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Disorder or Difference? Autism Researchers Face Off Over Field’s Terminology
A long-smoldering debate among scientists studying autism has erupted. At issue is language—for example, whether researchers should describe autism as a “disorder,” “disability,” or “difference,” and whether its associated features should be called “symptoms” or simply “traits.” In scientific papers and commentaries published in recent months, some have decried ableist language among their colleagues whereas others have defended traditional terminology—with both sides saying they have the best interests of autistic people in mind. The vitriol is harming the field and silencing researchers, some fear, but others see it as a long-overdue reckoning.
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I Didn’t Think Birding Was for Me. Now It’s My Favorite Self-Care Hobby.
... That’s a big part of what I like so much about birding: It’s a way to pay attention. Practicing mindfulness and being present in the moment can be rather difficult, and doing it when you’re out in the world can be especially hard because there are so many distractions. But birding is a way of leaning into the distractions and making them the main event. Instead of fighting the urge to look up every time you hear a sound high in the trees—or, alternatively, tuning out the chirps entirely—following your curiosities is the whole point when you’re birding.
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Psychological Stress Impedes Performance, Even for Olympic Athletes
Research done in Psychological Science provides support for something sports fans have long suspected: When athletes feel the pressure, their performance suffers.
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Collective Trauma and Stress Following Disasters: APS Journal Articles Publicly Available
APS has updated its publicly available collection of journal research pertaining to trauma and disasters. [updated February 14, 2023]
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New Research in Psychological Science
A sample of research on temporal construal effects, severe developmental dyscalculia, cognitive fitness in older adults, how choice boosts curiosity, and much more.
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More Than 50 Psychological Scientists Named APS Fellows
The newest class of APS Fellows are recognized for research that spans many subdisciplines in exploring solutions to complex challenges and answering questions central to human (and animal, in the case of at least one new Fellow) psychology.
