Cumulative Trauma in Adulthood Can Worsen Health in
Later Years, Says New Research
New study examines the consequences of traumatic
events on older adults' physical health.
Article: "A Descriptive Epidemiology of Lifetime
Trauma and the Physical Health Status of Older
Adults," Psychology and Aging, Vol. 19, No. 4.
featured December 9, 2004
Money Issues Leading Cause of Holiday Stress For Americans
What causes the most stress during the holiday season? Money issues were the top vote getters for holiday stress, according to a recent poll by the American Psychological Association (APA).
featured December 5, 2004
Coping with Holiday Stress
The holidays can be fun, but they also can be a source of great stress — and no wonder. The holidays are often depicted as a magical time when people reconcile and dreams come true.
featured December 5, 2004
Women like women more than men like men
Women are nearly five times more likely to show an automatic preference for their own gender than men are to show such favoritism for their own gender, according to a study in the October issue of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (Vol. 87, No. 4).
featured December 5, 2004
Minority Recruitment Efforts Underway
Successful APA sponsored program
continues to attract ethnic-minorities into the biomedical sciences;
receives new $1.6 million grant. View a listing of the
14 educational institutions across the U.S. working to
increase the number of minorities in the biomedical
research field
featured December 3, 2004
New In This Month’s Monitor
Mental Health Help for Children
What’s New in Children’s Mental Health?
Creative ways of
reaching children and using resources distinguish some fresh interventions
featured December 3, 2004
Also Of Interest From APA Journals
“The Characteristics and Correlates of Fantasy in
School-Age Children: Imaginary Companions,
Impersonation, and Social Understanding” (PDF)
featured December 1, 2004
New In The December Monitor
Should Our Children Be Taking Psychotropics?
An APA group is reviewing children's use of psychoactive medications and will examine
psychologists' current and future roles in the area.
Children's Mental Health Problems Seen as 'Epidemic' -
Psychologists advocate a systems-wide change with the child at the center.
More on Mental Health Help for Children
featured December 1, 2004
Also Of Interest From APA Journals
“The Characteristics and Correlates of Fantasy in
School-Age Children: Imaginary Companions,
Impersonation, and Social Understanding”
This follow-up study of
school-age children shows how play with imaginary companions is related to emotion
understanding, self-perception, and personality. (PDF)
featured December 1, 2004
What's Happening on Campus?
"Do College Students Drink More Than Their Non-College-Attending Peers?
Evidence From a Population-Based Longitudinal Female Twin Study"
The short answer is yes -
college students do drink more; but, they were not more likely to be diagnosed with an
alcohol use disorder. (PDF) From the Journal of Abnormal Psychology,
2004, Vol. 113, No. 4.
Creating Healthy Campuses
APA members successfully promote
psychological services at colleges and universities.
featured November 28, 2004
November is Adoption Month
Take A Look At These Great Books From Magination Press For Parents To Read With Children
All About Adoption: How Families Are Made & How Kids Feel About It
Finding the Right Spot: When Kids Can't Live With Their Parents
Maybe Days: A Book for Children in Foster Care
This Is How We Became a Family: An Adoption Story
Zachary's New Home: A Story for Foster and Adopted Children
featured November 21, 2004
Creating Healthy Campuses
APA members successfully promote
psychological services at colleges and universities.
featured November 21, 2004
Attorneys Get New Tool to Determine Mental Competence
Scripps Howard News Service
By the end of the year, attorneys who handle wills and
other legal documents for seniors can get a holiday
present that will help them do their jobs better --
a handbook on how to judge the mental capacity of their clients.
featured November 19, 2004
APA Comments on NIH Policy
APA Expresses Concern over NIH's Draft Policy for
Public Access to Research -- Warns It Could Hurt the Dissemination of
Important Scientific Results
Washington - Public access to research is a worthwhile goal but the possible
unintended consequences of the current NIH proposal need to be considered, said
the APA in a letter sent to NIH Director, Dr. Elias Zerhouni this week.
featured November 17, 2004
APA Condemns Vandalism
The APA and its Committee on Animal
Research and Ethics (CARE) strongly
condemn the act of vandalism perpetrated at the University of Iowa,
Department of Psychology, and reiterate the
Association’s longstanding commitment to research with
animals as a critical foundation for advancing our
understanding of human behavior and health.
featured November 17, 2004
Hormones, Stress and Aggression -- A Vicious Cycle
New research may help explain
why, under stress, we are quick to lash out and slow to cool down.
