-
Reducing Intergroup Conflict Through Contact
The world is a diverse place containing people of different races, ethnicities, and nationalities. This diversity, although beneficial in many ways, can also lead to tensions resulting in conflict between groups. Such strife occurs at every level of society, and the negative social and political outcomes it produces have led researchers to investigate ways to reduce conflict and prejudice. In a 2015 study published in the European Journal of Social Psychology, researchers Gunnar Lemmer and Ulrich Wagner (Philipps-University Marburg, Germany) examined the effectiveness of intergroup contact at reducing ethnic prejudice.
-
Teens’ Cellphone Use Mirrors Their Offline Lives
Researchers find that teenagers’ online lives closely resemble their offline experiences, but bullying is one area where the digital age may be introducing new risks.
-
A “Council of Psychological Science Advisers” Tackles Pressing Policy Issues
Some of the most urgent issues that American society faces today -- including obesity, consumer debt, risk of terrorism, and climate change -- are fundamentally influenced by decision making and behavior at both the individual and institutional levels. Despite this, policymakers have only recently begun to capitalize on insights from research in the behavioral sciences in developing policies that address these issues. A special section in Perspectives on Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, underscores how findings from behavioral science can provide actionable solutions to societal problems. The special section, edited by Bethany A.
-
Beating Cancer, But Battling Hiring Discrimination
Job applicants who disclose their status as cancer survivors may be less likely to get a job offer, according to new research. "Managers and employees should be mindful of the fact that although societal attitudes toward cancer survivors are generally quite positive, with people often viewing them as champions who have successfully overcome a traumatic experience, we nonetheless might perceive them as being less desirable employees simply because of their history with cancer," said lead author Larry Martinez, assistant professor of hospitality management at Pennsylvania State University.
-
Best Practices in the Applied Psychology Classroom
This project was supported by the APS Fund for Teaching and Public Understanding of Psychological Science, which invites applications for nonrenewable grants of up to $5,000 to launch new, educational projects in psychological science. Proposals are due March 1 and October 1. Psychological science teachers from the high school level to the university level met in April 2015 at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach to trade educational tips and best practices with one another.
-
Information Is Contagious Among Social Connections
Advanced computer modeling shows that the memory of one individual can indirectly influence that of another via shared social connections in large groups.
