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Taking a Transdiagnostic Approach to Understanding Self-Injury
Millions of people are affected by self-injury, especially adolescents and young adults. Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) has been the focus of numerous studies and, yet, there is still a lot to learn about its causes and consequences. NSSI behavior, the most common of which is cutting, can have various short- and long-term consequences and research shows that NSSI is predictive of later suicide attempts. We also know that NSSI co-occurs with many other disorders, including major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and substance use and eating disorders.
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“But I Didn’t Know!” People Show Prejudice-Based Aggression When It’s Easily Deniable
A study shows the role that “plausible deniability” may in discriminatory behavior against marginalized groups.
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Making Mindfulness Work for Patients
APS Fellow Marsha M. Linehan, director of the Behavioral Research and Therapy Clinics at the University of Washington, is the recipient of a 2014 APS James McKeen Cattell Fellow Award. Linehan will give an award address at the 27th APS Annual Convention in 2015 in New York City. Linehan’s research focuses on employing behavioral models to study patients who develop suicidal behaviors, substance abuse issues, or borderline personality disorder. She also developed Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), originally used to treat suicidal tendencies and later modified to include the treatment of mental disorders and borderline personality disorder.
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Behavior’s Influence on Biology
One of the basic tenets of psychological science holds that the biology of our brains heavily influences our actions, behaviors, judgments, and more. But what if we reverse that premise and examine an opposite supposition: that our choices and decisions may influence our physical neural structure? Several prominent psychological scientists examine this bidirectional equation. The following researchers will speak: Darlene D. Francis, University of California, Berkeley. Her research delves into how biological, psychological, and social developments throughout people’s lives combine to influence their susceptibility to disease or illness. Adam H.
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What’s Love Got to Do With It?
Overpriced roses and generic greeting cards are flying off the shelves, only to be thrown in the trash in a day or two. Windows, storefronts, even drab office cubicles are festooned in red and pink hearts. Valentine’s Day is a holiday full of schmaltz, material excess, and, sometimes, a bit of genuine romance. But extravagant gestures and fleeting passion do not a relationship make! So, before things get too sentimental, let’s take a step back and consider how people get in, and out, of romantic relationships in the first place.
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On the Relationship Between Social Class and Prejudice
Studies have indicated that prejudice is more prevalent among people from lower social classes, but researchers are still struggling to understand what might account for this association. In an article published in the European Journal of Social Psychology, a team of researchers led by Héctor Carvacho of Bielefeld University, Germany, examine the role of two ideological attitudes — right-wing authoritarianism (RWA) and social dominance orientation (SDO) — in linking aspects of social class to increased levels of prejudice.