The results, reported in the October issue of Behavioral Neuroscience
(Vol. 118, No. 5), point to
possible ways for people - given future research and development - to prevent
pathological violence.
featured November 17, 2004
Parents Overestimate Differences in Their Children
Though most siblings have
somewhat similar temperaments, parents often perceive their children as
different as night and day, suggests a study published
in the November issue of APA's Journal of Personality
and Social Psychology (Vol. 87, No. 5).
featured November 15, 2004
Social Comparison Happens Subliminally, and Automatically
A new study, published in the Journal of Personality
and Social Psychology (Vol. 87, No. 4),supports the
idea that
psychological processes that are crucial to survival become automated.
featured November 15, 2004
Fatal Friendships
Social groups, rather than formal organizations, form
the backbone of today's most dangerous terrorist organizations.
featured November 10, 2004
People Can Boost Their Working Memory Through Practice
The more people
exercise their working memory, the more items they can store in it
--but only up to about four items, suggests a study from the November issue
of APA's Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning,
Memory and Cognition.
featured November 10, 2004
Psychology At The End Of Life - Improving Life for Older Adults
Psychologists can address the needs of
older adults dying later and living longer with illnesses.
featured November 8, 2004
A New Approach to Complicated Grief
Better assessments and treatments
lead to a brighter outlook for people with severe grief, according to an
APA group report.
featured November 8, 2004
Special Attention for Children
Do psychologists need more preparation to assist with
decision-making and
psychological needs surrounding childhood death?
featured November 8, 2004
End-of-Life Issues From APA Books
Life and Death Decisions: Psychological and Ethical Considerations in End-of-Life Care
Mental health practitioners will find invaluable information about the
choices that people must make regarding
how they will die, or how they will resist dying, and about the ethical issues involved
in making those choices.
featured November 8, 2004
Meaning Reconstruction and the Experience of Loss
This groundbreaking volume clearly demonstrates that
highly individual processes of meaning-making
are at the heart of grief dynamics. Individual
chapters of this book are available to purchase online.
featured November 8, 2004
Gentle Willow: A Story for Children About Dying, Second Edition
This tender and touching tale helps
children address feelings of disbelief, anger, and sadness about dying, along with love and
compassion.
featured November 8, 2004
Redefining Retirement - A New Face to Retirement
Retirees are shifting interests, reinventing careers
and changing the very definition of "retirement".
featured November 3, 2004
Retirement's Road Map
An APA initiative will educate the public about
planning for retirement's stages and transitions.
featured November 3, 2004
From APA's LifeTools Book Series
Retire Smart, Retire Happy: Finding Your True Path in Life -
Get some advice on how to make the psychological and emotional adjustments we make in retirement.
More LifeTools Books.
featured November 3, 2004
A Presidential Personality
Intelligence and achievement-striving -- but not
straightforwardness -- may predict the effectiveness of the newly elected president.
featured November 1, 2004
Getting Out the Vote
Psychologists are studying how to increase America's
voter turnout.
Using voting to understand other social behavior.
featured November 1, 2004
Psychology and Law Enforcement
Psychologists are
categorizing clues to deception and training law-enforcement experts in an effort
to use psychology to find liars.
featured October 29, 2004
The Truth About Lie Detectors
Most psychologists agree that there is little
evidence that polygraph tests, or "lie detectors," can accurately detect lies, according to
this research summary in Psychology Matters.
featured October 29, 2004
Just Released
Public Policy, Work, and Families:
The Report of the APA Presidential Initiative on Work
and Families
How do women and men negotiate their obligations at
home and at work when the two are in conflict?
What sorts of business policies can provide returns on
investments and help working families meet their obligations?
featured October 27, 2004
Depression: A Generational Risk?
Depressive mothers may pass deficits in emotional
response on to their daughters, according to recent
research. These new studies may offer clues to why
children of depressed parents are at greater risk for
depression themselves.
featured October 26, 2004
Diffusion tensor imaging, a type of MRI, relates the
size of key brain-fiber bundles to different
neuropsychological signs. Read the full-text article from the journal
Neuropsychology, Vol. 18, No. 4:
"Neuropsychological Correlates of Diffusion Tensor
Imaging in Schizophrenia"
featured October 24, 2004
Public Policy, Work, and Families:
The Report of the APA Presidential Initiative on Work
and Families
How do women and men negotiate their obligations at
home and at work when the two are in conflict?
What sorts of business policies can provide returns on
investments and help working families meet their obligations?
featured October 22, 2004
Do 'Super Masculine' Husbands Make for Unhappy Wives?
Men who display high hostility and strong conformity to masculine gender roles may cause distress to others, particularly
their wives, according to a recent study in the Journal of Counseling Psychology.
