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Fellowship Opportunity: Dissertation Research in the Social and Behavioral Sciences
The National Institute of Justice, the scientific research arm of the Department of Justice, is looking for doctoral students with innovative research that aims to solve problems faced by criminal justice practitioners. The deadline to apply for a Social and Behavioral Science Graduate Research Fellowship (GRF) is December 15, 2015. Academic institutions can submit applications on behalf of promising students in the final stages of their dissertation program, whose research is relevant to preventing and controlling crime and ensuring the fair and impartial administration of justice. Awarded applicants will receive up to $32,000 in stipend and research support.
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Why Monday is the Best Day for Setting New Goals
People are more motivated to pursue a new goal, like hitting the gym or saving for retirement, on specific dates.
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Mixed-Age Classes Hinder Kids’ Academic Progress in Head Start
Most Head Start classrooms serve children of mixed ages and that may limit the academic growth of older children, according to new research to be published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science. Researchers found that 4-year-olds in Head Start classrooms that included higher concentrations of 3-year-olds were up to five months behind in academic development compared with their peers in classrooms that had fewer younger children. As of 2009, about 75 percent of all Head Start classrooms were mixed-age. Head Start is a federal preschool program that promotes the school readiness of children in low-income families from age 3 to age 5.
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Don’t Delay: Having to Wait Doesn’t Help Young Kids Exercise Self-Control
The idea that natural urges “die down” with time seems intuitive, but research shows that it’s being reminded about what not to do, not the passage of time, that actually helps young children control their impulsive behavior.
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New Research From Psychological Science
Read about the latest research published in Psychological Science: Can Authoritarianism Lead to Greater Liking of Out-Groups? The Intriguing Case of Singapore Arne Roets, Evelyn W. M. Au, and Alain Van Hiel Authoritarians are people with a tendency to submit to authorities who are deemed to be legitimate and to confirm to norms endorsed by society. They often show a general aggressiveness and dislike of people who do not conform to societal norms, such as out-groups and minorities.
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Superforecasters: The Art of Accurate Predictions
Will Venezuela cut gasoline subsidies? Will the US Federal Reserve raise interest rates before the end of the year? Your guess is as good as mine, unless you happen to be what University of Pennsylvania psychology professor Philip Tetlock has identified as a “superforecaster.” When we decide to change jobs, make an investment, or launch a business, we make that decision based on what we think the future will hold. The problem is, we’re just not that good at accurately anticipating the future. We’re susceptible to hindsight bias, we’re overconfident about what we really know, and our predictions are often self-serving.
