Articles tagged with Psychological Assessment
A new study confirms that fulfilling a diversity of needs is essential to individual happiness. Higher-order needs like social support and self-actualization contribute more strongly to life satisfaction than lower-order needs.
Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis found that viewing emotion-laden images immediately after taking a test enhances people's retention of the tested material. The finding is counterintuitive, as one might expect negative emotions to hinder learning.
A new study found that anxious searchers are more likely to miss multiple objects, particularly the second target, due to anticipatory anxiety. The research, led by Duke University psychologist Stephen Mitroff, has important implications for training and testing searchers in homeland security and healthcare.
Researchers found that successful testing improves memory performance in all three types of memory: cue, target, and associative. The study suggests that repeated retrieval practice boosts memory, regardless of the type of memory being tested.
A meta-analysis of data from 63 countries found that societal values of individualism are the best predictors of well-being. Higher income and social equality also contribute to higher well-being, but the effect of money on happiness plateaus once basic needs are met.
A recent study published in the Journal of Management Studies suggests that using ingratiation, or 'sucking up', can neutralize psychological distress and ostracism in the workplace. Employers should create a culture that discourages workplace ostracism by providing training to managers and employees.
Researchers found that Tai Chi improves cognitive functioning and psychological health in women who have undergone chemotherapy. The study suggests that Tai Chi could be a valuable addition to cancer treatment for mitigating cognitive decline.
A University of Granada study found that allowing children to freely choose vegetables leads to an increase in their consumption. Children who were given the option ingested more than 20 grams of veggies daily, representing a significant boost to their overall vegetable intake.
Researchers at Duke University found that strobe-like eyewear can improve visual abilities, particularly in detecting brief stimuli and small changes in motion. The study involved nearly 500 participants who trained with either strobe or control eyewear, showing some improvements in noticing brief stimuli after training.
A study of 266 healthy adults aged 70-88 found that driving errors, such as failing to check blind spots and speeding, increased with age. The results have implications for skill-based driving tests and training for older drivers.
A UA study using economic models backed up by fMRI scans explores the neural bases of guilt aversion and its role in sustaining human cooperation. The findings suggest that a critical neural system processes moral sentiments to sustain trust and reciprocity in complex situations.
A study found that people threatened with poor performance are more likely to use credit cards to purchase luxury items, such as high-end jeans. Researchers discovered that the threat of negative self-evaluation drives consumers to seek status and value reassurance through material purchases.
A study published in PLoS Medicine reveals that medical personnel at Guantánamo Bay failed to investigate and document causes of physical injuries and psychological symptoms in detainees. The review of nine cases corroborates allegations of torture, highlighting a breach of fundamental human rights.
A new study found that consumers predict product quality based on attributes when buying for themselves, but rely on price when someone else makes the purchase. The researchers suggest retailers and salespeople should increase psychological distance to influence quality perceptions through high prices.
A study published in the American Psychological Association journal found that a person's current thoughts and behavior can predict their future mood swings, even when medical history is accounted for. The researchers developed a new form of cognitive behavioral therapy called TEAMS to manage bipolar symptoms.
A study by University of Utah psychologists found that individuals with lower working memory capacity are more prone to inattention blindness, missing a person in a gorilla suit walking across the screen. This suggests that people with better control over their attention may be more likely to notice unexpected events.
A new pilot study aims to fill the research gap for young women with Triple Negative Breast Cancer, a rare and aggressive form of breast cancer that affects mostly African-American or Hispanic women. The two-year study will survey up to 60 women recently diagnosed with this type of breast cancer.
A Michigan State University study found that women who view sexual harassment as merely bothersome do not experience distress, unlike those who see it as frightening. For men, however, sexual harassment is distressing regardless of perception. The research surveyed over 6,000 women and men in the military.
A new study published in Psychological Science found that people with low self-esteem are more likely to exhibit bias against others. The researchers used the Implicit Association Test (IAT) to investigate this claim and found that feeling bad about oneself activates negative evaluations of others.
A study published in Environmental Health Perspectives found that people living in coastal communities with and without direct oil exposure showed clinically significant levels of depression and anxiety. Those with income loss due to the spill had higher rates of depression and were less resilient.
Researchers review common misconceptions about liars and find that verbal methods of deception detection are more effective than nonverbal methods. They also identify opportunities to improve lie detection by exploiting psychological differences between liars and truth-tellers.