[abstract]
featured October 12, 2004
The American Psychological Association Recognizes Ten Companies' Commitment to Employee Health and Well-Being
2004 Best Practices Honors
2004 Best Practices Honorees
Download the full 2004
Psychologically Healthy Workplace Best Practices Magazine.
featured October 13, 2004
Do 'Super Masculine' Husbands Make for Unhappy Wives?
Men who display high hostility and strong conformity to masculine gender roles may cause distress to others, particularly
their wives, according to a recent study in the Journal of Counseling Psychology.
[abstract]
featured October 12, 2004
Marital Satisfaction Affected By Both Spouse's Mental Health, Says New Study
Depression rather than anxiety of either spouse appears to disrupt marital satisfaction.
[press release]
[full article]
More Information from APA...
APA Topics: Marriage & Divorce
featured October 10, 2004
APA Service Center Extends Call Hours
Communications specialists are now available
Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
featured October 10, 2004
Stress And Aggression Reinforce Each Other At The Biological Level, Creating A Vicious Cycle
In rats,
stress hormones lower threshold for aggression and aggression raises stress hormones; data
may lead help to break the cycle of violence. Read the full-text article from Behavioral Neuroscience:
"Fast Positive Feedback Between the Adrenocortical Stress Response and a Brain
Mechanism Involved in Aggressive Behavior." (PDF)
featured October 4, 2004
Top Stories In The October Monitor
Missed the 2004 convention?
Catch up on the top stories in this month's monitor.
What's Behind Prejudice? People's
emotions may better predict intolerant behavior toward certain groups than can
stereotypes, according to a social psychologist's research.
From 'Isms' to Inclusion: Convention speakers shared strategies for
applying APA's multicultural
guidelines in psychology education and training.
featured October 4, 2004
You're Getting Very Sleepy...
More sleep would make most Americans happier, healthier and safer.
Cognitive behavioral therapy is becoming the "treatment of choice" for many people with insomnia.
More on sleep from APA.
featured September 29, 2004
Laughing Matters
A look at this
unique and extraordinarily rich vocal signal, laughter, and the apparently
key role it plays in human social interactions and relationships.
featured September 29, 2004
Do Depressed People Focus More On Negative Thoughts And Images?
A new study in the September Journal of Abnormal Psychology (Vol. 113, No. 2) finds
that depression may not entail
a global tendency to attend to negative stimuli.
featured September 27, 2004
Years Of Heavy Drinking May Irreversibly Affect Women's Physical Balance
Formerly alcoholic women show
poor balance even after years of sobriety and even after their memory and motor
skills improve, suggests a study published in the July issue of Neuropsychology
(Vol. 18, No. 3).
featured September 27, 2004
Reconceptualizing Custody
APA's Practice Directorate is co-piloting a pioneering program to
ease litigious divorce's impact on children.
featured September 27, 2004
APA’s Russ Newman Testifies On Behalf of New Mexico’s Important Step Toward Comprehensive Mental Health Care
Russ Newman, APA’s executive director for professional practice, testified before New Mexico’s
Psychologist Examiner’s Board in support of regulations that would implement the state’s new
law granting prescriptive authority to psychologists. New Mexico was the first state to
enact a law granting psychologists the right to prescribe.
featured September 21, 2004
How Observant Are You?
Study shows people don't notice
unexpected visual changes--though they predict they will.
Findings in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance
(Vol. 30, No. 4), cast new light on the phenomenon of
change blindness.
featured September 20, 2004
Traumatic Brain Injury May Lead To Difficulty Understanding Sarcasm
Those who have experienced
traumatic brain injury (TBI) may fail to accurately assess others' emotions and,
as a result, incorrectly infer whether other people's statements should be taken literally,
suggests new research published in the July issue of Neuropsychology (Vol. 18, No. 3).
featured September 20, 2004
If I Were A Rich Man...
Psychologists show how
pursuit of material wealth and pursuit of happiness are not the same.
featured September 20, 2004
Lower Family Stress Tied To Improved Child Behavior
Even when
children have lived with family stresses for years, reducing those stresses
now can still improve children's behavior, according to an article
published recently in the APA journal Developmental Psychology (Vol. 40, No. 3).
featured September 15, 2004
Psychologists' Latest Research On The Invisibility Of Modern Racism
Research shows
racism more subtle but as harmful as ever.
featured September 15, 2004
Want To Learn More About Racism? Read The Following Books:
Racial Identity in Context: The Legacy of Kenneth B. Clark
Defining Difference : Race and Racism in the History of Psychology
featured September 15, 2004
Cross-Cultural Training: 30 Years and Going Strong
A Boston University internship
promotes cross-cultural sensitivity through collegiality.
