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Fuzzy Thinking Gives Adolescents a Clearer View of Risk
Although many people make risky decisions, one group — adolescents — are the most likely to engage in risky behavior. According to one theory explaining the developmental trajectory of risky decision-making — the imbalance theory — this phenomenon is prevalent in adolescence partly because areas of the brain involved in reward mature before areas of the brain connected with behavioral inhibition and delay of gratification. In a recent article published in Current Directions in Psychological Science, APS Fellow Valerie F. Reyna, Rebecca B.
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Helping Healthy Habits Stick
A group of prominent psychological scientists outlines specific solutions to help individuals and policymakers maintain healthy habits.
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SBST to Accept Fellowship Applications Through Jan. 24
The application deadline is approaching for fellowships with the new White House Social and Behavioral Sciences Team (SBST) created by President Obama. The SBST is seeking new team members for a 1-year fellowship in Washington, D.C. beginning in October 2016. Fellows must have substantial experience in a social or behavioral science field, including psychology, economics, statistics, and political science. Applications are due by 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, January 24. Information about the responsibilities and qualifications of Fellow and Associate Fellows, and details on how to apply are available at https://sbst.gov/apply.
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Reproducibility Project Named Among Top Scientific Achievements of 2015
The journal Science has named a major attempt to replicate 100 papers published in top-tier psychology journals as one of the “breakthroughs of the year” for 2015. This collaborative project, facilitated by the Center for Open Science and APS Fellow Brian Nosek, has been recognized as a major scientific achievement by psychology but also by science as a whole. The results were sobering for the field -- less than half of results replicated -- but they also provided a valuable estimate of the replicability of psychology papers and are motivating new attempts to improve reproducibility. Science published the results of the project in August 2015.
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Testing and Spacing Both Aid Memory
Research suggests that restudying material can be a useful learning strategy, especially if that restudying is spaced out in time.
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23rd Annual RAND Summer Institute
23rd Annual RAND Summer Institute, July 11-14, 2016, Santa Monica, CA. Two conferences addressing critical issues facing our aging population: Mini-Medical School for Social Scientists; Workshop on the Demography, Economics, Psychology, and Epidemiology of Aging. Interested researchers can apply for financial support covering travel and accommodations. More information and application form: www.rand.org/labor/aging/rsi.html.
