-
Experiencing Existential Dread? Tylenol May Do the Trick
Thinking about death can cause us to feel a sort of existential angst that isn’t attributable to a specific source. Now, new research suggests that acetaminophen, an over-the-counter pain medication, may help to reduce this existential pain. The research is published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.
-
Our Futures Look Bright – Because We Reject the Possibility That Bad Things Will Happen
People believe they’ll be happy in the future, even when they imagine the many bad things that could happen, because they discount the possibility that those bad things will actually occur, scientists have found.
-
New Research From Psychological Science
Read about the latest research published in Psychological Science and Clinical Psychological Science. Perceived Causality Can Alter the Perceived Trajectory of Apparent Motion Sung-Ho Kim, Jacob Feldman, and Manish Singh In this study, the authors used apparent motion to examine how perceptions of causality influence people's interpretation of motion. Participants were shown a display of alternately flashing red boxes appearing at each end of a semicircular occluder. The red boxes appeared to collide with and move green boxes (also located at either end of the occluder).
-
What You Should Know About Treatment for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
In the May 2013 issue of Psychological Science in the Public Interest, Edna Foa and colleagues explore the challenges in disseminating evidence-based treatments for posttraumatic stress. Here are some important facts about effective treatments for PTSD. What Is The Impact of Using Evidence-based Treatments (EBT) for PTSD? Studies show that several cognitive-behavioral therapies, including prolonged exposure therapy, are highly effective as PTSD treatments. Such programs are relatively short-term, resulting in reduced costs of care.
-
The White House Budget: Does It Distort The Science of Choice?
President Obama’s budget proposal released this week has turned the arcane term “chained CPI” into a controversial buzz phrase. This new calculation for the Consumer Price Index (CPI) assumes that as prices rise, consumers will simply turn to lower-cost alternatives, thus softening the impact of the price hikes. For example, if the cost of Red Delicious apples rises, people will just buy Gala instead, the theory holds. But does behavioral science support this measure?
-
Most Effective PTSD Therapies Are Not Being Widely Used, Researchers Find
Clinical research has identified certain psychological interventions that effectively ameliorate the symptoms of PTSD, although most people struggling with the disorder don’t receive those treatments, according to a scientific review.