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How Can Data Collection Help Psychological Science?
Technology — from smartphones to biosensors to surveillance monitors — is advancing so quickly it is almost impossible to keep up. One of the theme programs at the 2014 APS Annual Convention, to be held May 22–25 in San Francisco, California, addresses how psychological science can harness these innovations as well as how psychological scientists can help inform the work of those developing the complex technology. Five leaders in the field will discuss their methods of using technology to advance psychological science and gain insight into human behavior. They will also examine potential pros and cons of such research. Speakers include: Dr. Michael N.
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Kids may be ready for math earlier than you think, new research suggests
The Washington Post: Children as young as 3 can understand the meaning and value of multi-digit numbers and might be more ready for direct math instruction when they begin formal schooling than previously believed, according to new research by developmental psychologists. “Contrary to the view that young children do not understand place value and multi-digit numbers, we found that they actually know quite a lot about it,” said Kelly Mix, a professor of educational psychology at Michigan State University and a lead investigator on the study.
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Alarm Clock Sets Off A Real Wake-Up Call
NPR: I mean reality always has its uses. This is Roy Baumeister, president of the Society for the Study of Motivation, who for many years has tracked how psychologists view reality. Well, the assumption for a long time was that mental health meant seeing the world as it is. For decades, according to Baumeister, the belief in psychology was that reality was an important thing to understand and that people who were mentally troubled - for instance, depressed people - just couldn't really grasp reality. Their view of the world, it was believed, was deeply negatively skewed.
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More Rational Resolutions
The Wall Street Journal: Can "goal factoring" help you keep your New Year's resolution to hit the gym every day in 2014? "Goal factoring," a method of designing better plans, is one of the techniques taught by the Center for Applied Rationality, which hosts three-day workshops that teach attendees how to use science-based approaches to achieve goals. A November workshop in Ossining, N.Y., instructed 23 participants on how thinking about one's future self as a different person can help goal-setting and why building up an "emotional library" of associations can reduce procrastination. ...
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Don’t be a doormat: How workplace ‘givers’ can avoid finishing last
Financial Post: A common phrase heard throughout the holiday season is that it is better to give than to receive. Although some may lament the prevalence of commercialism (e.g. the pandemonium that takes place on Black Friday and Cyber Monday), the art of giving is a fundamental human value that research has shown is universally recognized and celebrated. However, despite our affection for giving on special occasions, its reputation has less lustre in the world of business where those who maintain a demanour of helpfulness come across as naive and are often taken advantage of by the most ruthless and ambitious among us.
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New Research From Psychological Science
Read about the latest research published in Psychological Science: Racial Progress as Threat to the Status Hierarchy: Implications for Perceptions of Anti-White Bias Clara L. Wilkins and Cheryl R. Kaiser Researchers have found that perceptions of racial progress have been mirrored by an increase in perceptions of discrimination against Whites. In the first of three studies, White participants were assessed for system-legitimacy beliefs (SLBs; i.e., perceptions that the current status hierarchy is fair) and for perceptions of racial progress and anti-White bias.