featured September 13, 2004
Psychology's Insights On Building Evacuation
In 9/11's wake, researchers across fields are drawing on behavioral science to
better understand
people's reactions during fire-emergency evacuations.
featured September 13, 2004
APA Applauds Congress For Passing Mental Health Act
The Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act represents a first-step in
improving mental helath services on college campuses. It incorporates some of
the provisions from the APA-supported Campus Care and Counseling Act (H.R. 3593)
and the Youth Suicide Early Intervention and Prevention Expansion Act (H.R. 4557).
featured September 13, 2004
Why Do Some Older People Experience A Rapid Decline While Others Remain Healthy And Active?
Positive emotions may
delay onset of frailty and negative stereotypes can influence older adults' memory,
research shows.
Two new studies in Psychology and Aging find
social
and environmental factors play an important role in how people age.
featured September 13, 2004
Psycholoy Matters: The Effects Of Trauma Do Not Have To Last A Lifetime
Most people will experience a trauma at some point in their lives and, as a result,
some will experience debilitating symptoms that interfere with daily life. The good news is
that psychological interventions
are effective in preventing many long-term effects of trauma.
featured September 13, 2004
Understanding Terrorism: Psychosocial Roots, Consequences, and Interventions
Leading international experts offer an incisive analysis of the
psychosocial basis of terrorism and suggest ways to prevent it.
featured September 9, 2004
In the Wake of 9/11: The Psychology of Terror
This fascinating book explores the
emotions of despair, fear, and anger that arose after the 9/11 terrorist attacks on
the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
featured September 9, 2004
APA Offers Help
Fostering Resilience in Response to Terrorism
Resources from APA on Building Resilience
featured September 9, 2004
Psychologists Are Entering New Territory With Work On Two "Healthy Marriage" Demonstration Projects
Through research, some psychologists are
informing an administration effort to foster marriage among low-income couples.
featured September 7, 2004
Marriage Promotion: A Simplistic 'Fix'?
Some argue
the agenda does not adequately address the stressors of poverty and racism.
featured September 7, 2004
High Hopes And Happy Homes
Positive expectations for marriage don't always predict a couple's satisfaction,
says an article published this spring in the
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (Vol. 86, No. 5).
featured September 7, 2004
What If There Were A Better Way To Predict Giftedness? An Early Look
An American Psychological Foundation (APF) grant winner is
testing preschoolers'
executive brain functioning to gauge their future giftedness.
featured September 7, 2004
September 2004 Monitor Now Online
Featured In This Issue: 50-Years Post-Brown
Desegregation to Diversity:
Psychology takes a look at a
half century of response to America's watershed decision of Brown v Board of Education.
Desegregating Urban Schools:
A soon-to-be released APA task force report calls for
broader analysis of urban student achievement.
True Equality Is Still Elusive:
Black Americans still lag behind white Americans on almost every measure of
prosperity, including employment, criminal justice, economic resources,
health and education, psychologist notes.
featured September 1, 2004
Overcoming Invisibility
Psychologists' latest research shows that
racism is more subtle -- yet as pervasive and harmful as ever.
featured September 1, 2004
The Latest Issue Of PsycINFO News,
Including The PsycEXTRA™ Supplement, Is Now Online
PsycINFO News (PDF, 711K)
PsycEXTRA™ Supplement: The Gateway to Gray Literature. (PDF, 821K)
Read about this rich source of research data, its scope of coverage, and
how to incorporate it into the research process.
featured August 30, 2004
Studying Work: What Psychology Can Teach Us
Improving Employment Interviews:
Psychologists help transform employment interviews from a nearly worthless experience
into one that does a good job of predicting job performance.
Determinging The Best Person For The Job:
Psychologists find a way to link individual differences with success in the workplace.
More Information About Psychology And Work:
Other ways psychology matters in the workplace.
featured August 30, 2004
New! Resource Guide for Psychology Graduate Students with Disabilities
Get insider perspectives on
critical issues and concerns that today's students with disabilities face.
Complete Table of Contents
featured August 26, 2004
Parenting Children With ADHD: 10 Lessons That Medicine Cannot Teach
This practical book gives parents a
framework for building a successful parenting program at home.
See More LifeTools Books from APA
featured August 25, 2004
APA Launches Redesigned Online Help Center
Consumers are now able to navigate a more
user-friendly web site with expanded free information, facts, and tips about mental
health issues. Read the
press release and visit
the Help Center to see what's new.
featured August 25, 2004
What Do You Do When Things Go Right?
