kray, L., George, L., Liljenquist, K., Galinsky, A., Tetlock, P., & Roese, N. (2010) From what might have been to what must have been: Counterfactual thinking creates meaning. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology., 98(1), 106-118. DOI: 10.1037/a0017905
- January 19, 2012
- 11:13 AM
- 384 views
Act Your Age
by APS Daily Observations in Daily Observations
There is no denying that in Western society, youth is valued. It is estimated that in 2008, more than £16 billion was spent on anti-aging products the United Kingdom. In ... Read more »
Schoemann, A., & Branscombe, N. (2011) Looking young for your age: Perceptions of anti-aging actions. European Journal of Social Psychology, 41(1), 86-95. DOI: 10.1002/ejsp.738
- January 17, 2012
- 10:27 AM
- 378 views
Underestimating the Impact
by APS Daily Observations in Daily Observations
Loved, hated, and a source of widespread controversy, journal impact factors (JIF) have taken on a unique role in scientific publishing. These little numbers are considered a measure of a ... Read more »
Hegarty, P., & Walton, Z. (2012) The Consequences of Predicting Scientific Impact in Psychology Using Journal Impact Factors. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 7(1), 72-78. DOI: 10.1177/1745691611429356
- January 12, 2012
- 10:24 AM
- 448 views
Why We Love Video Games
by APS Daily Observations in Daily Observations
From Mario Kart to World of Warcraft, why are we so obsessed with video games? Psychological scientists predict that part of the appeal of video games is the opportunity to ... Read more »
Przybylski, A.K., Weinstein, N., Murayama, K., Lynch, M.F., & Ryan, R.M. (2012) The ideal self at play: The appeal of video games that let you be all you can be. Psychological Science, 23(1), 69-76. PMID: 22173739
- April 12, 2011
- 03:29 PM
- 1,149 views
Play, Parents, and Children’s Stress
by APS Daily Observations in Daily Observations
Like mother like daughter…unfortunately this may also apply to depression. A study published in an upcoming issue of Psychological Science found that children whose mothers had been depressed at some ... Read more »
Dougherty, L.R., Klein, D.N., Rose, S., & Laptook, R.S. (2011) Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis Reactivity in the Preschool-Age Offspring of Depressed Parents: Moderation by Early Parenting. Psychological Science . PMID: 21460339
- April 6, 2011
- 03:27 PM
- 1,012 views
No Such Thing as Clean Politics
by APS Daily Observations in Daily Observations
Who knew we subconsciously relate cleanliness with conservatism? A study published in Psychological Science found that people who are reminded of physical purity report being more politically conservative and had ... Read more »
Helzer EG, & Pizarro DA. (2011) Dirty Liberals!: Reminders of Physical Cleanliness Influence Moral and Political Attitudes. Psychological Science . PMID: 21421934
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