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There’s an App for That: A Pilot Test of an Anxiety- and Stress-Reduction App
We conducted pilot testing of a new mobile “app” that is a gamified version of Attention Bias Modification for anxiety. Compared to a placebo condition, extended app use (40 minutes) resulted in improved ability to disengage from threat, whereas brief app use (20 minutes) resulted in reduced subjective state anxiety. Tracy A. Dennis, Emily J. Dunn, Akeesha Simmons, and Sayma Ahmed Hunter College, CUNY
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Magical Thinking in Decision Making About Companion Animals
We extended contagion, a form of magical thinking, to animate objects. Dogs with identical information were liked less and deemed less adoptable when this information included contact with an undesirable previous owner. The effect seemed to be modulated by a pity effect, however, when people were familiar with animal shelters. Lennea R. Bower American University Zehra F. Peynircioglu American University Jordan R. Wyatt American University
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Integrated Classroom: Mind-body Interactions
In previous decades, cognitive psychology has focused on the mind to the exclusion of the body. More recent research has begun to demonstrate the interaction between physical actions and mental processing through areas such as embodied cognition and psychoneuroimmunology (Markman & Brendl, 2005; Christian, Graham, Padgett, Glaser, & Kiecolt-Glaser, 2006). While it is important to use discussions as a tool for understanding research on mind-body connections, a truly holistic approach to teaching in this field may require integration of physical class exercises with rigorous verbal discussions.
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New Research From Psychological Science
Read about the latest research published in Psychological Science. Vividness of the Future Self Predicts Delinquency Jean-Louis van Gelder, Hal E. Hershfield, and Loran F. Nordgren Does failure to think about the future lead people to engage in delinquent behavior? Participants wrote a letter to themselves either 20 years or 3 months in the future. They were then asked how they would respond to several scenarios involving committing delinquent acts. Participants who wrote letters to a more distant future self made fewer delinquent choices than did those who wrote to a less distant future self.
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Mindfulness: The Effects of Fatigue on Social Behavior
We investigated how fatigue influences social interactions. Eighty-three participants were presented hypothetical social activities categorized as alone or social, and active or passive. Results show that fatigued individuals show less desire to take part in alone and passive activities, a possible indication of arousal level influencing subsequent social behavior choices. Yakub Huda, Eunjung Lee-Furman, Mindy Engle-Friedman Baruch College
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Creative We Stand: Exploring the Relationship Between Nationalism, Multicultural Exposure & Creativity
Two studies demonstrate that “glorying” one’s national identity is related to decreased creativity, while feelings of “attachment” to one’s national identity is related to increased creativity. Additionally, study two demonstrates that a “critical attachment” to one’s home nation can help reap the creative benefits of multicultural exposure. Cathleen E. Clerkin University of Michigan
