Under the Cortex

Methodologies and the Evolution of Science: A chat with a science journalist

Reflecting on the President's Column in the March/April issue of the Observer, NPR science correspondent Joe Palca, who earned a PhD in psychology from the University of California, Santa Cruz, offers his unique take on the evolution of methodologies in science, from landers on Mars to big data and psychological science.  

Horse Brain and the Human Brain

APS's Charles Blue talks with APS Founding Member Dr. Janet Jones, author of the book Horse Brain, Human Brain. With her background as a brain scientist, horse trainer, and writer, Dr. Jones has unique insights into applying brain function to the training of horses and riders. 

Training to Wisely Navigate Social Conflicts

Social conflicts, from policy debates to family disagreements, can easily devolve into angry words and personal attacks. Such heated confrontations, however, seldom resolve disagreements and can entrench opposing views. A better approach to resolving interpersonal disagreements is to embrace characteristics that psychological scientists associate with wisdom, like intellectual humility, diverse viewpoints, and open-mindedness. APS's Charles Blue interviews Igor Grossmann about his recent research on training for wisdom. 

How Depression and Stress Could Dampen Efficacy of COVID-19 Vaccines

Health behaviors and emotional stressors can alter the body’s ability to develop an immune response to vaccines, including—potentially—the new COVID-19 vaccines. Simple interventions, including exercising and getting a good night’s sleep in the 24 hours before vaccination, may maximize the vaccine’s initial effectiveness. We interview Annelise Madison of The Ohio State University about a recently accepted paper in Perspectives on Psychological Science explaining the mind-body connection and the COVID-19 vaccine. 

2020 Year in Review: Breakthroughs and Discoveries in Psychological Science

What happens when the APS media relations director chats with the APS senior science writer? A fun discussion on 2020's most interesting research, that's what!

Many of the major news stories of 2020 were closely tied to understanding human behavior, including efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19, understand political divides and social conflicts, and address enduring racial disparities and inequality.  

A wealth of research published by the Association for Psychological Science (APS) addresses these and other important topics. The following is a selection of some of APS’s most newsworthy research and highly cited publications from 2020. These stories emphasize the importance of peer-reviewed psychological research and its impact on society.  Read the full list here: https://www.psychologicalscience.org/news/releases/breakthroughs-and-discoveries-in-psychological-science-2020-year-in-review.html 

The Challenges of Military Veterans in Their Transition to the Workplace

Long-standing structural features of the military have created a culture and society that is dramatically different and disconnected from civilian society. Thus, veterans transitioning to civilian society face a number of challenges related to fulfilling basic psychological needs. To explore this issue in detail APS's Charles Blue interviews Steven Shepherd and David Sherman about their recently published paper "The Challenges of Military Veterans in Their Transition to the Workplace: A Call for Integrating Basic and Applied Psychological Science." 

Primatology and Psychology: Shedding Light on Culture and Behavior

Dr. Frans B. M. de Waal is a Dutch/American biologist and primatologist known for his work on the behavior and social intelligence of primates. His latest research concerns empathy and cooperation, inequity aversion and social cognition in chimpanzees, bonobos, and other species. In a discussion with APS's Charles Blue, Frans explores the connection between primatology and psychology and how they intersect on issues of culture and behavior. 

A Psychologist's View of Racism and Inequality

Of all the major events in 2020, one that has spurred positive action and will hopefully catalyze meaningful change has been the protests and demonstrations related to Black Lives Matter. Psychological science has a great deal to tell us about racism and discrimination in our society. This includes studies of the pernicious nature of systemic biases in the workplace, in our legal system, and across cultures. To help explore these issues, APS's Charles Blue speaks with social psychologist and cultural diversity scholar Dr. James Jones of the University of Delaware.

Losing Control: How Lack of Sleep Allows Unpleasant Thoughts to Intrude

Unwanted memories can intrude on our thoughts from time to time, but new research suggests that a lack of sleep can greatly impair our ability to suppress these unpleasant and unwanted thoughts. Researcher Scott Cairney from the University of York in the UK helps us understand the role of sleep disturbance in guarding against these intrusive thoughts.

"Losing Control: Sleep Deprivation Impairs the Suppression of Unwanted Thoughts," Clinical Psychological Science, https://doi.org/10.1177/2167702620951511 

The Story Behind the "Future of Women in Psychological Science"

In September 2020, APS published the first-ever gender parity review of psychological science: "The Future of Women in Psychological Science."  The story behind this study, as told by some of the authors, is a compelling examination of personal experiences and observations. Through these discussions, a consensus emerges: Gender gaps for women in psychological science are closing, yet some remain, and more work is needed.   

 

Participants include: Junie Burke, APS (interviewer); June Gruber, Univ. Colorado; Jane Mendle, Cornell Univ.; Kristen Lindquist, UNC, Chapel Hill; Toni Schmader, Univ. British Columbia; Adrienne R. Carter-Sowell, Texas A&M Univ., and Eliza Bliss-Moreau, Univ. California, Davis.