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Do we actually grow from adversity?
In our culture, there’s this idea that enduring a tragedy can be good for your personal growth. You’ll have a newfound appreciation for life. You’ll be grateful for your friends and family. You’ll learn from the experience. You’ll become more resilient. This theme appears in media coverage, time and again, in the wake of natural disasters and terrorist attacks. But what does the science say? Is there actually value in pain and suffering? Was philosopher Frederich Nietzsche onto something when he said, “That which does not kill us, makes us stronger”?
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Tips for easing the service burden on scientists from underrepresented groups
During Neil’s first semester as a faculty member, a group of Black undergraduates came by his office to welcome him to the department. It was a kind gesture that he remembers fondly, but one of the things they said stuck with him: “We’re so happy that you’re here. We never thought there would ever be another one,” by which they meant another Black professor. At first, he thought it was an odd statement. Why did they doubt that there could be two Black professors in the same department? But then Neil remembered being in their shoes.
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New Research from Clinical Psychological Science
A sample of research on posttraumatic stress disorder and patient progress in psychotherapy.
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New Research from Psychological Science
A sample of research on discounting past and future events, episodic recollection, and visual attention.
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It’s Time for Psychological Science to Become More Entrepreneurial
Entrepreneurs have brought us smartphones, GPS, and online shopping. What drives these innovators? Why do some succeed while most fail? Psychological scientists face a ripe opportunity to help answer these questions, says APS Fellow Robert Baron.
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Stop Trying to Raise Successful Kids
As anyone who has been called out for hypocrisy by a small child knows, kids are exquisitely attuned to gaps between what grown-ups say and what grown-ups do. If you survey American parents about what they want for their kids, more than 90 percent say one of their top priorities is that their children be caring. This makes sense: Kindness and concern for others are held as moral virtues in nearly every society and every major religion. But when you ask children what their parents want for them, 81 percent say their parents value achievement and happiness over caring.