Four new studies examine the
benefits of sharing good news, from the August issue of the
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
Read the full-text article, (PDF, 113K).
featured August 25, 2004
APA Psychologists Mobilize for Red Cross
Response to Hurricane Charley
Psychologists from across the nation are responding to a call by the American
Psychological Association to help victims of Hurricane Charley. The psychologists
are part of APA’s Disaster
Response Network (DRN), a national pro bono network of psychologists who complete
Red-Cross-sanctioned training and then volunteer assistance.
featured August 18, 2004
Information from APA on how to handle Disaster and Trauma
Managing Traumatic Stress: Tips for Recovering from Disasters and Other Traumatic Events
Reactions and Guidelines for Children Following Trauma/Disaster
Resources on Coping with Traumatic Events
Warning Signs of Trauma-Related Stress
featured August 18, 2004
For Stopping Smoking, Nicotine Therapy Works as Well for
Teens as Adults But Not as Well for Women as for Men
Studies clarify the effectiveness of treatment for teens, adults, men and women, and also
reports that, for teens, adjunct anti-depressant therapy didn't make a difference.
Read the
full-text articles from the
Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, Vol. 72, No. 4.
featured August 16, 2004
Find out about all that the American Psychological Association of Graduate Students (APAGS)
has to offer:
All about APAGS
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)
Get Involved
featured August 16, 2004
Day of Adoption Affects Behavior of Rat Pups and Dams
When researchers switch the litters of rat dams, the behavior of the pups and their foster
dams varies based on how old the rat pups are at adoption, finds a new study in
Behavioral Neuroscience, Vol. 118, No. 3.
featured August 16, 2004
Online Sex Abuse Cases Not Characterized By Deception, Abduction and Force, Research Shows
Findings from a national sample of law enforcement agencies indicate that prevention efforts emphasizing on-line deception may be missing the mark.
featured August 1, 2004
Torture Victims More Resilient Than Other
Trauma Victims, But Cumulative Effects Take Their Toll, According to New Research
Even torture survivors, who are usually more resilient than other trauma victims, have their breaking point.
featured August 1, 2004
Negative Interactions in Marriage Can Lead to More Health Problems in Older Couples
Having good communication, a reliable partner and understanding in a marriage can boost a person's
health. But having more negative than positive exchanges can diminish these benefits in the relationship and actually hurt one's health, says a new study.
featured July 31, 2004
Happiness and Self-Esteem: Can One Exist Without the Other?
A new study suggests that, except for feelings of optimism, what makes people
happy or gives them feelings of worth are not necessarily tied to each other.
featured July 29, 2004
APA Supports Legalization of Same-Sex Civil Marriages and Opposes Discrimination Against Lesbian and Gay Parents
Denying same-sex couples legal access to civil marriage is discriminatory and can adversely
affect the psychological, physical, social and economic well-being of gay and lesbian individuals.
Read the Full-text of the Resolution on Sexual Orientation and Marriage. (PDF)
featured July 28, 2004
APA Gives Awards to Television's Law &
Order: Special Victims Unit and Journalist Patricia Bellinghausen
APA recognizes the responsible portrayal of mental health professionals on TV's Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and congratulates
Patricia Bellinghausen of the Billings Gazette for her coverage of mental health issues.
featured July 28, 2004
Detecting Lies in the Brain: MRI's May Eventually Identify Deception More Accurately Than Polygraph Testing
Study finds significant activation in several
brain areas during lying compared with truth-telling.
Read the full-text article from the August issue of Behavioral Neuroscience. (PDF)
featured July 28, 2004
Biceps and Body Image: Are Today's Men Under Too Much Pressure to Meet an Unrealistic Body Ideal?
New findings suggest young men's dissatisfaction with their
bodies is often closely associated with depression, eating pathology, use
of performance-enhancing drugs, and low self-esteem, according to an
article published in Psychology of Men and Masculinity (Vol. 5, No. 2).
featured July 26, 2004
Accuracy and the Accused
Psychologists work with law enforcement on
research-based improvements to crime-suspect identification.
More on Psychological Sleuths
featured July 26, 2004
Friendships Ease Middle School Adjustment
>Middle school students with close friendships at the beginning of sixth grade are more social,
helpful and cooperative than students who do not have reciprocated friendships, according to a study in the
Journal of Educational Psychology (Vol. 96, No. 2).
featured July 21, 2004
Strengthen Your Brain by Resting It
Recent research suggests sleep
spindles--spikes of neural activity that emerge during
REM sleep--might play a key role in helping people
learn and remember how to perform physical tasks, such
as swinging a golf club. featured July 20, 2004
Detecting Deception
Some research links lying with such facial and bodily cues as increased pupil size and lip pressing but not with blinking or posture.
