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.

Biological Beings in Social Context

Life Experiences and Rate of Cell Aging: Are Our Cells Listening In?

Friday, May 25, 2012, 2:45 PM - 3:30 PM
Sheraton Ballroom IV

Elissa S. Epel
University of California, San Francisco

Telomere length, an indicator of cellular age, is a predictor of early disease and mortality. Can psychosocial factors shape telomere length? An emerging literature suggests that this cell system is impacted by experiences across the lifespan, from prenatal stress and early adversity - to coping in adulthood. I will discuss both the potentials and pitfalls for psychologists studying telomeres.

Read the APS Daily Observation on Elissa Epel.

Full Biological Beings in Social Context speaker list

Subject Area: Biological Beings in Social Context