Articles tagged with Psychological Assessment
A new study disputes the idea that humans experience six basic emotions universally, citing context-dependent expression recognition. Researchers found that facial expressions and vocalizations were not consistently labeled with emotion words across cultures, suggesting cultural categories may be at play.
A comprehensive review by the American Psychological Association highlights psychologists' expertise in addressing chronic pain. Successful treatment approaches include cognitive behavioral therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, mindfulness, and hypnosis, which offer more relief than prescription drugs or surgery.
Psychologists at the University of Jena discovered that attractive faces without distinctive features are less memorable. In a study published in Neuropsychologia, researchers found that test subjects were more likely to remember unattractive faces than attractive ones when the latter lacked notable traits.
A new study finds a troubling relationship between drinking and PTSD symptoms in college students. The research reveals that college students with PTSD symptoms are more likely to engage in heavy drinking, which can exacerbate their PTSD symptoms over time.
Research finds that US adults with private or no health insurance experience lower levels of psychological distress compared to those with public coverage. Adults with recent changes in insurance status have higher distress levels.
Research suggests that awe-inspiring sights can motivate people to seek explanations for the world, potentially leading to a stronger belief in the supernatural. Participants who watched awe-inspiring videos showed increased comfort with supernatural control and were more likely to believe in God.
A new study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology shows that calmness affects test performance and job outcomes. Candidates who experience high anxiety tend to underperform, while those with motivation score higher on both tests and in their roles.
A new study found that higher-ranking group members manipulate perceived threats to preserve their rank, while average individuals may underestimate real threats. This study highlights the dark side of cooperation and self-sacrifice in groups.
Researcher Chad Forbes aims to understand how stereotype threat impacts women in STEM fields, leading to job dissatisfaction and decreased performance. He's using a combination of neuroscience and social psychology to develop strategies to reverse this trend.
Researchers found that unconscious motivation can influence willpower, with strong power and achievement motivations leading to better performance. The study suggests increasing internal motivation through targeted incentives can help employees overcome challenges with less energy.
A study found that taking a memory test significantly increases the perceived age of older adults, shifting their subjective age from 58.59 to 63.14 years old. The effect is specific to memory tests and does not occur in younger adults or those taking different types of cognitive assessments.
A new screening tool, HITS, has been developed to detect intimate partner violence (IPV) in women veterans, accurately identifying 78 percent of abused individuals within the past year. The tool assesses psychological IPV and can be used in under four minutes.
Research at Duke University found that practice in estimating and comparing quantities can improve math abilities, particularly for symbolic math skills. The study tested adult volunteers before and after training sessions, showing significant improvement in math test scores compared to a control group.
Research shows a two-century-long historical shift towards individualistic psychological functioning in urban environments, away from rural adaptations. Word frequencies analyzed using Google Ngram Viewer reveal increasing use of 'choose', 'get', and 'feel', reflecting changing values and mental life.
A UCLA analysis of over 1.5 million books shows how cultural values have changed, revealing individualism and materialistic values on the rise.
The article highlights the need for a systematic framework of case identification, triage, and mental health interventions in post-disaster settings. Researchers found that standard treatments like pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy are effective, but psychosocial interventions have not been sufficiently evaluated.
A new definition of chronic kidney disease labels over 1 in 8 adults as having the disease, but low rates of kidney failure suggest many may never progress to severe disease. Experts argue that this is evidence of overdiagnosis and call for greater scrutiny and public awareness.
Prehabilitation interventions, including physical and psychological support, can reduce treatment-related complications, improve physical and mental health outcomes, and increase treatment options. Benefits include lower complication rates, reduced hospital readmissions, and improved healthcare costs.
Researchers found that women with more severe past trauma improved the most in an HIV/trauma intervention, suggesting a tailored approach may be necessary. The study suggests focusing on the most severely traumatized individuals can lead to greater psychological improvement.
Researchers found that trained Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screening officers were slower than undergraduate students but more accurate in identifying T-shaped arrangements on computer screens. Consistent search patterns freed up brain processing, improving performance.
A study in Journal of Analytical Psychology reveals internal conflict between the left and right parts of the brain when triggered by 'hot button' words, affecting sense of self and external responses.
A recent study published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine found that nearly half of young men with newly-diagnosed erectile dysfunction (ED) experience severe ED. Younger patients had lower body mass index, higher testosterone levels, and fewer medical conditions compared to older patients.
A new study shows that spending time on one's own Facebook profile can increase self-esteem. However, this boost in self-esteem ultimately diminishes motivation to perform well in tasks. The study used the Implicit Association Test and found significant effects of Facebook profile viewing on psychological effects.
