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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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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
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Perceptions of Crisis Situations
This proof-of-concept demonstration applied the Riverside Situational Q-sort (RSQ) to the problem of assessing audience responses to two types of crisis situations (sports and food safety) across three media outlets (social, traditional news, and professional website). The RSQ provided nuanced information about situations comparable to existing instruments for assessing personality. Karen J. Freberg University of Louisville Kristin C. Saling United States Military Academy at West Point Laura A. Freberg California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