More on Psychological Sleuthing
The Polygraph in Doubt
How To Be a Successful Fraud
featured July 19, 2004
Caffeine Got Your Tongue?
Research suggests caffeine, prized for its alertness effects, might cause people tip-of-the-tongue moments when they recall unrelated words, according to a new study in Behavioral Neuroscience (Vol. 118, No. 3)
featured July 19, 2004
How Can Web Sites Win More Online Bidders?
Give Them All the Rules Upfront
Discount travel Web sites can be a
bargain-hunter's dream - but some sites may
lose out if their users feel mistreated, study
suggests.
featured July 12, 2004
Gateways to Memory
Can you remember the details of your wedding?
Do you recall what you had for breakfast? If so, you
probably have your hippocampus to thank.
featured July 12, 2004
APA Applauds U.S. Senate for Adopting Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act
New research shows that rats display stable temperamental traits.
featured July 8, 2004
Do Rats Have a Personality?
New research shows that rats display stable temperamental traits.
featured July 5, 2004
Stress Affects Immunity in Ways Related to Stress Type and Duration, as Shown by Nearly 300 Studies
Clear patterns emerge outlining greater damage from chronic stress.
featured July 5, 2004
Most Americans List Lack of Insurance Coverage and
Cost as Top Reasons for Not Seeking Mental Health
Services
Insurance coverage problems and costs supplant stigma
as the number one obstacle to accessing mental health
services according to a survey commissioned by APA.
featured July 2, 2004
Families' Financial Woes Can Foster Child Depression
and Disobedience
Severe and prolonged financial hardship can cause
adults' marriages and parenting skills to deteriorate,
which in turn harms their children's mental
health--even if the family is wealthy.
featured June 30, 2004
Maxed Out: Why do some succumb and others steer clear?
Psychologists are investigating what underlies Americans'
ever more burdensome credit card debt, but answers remain elusive.
featured June 28, 2004
APA Applauds Senators Clinton and Collins and
Representatives Kennedy and Ros-Lehtinen for
Introducing "The Positive Aging Act of 2004"
featured June 25, 2004
APA Practice Organization Applauds Rep. Dingell for
Reintroducing Patients Bill of Rights
featured June 25, 2004
Sexist Countries View Men As 'Bad, But Bold'
A 16-nation study finds that in less egalitarian
countries, both men and women are more likely to hold
extremely negative and positive opinions of men's
attributes and personal qualities.
featured June 23, 2004
Happy Memories Don't Always Lift Unhappy Moods
Healthy people remedy bad moods by accessing positive personal memories. But people with dysphoria--chronic, low-level depression--don't appear to benefit from this mood-repair technique.
featured June 21, 2004
Driving Teen Egos--and Buying--Through 'Branding'
A glut of marketing messages encourages teens to tie
brand choices to their personal identity.
featured June 16, 2004
Schizophrenia May Be Characterized by Unique Smell Deficits
People with schizophrenia fail to identify odors on a popular smell identification test that those without schizophrenia easily name, according to new research.
featured June 14, 2004
Being Bilingual Protects Against Some Age-Related Cognitive Changes, Says New Research
Most will agree that two heads are better than one in solving problems. The same logic may be true for language and retaining cognitive processes as we age.
featured June 14, 2004
New Brochure from APA: What is Clinical Hypnosis and
What is it Used For?
featured June 11, 2004
Among Young Teens, Aggression Equals Popularity
It's not just a stereotype: Popular teens really are
meaner than their peers--at least according to a study
in the May issue of Developmental Psychology (Vol. 40,
No. 3).
featured June 8, 2004
Protecting Children from Advertising
APA's Council of Representatives supports the call for stricter regulations on ads geared to kids
Recommendations from APA's Task Force on Advertising and Children
featured June 6, 2004
APA Offers Materials That Can Help Children Deal with
Disturbing Images from Iraq
Parents whose children are exposed to disturbing
footage from Iraq can help their children by helping
them develop resilience skills, the APA said today.
featured June 3, 2004
Consumerism and Its Discontents
Materialistic values may stem from early insecurities
and are linked to lower life satisfaction,
psychologists find. Accruing more wealth may provide
only a partial fix.
featured June 2, 2004
Cross-Examined Character Witnesses May Hurt Defendants On Trial
Contrary to popular belief, character witnesses' court testimony may actually hurt the defendants they are trying to help, says a recent study.
featured May 31, 2004
Grassroots...what's the big deal?
