Convergence: Connecting Levels of Analysis in Psychological Science
In the past, our field harbored distinct, and often competing, schools of thought that tackled different problems and produced findings that often appeared to diverge. Today, investigators attack shared problems at complementary levels of analysis and produce results that converge. Studies of people in a social world; mental systems of cognition and emotion; and biological mechanisms of the genome and the nervous system interconnect and yield an integrated psychological science. The APS 23rd Annual Convention displays, and celebrates, these advances in our field.

APS Student Caucus

Student Research Award Addresses

Saturday, May 28, 2011, 11:00 AM - 12:20 PM
Columbia Hall - Events Area

Chair: Jessica Wong
University of Chicago

The Student Research Award is given annually to recognize outstanding research conducted by APS Student Affiliates. The program will feature addresses from the four winners of the 2011 competition, who were selected through a peer-review process. These award winning posters will also be presented during Poster Session IX, Saturday, May 28, 2011 in the Columbia Hall - Events Area.

Longitudinal Impacts of 3-D Spatial Training Among Gifted Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Undergraduates
David I. Miller
University of California, Berkeley
Twelve hours of 3-D spatial training, compared with a randomized control condition, improved the spatial skills and physics exam scores of gifted science, technology, engineering, and mathematics undergraduates (N = 55) directly after training. However, these training differences did not persist over 8 months, although gender differences did persist.

Co-Author: Diane F. Halpern, Claremont McKenna College

Children Prefer Peers Who Share Their Beliefs
Larisa Heiphetz
Harvard University
In two studies on belief-based preference, 6-9-year-old children reported preferences for religious in-group members and for peers who shared their religious, factual, and preference-based beliefs. These experiments demonstrate preferential treatment in children when others differ in mental states rather than perceptual cues.

Co-Author: Elizabeth S. Spelke, Harvard University

Co-Author: Mahzarin R. Banaji, Harvard University

Training the Emotional Brain: Transferable Effects and Neural Substrates of Affective Brain Training
Susanne Schweizer
Medical Research Council, United Kingdom
Our experiments show that brain-training (dual n-back task) leads to significant gains in training performance and untrained measures of working memory, fluid intelligence, and attentional control of emotion. Training gains are associated with increased cingulate and decreased inferior parietal cortex activation. Brain-training could be applied to educational and clinical settings.

Co-Author: Adam Hampshire, University of Western Ontario, Canada

Co-Author: Dean Mobbs, Medical Research Council, United Kingdom

Co-Author: Jessica Grahn, University of Western Ontario, Canada

Co-Author: Tim Dalgleish, Medical Research Council, United Kingdom

Mind Your Errors: Neural Evidence Linking Growth Mindset to Remedial Action
Hans S. Schroder
Michigan State University
Error-related event-related brain potentials (ERPs) and post-error behavioral adjustments were measured in 25 undergraduates performing a flanker task. Participants endorsing a growth mindset evidenced enhanced error positivity amplitude and increased post-error accuracy. Results are discussed in terms of the beneficial effects of growth mindset on learning from mistakes.

Co-Author: Carrie Heeter, Michigan State University

Co-Author: Yu-Hao Lee, Michigan State University

Co-Author: Jason S. Moser, Michigan State University