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Neuroimaging Highlights Emotion Perception and Memory
Perception often is thought of in terms of sensory stimuli — what we see, hear, and smell — but it extends beyond the five senses, including complex function of emotional perception. We also can turn this perception inward, toward our own appraisal of an emotional stimulus. Thus, emotional perception can be split into two categories depending on the direction of attention: Focusing our attention outward to stimuli in our external environments is known as external perceptual orienting (EPO), while interoceptive self-orienting (ISO) is the opposite — directing our attention toward our own internal appraisal of a stimulus.
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Long-Term Pot Use Linked to Financial, Social Problems in Midlife
A research study that followed children from birth up to age 38 has found that people who smoked cannabis four or more days of the week over many years ended up in a lower social class than their parents, with lower-paying, less skilled and less prestigious jobs than those who were not regular cannabis smokers. These regular and persistent users also experienced more financial, work-related and relationship difficulties, which worsened as the number of years of regular cannabis use progressed.
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Rise of Science Linked With Greater Attention to Cause and Effect
A new study shows that as science, education, and technology have taken on prominent roles in society over the past two centuries, the frequency of cause-and-effect language used in English texts has also increased, suggesting links between culture and cognition over time. Led by University of Michigan researcher Robert Axelrod and Rumen Iliev, a former University of Michigan postdoctoral researcher, the study builds on previous studies that link cognitive processing to cultural and societal factors. Unlike previous cross-cultural work that compared different cultures at the same point of time, this project focused on comparing the same culture at different time points.
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Nature Wants Your Replication Data
Have you replicated, or tried to replicate, a research study and want to share the data you generated with the scientific community? APS recognizes authors of published articles who make their data publicly available with an Open Data badge. But one journal is soliciting data from unpublished replication work, too. Scientific Data, a journal of the Nature Publishing Group, has announced a call for submissions for replication data. Psychological scientists who have collected replication data on a study that has already been published in a peer-reviewed journal are invited to submit an article for consideration for this special collection.
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NIMH Launches User-Friendly RDoC Matrix Format
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) recently announced an update to the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) initiative. RDoC is a new research framework for studying mental disorders by focusing on fundamental neurobehavioral processes using integrative and complementary methods. While the content of the RDoC Matrix will remain the same, a new user-friendly redesign offers improved navigation, a better user experience, and responsive design, which makes the matrix easier to read and navigate on mobile and desktop devices.
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Natural Resilience to Major Life Stressors Not So Common
Natural resilience may not be as common as once thought — data suggests that many people confronted with a major life-altering event can struggle considerably and for longer periods of time.
