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Exploring Opportunities for Research Support in Psychology
This discussion describes current funding opportunities at NSF to support the Science of Broadening Participation. Researchers in the psychological sciences are particularly well represented within the SBP, and specific topics likely to be of interest to psychologists and this funding initiative are described. Find more information on the NSF website. Kellina M. Craig-Henderson Howard University and National Science Foundation
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Do Scare Tactics Work? A Meta-Analytic Test of Fear Appeal Theories
Melanie B. Tannenbaum, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, presents her research "Do Scare Tactics Work? A Meta-Analytic Test of Fear Appeal Theories," at the 25th APS Annual Convention in Washington, DC. Fear appeals evoke a polarizing reaction; proponents are confident in its efficacy, whereas opponents assert that ‘scare tactics’ often backfire. Several recent meta-analyses have found a positive effect of fear on intentions and behavior, particularly in combination with efficacy messages, while others have found null or even negative effects.
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Cognitive Reappraisal of Emotion: A Meta-analysis of Human Neuroimaging Studies
Jason T. Buhle and Jennifer A. Silvers from Columbia University present their research on "Cognitive reappraisal of emotion: A meta-analysis of human neuroimaging studies," at the 25th APS Annual Convention in Washington, DC. In recent years, an explosion of neuroimaging studies has examined cognitive reappraisal, an emotion regulation strategy that involves changing the way one thinks about a stimulus in order to change its affective impact. Existing models broadly agree that reappraisal recruits frontal and parietal control regions to modulate emotional responding in the amygdala, but they offer competing visions of how this is accomplished.
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Improving Oral Health Behavior and Message Memory
Cameron Brick presents his research on “Improving Oral Health Behavior and Message Memory: Matching Cultural Exposure and Message Frame” at the APS 25th Annual Convention in Washington, DC. Brick received one of the 2013 NIDCR “Building Bridges” APS Convention Travel Awards. Dental caries, gingivitis, and periodontitis are widespread health problems that increase the risk of tooth loss, stroke, and cardiovascular disease, but many Americans reject preventive behaviors such as brushing and flossing. These studies examine the benefits of congruency between an individual’s motivational orientation and the framing of persuasive health messages.
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Understanding Replication: Confidence Intervals Much Better Than p Values
Geoff Cumming, La Trobe University, Australia, presents his research on "Understanding Replication: Confidence Intervals Much Better Than p Values," at the 25th APS Annual Convention. Replication is at the heart of science. A current hot topic across medicine, psychological science, and other disciplines is that a number of widely-accepted published results cannot be replicated. A major cause of the problem is reliance on null hypothesis significance testing (NHST). The imperative to achieve statistical significance, or getting a p value that is greater than .05, leads researchers to select data, variables, and analysis techniques, until they reach that goal.
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Memelab: Simulation of a Campus Population
Ian D. Miller, University of Toronto, presents his research "Memelab: Simulation of a Campus Population," at the 25th APS Annual Convention in Washington, DC. How do you predict when a picture or video is going to become an online viral phenomenon? In this experiment, participants created memes using our online laboratory (“Memelab”) and shared them with friends. Over a 2-month period, our web server counted how many times each picture was viewed by Internet users. On that basis, we determined which pictures were “more viral.” Although it mattered whether the picture was funny and relevant, the creator of the picture had a greater impact in predicting meme popularity.