A new Iowa State University study found that subjects who witnessed a criminal event and were tested about it immediately afterward were more susceptible to having misinformation instilled in their later recall of the event. This effect, known as retrieval-enhanced suggestibility, may lead to false convictions in criminal cases.
A new report reviews the psychological effects of disasters, finding that less than 30% of adults experience severe, lasting problems, while most people recover from passing distress. Factors influencing recovery include age, socioeconomic status, and economic resources.
A new study from Purdue University reveals that practicing retrieval, such as self-testing, is a more effective strategy than elaborate studying for improving long-term retention. The research found a 50% improvement in long-term retention scores for students who practiced retrieval compared to those who used elaborative studying.
Psychologists at Jena University discovered that adapting to faces of older people can make a person appear younger. The study found that viewing multiple faces of the same age group can influence age perception and lead to estimates that are systematically wrong.
This special section of Perspectives on Psychological Science explores how psychologists can avoid stigmatizing groups by framing individual and group differences as strengths. Experts discuss the importance of challenging biases and stereotypes in research, teaching, and advocacy to promote a more inclusive field of psychology.
Research suggests that moderate energy drink consumption can enhance behavioral control, but increased caffeine intake leads to decreased mental fatigue and impaired cognitive performance. Additionally, the study found that adolescents who consumed more caffeine had higher diastolic blood pressure and ate more high-sugar snack foods.
A new study shows that women who publicly challenge sexist behavior experience psychological benefits, including increased self-esteem and empowerment. Researchers found that communal-oriented individuals are more likely to confront prejudice.
A new study published in the Journal of Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation and Prevention found that patients with anxiety disorders are more likely to have undetected heart problems during electrocardiogram tests. The study suggests that administering a brief questionnaire before conducting ECGs can help identify patients at risk.
Research reveals bilinguals outperform monolinguals in tasks requiring distraction-blocking and task-switching, potentially leading to improved cognitive outcomes. Bilingualism may also protect against age-related cognitive decline, including Alzheimer's disease.
A study by Harvard University psychologists found that bilingual individuals' opinions of ethnic groups were affected by the language they spoke. The researchers used the Implicit Association Test to show that language can create and shape implicit attitudes, challenging the view that attitudes are stable.
Cordelia Fine argues that reports of sex differences in the brain are often based on flawed research methods and misunderstood findings. She advocates for a critical evaluation of these claims to avoid reinforcing outdated gender stereotypes.
A new study from Stanford psychologists suggests that a person's mindset and personal beliefs about willpower determine how long and well they'll be able to work on a tough mental exercise. Contrary to the long-held theory that willpower is a limited resource, researchers found that those who believed in willpower as something not easi...
Researchers from Kent State University found that practice tests can significantly improve memory by helping learners develop more effective encoding strategies. By taking practice tests, individuals come up with better mental hints or keywords, which aids in remembering information later.
Researchers at the University of Zurich studied soccer fans' neural responses to ingroup and outgroup suffering, finding that brain regions associated with empathy for others' pain are activated when witnessing an ingroup suffer. This correlates with a greater willingness to help, whereas watching an outgroup suffer leads to decreased ...
Researchers Tali Sharot and Cristina M. Velasquez improved on a previous experimental design to test subliminal decision making. The study found that participants' evaluations of chosen destinations increased after blind choice, suggesting a psychological mechanism to reduce tension from rejecting alternatives.
A study by researchers at the University of Toronto Scarborough found that using an inner voice helps individuals exercise self-control and resist impulsive decisions. The team conducted tests where participants were unable to verbalize messages to themselves, leading to increased impulsivity.
A new tool developed by Elizabeth Poposki measures preference for multitasking, which may help employers identify employees who can handle job demands without burnout. The study found that individuals who prefer to work on multiple tasks simultaneously enjoy the experience of multitasking more.
A new University of Arizona study found that even complete strangers can infer a person's emotional state from just 30 seconds of conversation. Verbal snippets, such as tone and language use, provide significant insight into how people are coping with separation and divorce.
Researchers at the University of Arizona have developed a battery of computer-based tests that can quickly assess cognitive abilities in individuals with Down syndrome. The tests, which take about two hours to administer, offer a new tool for clinicians and researchers to determine developmental trajectory and devise drug and behaviora...
