Psychology in Action

Category: Latest

  • MythBusters: Autism is social aversion

    MythBusters: Autism is social aversion

    Myth: Autism is characterized by social aversion or social avoidance

  • Does it pay to be kind?

    Does it pay to be kind?

    Being kind to others can have positive consequences for our health and recent research suggests it triggers the same regions in our brain that are active when we receive rewards. Scientists are trying to understand how to encourage people to engage in more kind behaviors.

  • Sensory Sensitivity and Autism

    Have you seen the billboards by Autism Speaks? “Sensory sensitivity is a sign of autism”.  As an autism researcher, I think it’s absolutely wonderful to increase awareness of the symptom profile of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). So often the greatest emphasis is placed on difficulties within the social domain, and many media portrayals…

  • Consequences of Low Status: Balancing Sociality and Self-Preservation

    Consequences of Low Status: Balancing Sociality and Self-Preservation

                People are naturally social—every day we interact with other people. However, these interactions do not occur in isolation; rather, they are couched within a larger social hierarchy that can actually influence how we treat each other. These hierarchies are very visible in animals, as animals fight for mates or leadership (your dog will even…

  • What is empathy?

    What is empathy?

        Normal   0           false   false   false     EN-US   JA   X-NONE                                                                                       …

  • Scaling the implementation cliff: strategies for increasing the effectiveness of evidence-based interventions in community settings

    Scaling the implementation cliff: strategies for increasing the effectiveness of evidence-based interventions in community settings

    Behavioral health interventions yield much stronger outcomes in controlled research settings, as compared to the community settings in which they are most often applied. Adjustments in the training and development of community providers may help to address this gap.

  • Hi Baby, What are you Looking at?

    Hi Baby, What are you Looking at?

    Babies are so much more capable than we give them credit for. The analogy that young children’s minds are like sponges overlooks the active role infants play in their development. But what tools are at their disposal that facilitates this active participation? Long before infants can walk or talk, they use vision as a key…

  • Hello My Name is L. acidophilus

    Hello My Name is L. acidophilus

    Did you ever make a decision based on gut feelings? See, you’ve been experiencing the gut-brain connection this entire time!

  • 10 Pieces of Advice for Graduate School Interviews

    10 Pieces of Advice for Graduate School Interviews

    The interview process is different at every school, for every department, and no two students have the same experience. However, there are some basic pieces of advice that apply to a wide range of Ph.D. Psych interview weekends. 

  • MythBusters: Highlighting helps me study

    MythBusters: Highlighting helps me study

    You have a test this week, so you lay out your set of highlighters, open your textbook (for what may be the first time), and embark on your mission to know every important detail for your test. This is a common experience and everyone seems to think that highlighting ‘key points’ in the text is…