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Behavior’s Influence on Biology
One of the basic tenets of psychological science holds that the biology of our brains heavily influences our actions, behaviors, judgments, and more. But what if we reverse that premise and examine an opposite supposition: that our choices and decisions may influence our physical neural structure? Several prominent psychological scientists examine this bidirectional equation. The following researchers will speak: Darlene D. Francis, University of California, Berkeley. Her research delves into how biological, psychological, and social developments throughout people’s lives combine to influence their susceptibility to disease or illness. Adam H.
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What’s Love Got to Do With It?
Overpriced roses and generic greeting cards are flying off the shelves, only to be thrown in the trash in a day or two. Windows, storefronts, even drab office cubicles are festooned in red and pink hearts. Valentine’s Day is a holiday full of schmaltz, material excess, and, sometimes, a bit of genuine romance. But extravagant gestures and fleeting passion do not a relationship make! So, before things get too sentimental, let’s take a step back and consider how people get in, and out, of romantic relationships in the first place.
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On the Relationship Between Social Class and Prejudice
Studies have indicated that prejudice is more prevalent among people from lower social classes, but researchers are still struggling to understand what might account for this association. In an article published in the European Journal of Social Psychology, a team of researchers led by Héctor Carvacho of Bielefeld University, Germany, examine the role of two ideological attitudes — right-wing authoritarianism (RWA) and social dominance orientation (SDO) — in linking aspects of social class to increased levels of prejudice.
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2015 National Institute on the Teaching of Psychology
The 37th Annual National Institute on the Teaching of Psychology, cosponsored by the Association for Psychological Science, the University of South Florida Department of Psychology, and the Society for the Teaching of Psychology will be held January 3–6, 2015, at the TradeWinds Island Grand Hotel, in St. Pete Beach, Florida. Registration is limited to 375 participants; early registration is highly recommended. Poster session proposals should be received by October 1, 2014, to guarantee space in the program, although later submissions will be considered if poster space remains available.
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Cognitive Science Society 36th Annual Conference
The 36th annual conference of the Cognitive Science Society will be held July 23–26, 2014, in Quebec City, Canada. Entries to be reviewed may be submitted in categories such as papers, symposia, presentation-based talks, member abstracts, tutorials, and workshops. They may focus on any area of cognitive science. For more information, see the conference home page.
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How the Brain Made Room for Complex Social Ties
When APS Fellow and Janet Taylor Spence Award recipient Naomi Eisenberger was a graduate student, she ran an experiment in which study participants felt socially excluded: Participants situated in an fMRI machine played a virtual game of catch with two other players — or so they thought. In truth, they were playing catch with a computer, and no other human player was participating in the game. At some point, the other “players” quit passing the ball to the study participants, which led to feelings of exclusion.