A pioneering new study led by University of Leicester researchers shows that training Health Visitors to assess and support mothers after childbirth can significantly reduce the development of depression over the following year. Intervention women were 30% less likely to develop depression compared to control women receiving usual care.
A new study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology finds that tools assessing bias in standardized tests are flawed, potentially affecting hundreds of thousands of individuals. The research, led by Indiana University's Herman Aguinis, used a massive simulation to reveal biases in test scores that were missed by top experts.
Two new tests have been developed by Harvard psychologists to predict patients' risk of attempting suicide. The first test measures attention to suicide-related stimuli, while the second assesses implicit mental associations between death/suicide and oneself. These behavioral markers show great promise in identifying high-risk individu...
Researchers developed a dynamic HIV testing device that eliminates human error and requires no technician intervention. The device is 100% accurate, inexpensive, portable, and self-contained, making it suitable for rural clinics and pharmacies in developing countries.
A new study suggests that just four days of mindfulness meditation can significantly improve cognitive skills, including critical thinking and sustained attention. Participants who received the meditation training performed up to ten times better on a computer adaptive n-back task than those who listened to a book.
A random sample of 1205 black, white, and mixed-race faces showed mixed-race individuals were rated as more attractive. The study's findings suggest a biological phenomenon known as heterosis may contribute to this perception.
A study published in Psychological Science found that people who have a stronger association between death and self are more likely to attempt suicide. This association can be measured using an Implicit Association Test (IAT), which may provide a new tool for identifying and predicting clinical behaviors that are not reported verbally.
Scientists have developed a low-cost behavioral assessment that can detect changes in the progression of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and predict Alzheimer's disease. The test measures information processing capacity, which correlates with hippocampal degradation and decline in brain function.
Researchers at UAB Center for Research in Applied Gerontology are testing InSight software to enhance reflexes and reaction time among senior adult drivers, aiming to reduce car crashes. The study involves training exercises on a computer screen and has the potential to help older adults maintain their cognitive function and mobility.
A new study by Prof. Ofra Mayseless at the University of Haifa found a moderate correlation between psychological maturity and spiritual development in college students. The study suggests that each developmental domain contributes independently to attributes such as generosity and pro-social actions.
Researchers found that great apes from socio-linguistically rich environments outperformed those raised in standard laboratory settings. Apes who received simultaneous pointing and vocalization cues performed best, suggesting a potential link between environment and language development.
A standard ICD test is associated with significant thought-processing problems that improve for most patients after one year. The study found that more than one-third of participants experienced cognitive decline, mainly affecting attention and memory.
Research from Psychological Science found that attachment styles can affect how individuals remember relationship events, with anxious and avoidant individuals recalling experiences based on their needs and goals. The study's results suggest that attachment styles influence how we interpret memories of interactions with our partners.
Men experience lower levels of guilt compared to women, particularly in interpersonal situations, with a greater prevalence of anxious-aggressive guilt among women, especially those over 40. Educational practices and socializing agents can help reduce this trend.
Researchers used MEG to distinguish between neural activity of PTSD patients and healthy controls with over 90% accuracy. A positive association was found between prediction certainty and symptom severity, suggesting potential use in gauging disorder levels.
Recent systematic reviews indicate that psychological debriefing of adults does not prevent post-traumatic stress disorder and may even increase the risk. Two programs offering Psychological First Aid and cognitive behavioral support show promise of effectiveness in preventing PTSD and other psychiatric disorders.
A worldwide study analyzed data from 69 countries and found small but significant gender differences in math skills, with girls performing as well as boys when given the right educational tools. The research highlights the need for schools, teachers, and families to encourage girls' math learning.
College students who practice retrieving knowledge through self-testing learn more effectively than those who rely on repetitive note reading. The key is not dropping flashcards once mastered, as retrieval fluency can create an illusion of learning.
A study by Eva Pomerantz and Qian Wang found that parental control in Western countries can have negative effects on children's psychological development, while in East Asia, it may be more accepted due to cultural differences. The researchers recommend limiting parents' intrusiveness in their children's lives for both regions.
A University of Florida study found that exercise alone can improve body image, regardless of the actual physical benefits. The researchers discovered that people who don't meet fitness standards feel just as good about their bodies as those who are more athletic.