Newsweek: Why do psychologists reject science? (from Psychological Science in the Public Interest)
By Sharon Begley
Newsweek columnist Sharon Begley discusses a new PSPI report on the current state of clinical psychology and what psychologists can do to steer their field (and their patients) in the right direction.
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The Pursuit of Status in Social Groups (from Current Directions in Psychological Science)
By Cameron Anderson and Gavin J. Kilduff
Recent studies suggest that being sneaky and manipulative may not be the best way for someone to gain prominent status in a group. Instead, by enhancing their value to a group (e.g., behaving in ways that make them seem generous, competent, and committed to the group) individuals can achieve high status and influence.
The Nature (and Nurture?) of Plasticity in Early Human Development (from Perspectives on Psychological Science)
By Jay Belsky and Michael Pluess
Experiences we have as young children impact our life course, and recent evidence suggests that genetics helps determine how the environment shapes brain development. Specifically, children with certain genotypes may be more susceptible to both positive and negative environments. Even though research has tended to focus on negative experiences that result in developmental problems, investigating positive experiences will also tell us a lot about how the brain develops over time.
Cognition Without Control: When a Little Frontal Lobe Goes a Long Way (from Current Directions in Psychological Science)
By Sharon L. Thompson-Schill, Michael Ramscar, and Evangelia G. Chrysikou
Our prefrontal cortex (PFC) helps to shape our thoughts and behaviors. The PFC undergoes a lengthy period of maturation, and as a result, children often have problems with behavioral and cognitive control. However, there may be some advantages to this period of “cognition without control,” including the ability to easily learn languages, acquire social and cultural conventions, and engage in creative thinking.
The “Name-Ease” Effect and Its Dual Impact on Importance Judgments (from Psychological Science)
By Aparna A. Labroo, Soraya Lambotte, and Yan Zhang
Giving a name to something unfamiliar can evoke feelings of ease. However, when research findings are given names the resulting feelings of ease may change their perceived importance: When volunteers assessed the memorability of a named finding, feelings of ease increased the finding’s importance more than did thinking about the understandability of the finding; attributing ease to how understandable information is may make the finding seem less novel and thus less important.