Psychologists can increase their influence on legislation that affects their everyday lives by getting involved.
featured May 24, 2004
Cons of Perfectionism Include Self-Criticism
Perfectionism can lead to academic success
but can it also lead to depression?
featured May 19, 2004
Stress Hormone Sheds Light on Rat Attachment
Infant rats, or pups, will form attachments to
familiar smells even when those smells are paired with
electric shocks, according to a new study.
featured May 17, 2004
New Postdoctoral Fellowship Program Launched
to Address Shortage of Highly Trained Education
Researchers
Thirteen Fellow/Mentor Teams Named for
Program's First Year.
featured May 10, 2004
APA Poll: Most Americans Have Sought Mental
Health Treatment But Cost, Insurance Still Barriers
Nearly half of Americans have had someone in
their household seek mental health treatment, but most
still perceive cost and lack of insurance coverage as
barriers according to national poll results released
by APA.
featured May 5, 2004
Study Links Responses to Workday Stress to Happy Marriage
New study looks at how happily married men and women react to a tough day at work. The results may surprise you.
featured May 3, 2004
Interplay of Emotion and Calculation Influences People's Value Estimates
If five used Madonna CDs are worth $15 to a consumer, then are 10 used Madonna CDs worth $30? Not necessarily. It depends on whether the consumer relies on feelings or calculations to make the purchasing decision, according to a new study in APA'sJournal of Experimental Psychology: General (Vol. 133, No. 1).
featured April 28, 2004
An Evolutionary Explanation for Anorexia?
Modern anorexia may stem from an adaptation that helped ancient nomadic people find food, according to a recently proposed theory.
featured April 26, 2004
ABA-APA National Conference on Children and Law in Washington, DC. June 3-5, 2004
The deadline for Advance/Early Bird Registration is April 30, 2004.
featured April 21, 2004
A Second Look at Twin Studies
As behavioral genetics enters a second century, the field's oldest research method remains both relevant and controversial.
featured April 19, 2004
Brain Study Sheds Light on Anti-Alzheimer's Drugs
New evidence may clarify how the only government-approved treatments for mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease work to improve symptoms.
featured April 14, 2004
The Brain's Left and Right Sides Seem to Work Together Better in Mathematically Gifted Middle-School Youth
Is there really something different about the brains of math-heads?
featured April 12, 2004
Behavioral Genetics: Meet Molecular Biology
The wedding of techniques from molecular biology with traditional twin and family studies has ushered in a 'postgenomic era' in behavioral genetics.
featured April 7, 2004
Low Vitamin B12 Is Associated with Poorer Memory in Older People with the High-Risk Genotype for Alzheimer's
Large-scale Swedish study reveals how nutrition and genes interact to render people vulnerable to cognitive problems in old age.
featured April 5, 2004
As Tax Deadline Approaches Americans Say Money Is Number One Cause of Stress
A survey commissioned by APA found that 73% of Americans single out money, with 33% saying it is a very significant factor contributing to stress. Work, physical health and children follow next.
featured March 31, 2004
APA News Round-Up: Recent Articles You Might
Have Missed:
Lack of Parental Support During Childhood is
Associated with Increased Adult Depression and Chronic
Health Problems, Study Finds
Television Advertising Leads to Unhealthy
Habits in Children, Says APA Task Force
How the Mind Hurts and Heals the Body
APA Releases Fact Sheets on Resilience To
Help People Cope With Terrorism And Other Disasters
featured March 29, 2004
Can the Clinically Inflexible Learn To Be Resilient?
People with personality disorders aren't in the habit of trying new strategies when old ones fail, which then dooms them to repeat maladaptive behavior.
featured March 24, 2004
Lack of Parental Support During Childhood Is Associated with Increased Adult Depression and Chronic Health Problems, Study Finds
People with abundant parental support during childhood are likely to have relatively good health throughout adulthood, whereas people with inadequate parental support while growing up are likely to have poorer health as adults, suggests a new study.
featured March 21, 2004
As ads seduce kids, studies sound alarm
from The Boston Globe, March 11
featured March 17, 2004
Choosing to Marry May Be, In Part, Hereditary
Societal values, chance and choice affect whether someone chooses to marry, but a new study suggests that genes, too, may play a role.
featured March 17, 2004
Stepping In When Schools Fail
If an APA group has its way, psychologists would more directly help students at schools that don't comply with the No Child Left Behind Act.
featured March 15, 2004
Lowering Risk, Building Resilience
By educating school health and mental health professionals about lesbian, gay and bisexual adolescents, APA hopes to boost support for these at-risk youth.
