-
Integrated Data Management Processes Expedite Common Data Management Tasks in Autism Research
Frank Farach from Prometheus Research, LLCpresents his poster “Integrated Data Management Processes Expedite Common Data Management Tasks in Autism Research,” at the 25th APS Annual Convention in Washington, DC. Many researchers engage in disposable data management (DDM) practices: They clean and organize data after a study has been finished, repeating the process for each new analysis. Anecdotal evidence suggests that these DDM approaches are inefficient because they waste money, human resources, and valuable time. In contrast, integrated data management (IDM), is a systematic process for managing data as a reusable resource.
-
Buffering Stress with Optimism
Everything from traffic to tests can cause us to “freak out,” yet some people naturally handle stress better than others. Joëlle Jobin, 2012 APSSC Student Research Award winner, wanted to see if being an optimist or a pessimist could change the way stress affects individuals. When we stress out, our bodies release cortisol, a steroid hormone from the adrenal gland. Too much cortisol can have an adverse effect. Jobin and Carsten Wrosch, both from Concordia University in Montreal, Canada, tested the association among stress, cortisol, and the buffering effect of optimism.
-
Mirror Neurons Help Us Identify Emotion in Faces
Madeleine L. Werhane won an APSSC Student Research Award for her work examining mirror neurons’ role in the identification of facial emotions. She received the award in May 2012 at the 24th APS Annual Convention. Mirror neurons are unique in that they engage not only when we perform specific actions, but also when we see others performing specific actions. The same neurons that control hand and mouth actions in monkeys, for instance, are activated when one monkey sees another monkey pick up a piece of food. Mirror neurons allow humans to learn through observation and communication.
-
The New Science of Mind
One of the greatest challenges facing the 21st century is to better understand the vast reaches and workings of the human mind. Together, neuroscientists and psychologists have made groundbreaking discoveries about the brain that will have far-reaching public policy implications. During his State of the Union address, President Obama recognized the importance of this progress when he outlined a decade-long program aimed at supporting a better understanding of the human brain.
-
Food for Thought
What you eat each meal impacts your body — and your brain. March is National Nutrition Month, and psychological science can help us understand the social, mental, and behavioral factors that impact how we choose food on a daily basis. Here are a few psychological scientists at the forefront of food research: Neal D. Barnard is a clinical researcher and an adjunct associate professor at George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences. He has been featured in popular documentaries such as Forks Over Knives and Super Size Me.
-
Psychological Science Is Important (video)
APS Executive Director Alan G. Kraut Psychological science is important, as APS Executive Director Alan G. Kraut reminds us. By itself, psychological science produces a rich understanding of behavior. When paired with behavioral investigation, many other fields of scientific inquiry produce a richer understanding of our world. When he was APS President, John Cacioppo pointed out that an analysis of thousands of scientific journals (and literally millions of scientific articles) had identified psychological science — along with math, physics, and chemistry — as one of seven core disciplines that produces research cited widely by scientists in other fields.