featured March 10, 2004
To Tell the Truth
Psychologists in the field of deception detection consult with the Department of Homeland Security and other federal agencies.
featured March 8, 2004
Why Worry Beads May Work: Visuospatial Tasks During Trauma May Reduce Intrusive Memories of that Event
Viewers who tapped out a pattern while watching a disturbing video suffered fewer intrusions during the following week.
featured March 8, 2004
Continue Your Education -- Anywhere, Anytime
Now you have even more CE choices
featured March 3, 2004
Angry People Can Gain More in Certain Negotiations
Getting angry when you negotiate may help you gain concessions in a deal-at least if that deal is with someone you'll never meet again, says recent study.
featured March 3, 2004
Where Personality Goes Awry
A multifaceted research approach is providing more clues to the origins of personality disorders.
featured March 2, 2004
Size-Based Discrimination May Be Hardest on Children
Despite years of consciousness-raising about the damaging effects of prejudice, stigma against overweight children is as common--if not more common--as it was 40 years ago, studies suggest.
featured February 26, 2004
Television Advertising Leads to Unhealthy Habits In Children; Says APA Task Force
Research says that children are unable to critically interpret advertising messages.
featured February 23, 2004
Research-Based Help for Teens in Jeopardy
Though a small proportion of adolescents end up in serious trouble, biology and culture may put them all at risk for misbehavior.
featured February 16, 2004
Research Clarifies How Alzheimer's Medicines May Reduce Interference with Learning and Memory
featured February 16, 2004
APA Releases Fact Sheets on Resilience to Help People Cope with Terrorism and Other Natural Disasters
Each fact sheet gives information on how psychologists can help a variety of populations – from young children to older adults to people with serious mental illnesses – become more resilient in handling the stress of terrorism and other disasters.
featured February 11, 2004
Programmed for Psychopathology?
Stress during pregnancy may increase children's risk for mental illness, researchers say.
featured February 11, 2004
Psychologists Help Reduce Stress in the Military
For military troops deployed to war zones, the stress of combat not only affects individuals, it influences the missions of entire units.
featured February 9, 2004
Helping with Post-Conflict Readjustment
Active duty and government-contracted psychologists work to repatriate American prisoners of war or detainees in hostile territory.
featured February 4, 2004
Debating Access to Scientific Data
A California-based group wants to put all scientific findings-including psychology's-online for free. The movement fails to acknowledge the financial realities of science publishing, critics say.
featured February 4, 2004
APA's 2004 President Outlines Three Presidential Initiatives
featured February 2, 2004
Postpartum Depression Linked with Preteen Violence
Knowledge of increased risk could be used to target both mothers and children for critical early intervention.
featured January 28, 2004
Psychologists Search for Screening Method to Help Decide When Early-Alzheimer's Patients Should Stop Driving
Meta-analysis of 27 studies showed caregiver reports may be unreliable; visuospatial tests were the best predictors of driving skill.
featured January 25, 2004
What Lies Behind the Female Habit of 'Tending and Befriending' During Stress
Behavior and biology suggest that females respond to stress by redoubling efforts to care for offspring and creating social support networks.
featured January 25, 2004
Bringing More Effective Tools to the Weight-Loss Table
Psychologists help Americans slim down through self-monitoring, augmented behavioral therapies and meditation, among other strategies.
featured January 21, 2004
Century of Research Confirms Impact of Psychosocial Factors on Health - Question Is How to Apply that Knowledge to Healthcare Systems
featured January 19, 2004
Understanding the Giant Panda
By learning more about panda behavior,
psychologists hope to gain insights that could help
save the species.
featured January 19, 2004
APA-Sponsored CE Opportunities Increase in 2004
featured January 19, 2004
Century of Research Confirms Impact of Psychosocial Factors on Health - Question Is How to Apply that Knowledge to Healthcare Systems
A review of the 100 years of psychological literature on stress, disease and behavioral medicine adds support to the growing body of evidence of the impact of non-biological factors on health.
featured January 19, 2004
Abilities Required for Success in School Don't Differ Greatly from those Required in the Real World
General cognitive ability is related to success in multiple domains, according to research review.
featured January 12, 2004
Battling Obesity
featured January 7, 2004
For Older People with High IQ's, More Sensitive Test Norms Better Predict Who Might Develop Alzheimer's Disease
Higher cutoffs led to more accurate identification of high-functioning people who would later develop pre-clinical Alzheimer's.
featured January 5, 2004
Previous Features 2006
Previous Features 2005
Previous Features 2004
Previous Features 2003
Previous Features 2002
Previous Features 2000-2001