New research by psychologists at the universities of Kent, Magdeburg and Cambridge has shown that some people can intentionally suppress unwanted memories and control their brain activity, thereby abolishing brain activity related to remembering. This finding has major implications for brain activity guilt detection tests.
A Wake Forest University researcher and four colleagues found that measurements of brain activity in the prefrontal cortex can help assess a person's potential for leadership. Leaders with higher levels of neurological self-complexity demonstrate greater adaptability when facing novel situations.
A new study finds that brief mindfulness training can improve standardized test scores and working memory capacity by reducing mind wandering. Participants who received mindfulness training showed a significant improvement in accuracy on the GRE and higher working memory capacity compared to those who received nutrition instruction.
A study by the Wellcome Trust found that four out of five mugging victims experienced excessive mistrust and paranoia lasting up to six months after the attack. Factors such as feeling defeated, worrying excessively, and difficulties sleeping increased paranoid fears in victims.
A new study suggests that our experiences of space and time have more in common than previously thought, with people perceiving the future as closer to the present. The researchers found that a temporal Doppler effect occurs when movement through space is toward the future, making it feel closer to the present.
A long-term study by Ruhr-University Bochum found that patients who undergo plastic surgery experience improved life satisfaction, self-esteem, and mental health. The results suggest that cosmetic surgery can be a successful treatment for psychological variables, with no adverse effects observed.
A Penn Medicine physician highlights the need for a unified approach to value in health care reform, as divergent priorities between patients and physicians create obstacles. Patients and physicians have different notions of value, with patients seeking enhanced experiences and physicians focusing on efficiency and evidence-based care.
Researchers identified a protective effect of excessive threat vigilance on PTSD development in infantry soldiers during combat deployment. The study found that genetic variations in the serotonin transporter gene were associated with this behavior, which can be trained through attention bias modification to reduce PTSD risk.
A new study by researchers at the University of Bergen found that an iPhone app, iDichotic, produces as reliable results as laboratory tests. The app measures brain function in language processing and attention, opening up new possibilities for psychological research and remote testing.
A new study found that women who accurately perceive their heartbeats are less likely to view their bodies as objects, reducing the risk of eating disorders and other mental health issues. The study provides valuable insights into the importance of internal body awareness for maintaining positive body image.
A recent book chapter reviews psilocybin's potential to alleviate psychological distress in cancer patients, including anxiety, depression, and existential distress. The hallucinogen treatment model has been shown to induce mystical or spiritual experiences, leading to improved psychological, spiritual, and existential well-being.
Research finds that junior male soccer players experience chronic stress, exhaustion, and disillusion with their sport at a young age. Players under external pressure from others are most vulnerable to burnout. The study suggests that perfectionism can be both a potent energizing force and a costly force for athletes.
Researchers found that Facebook status updates were significantly more memorable than sentences from books and faces. The study suggests that the casual, personal style of digital communication resonates with our hardwired memory abilities.
A study found that spending four days in nature, disconnected from electronic devices, improves creative problem-solving skills by 50%. The researchers used the Remote Associates Test to measure creativity and found significant benefits among participants.
Study finds that people can't accurately judge emotions from facial expressions alone but can recognize them through body language. The researchers tested this with dozens of real-life intense images and found that participants were unable to tell apart positive and negative faces.
Pediatric patients with noncardiac chest pain exhibit higher levels of anxiety and depression compared to those with innocent heart murmurs. The UGA research found a statistically significant increase in anxiety and depression among these patients.
A study by Vanderbilt University psychologists found that women are better than men at recognizing living organisms, such as birds and animals. In contrast, men tend to perform better in recognizing vehicles like cars and airplanes.
A new UCLA psychology study found that pre-wedding uncertainty, especially among women, predicts higher divorce rates and less marital satisfaction years later. Women with doubts were two-and-a-half times more likely to divorce than those without doubts.
Research suggests that SAT scores are a useful indicator for college admissions decisions, as they positively correlate with academic performance. Contrary to previous research, taking socioeconomic status into account has little effect on the relationship between SAT scores and college performance.
A new study in the Journal of Consumer Research found that reminders of money cause consumers to focus on primary features and brand name. This can lead to overlooking certain product attributes when making purchasing decisions.
An analysis of 42 US presidents suggests that fearless dominance, a trait associated with psychopathy, may be an important predictor of presidential performance. This study found correlations between boldness and higher ratings for leadership, persuasiveness, crisis management, and Congressional relations.
A new lineup technique, 'deadline confidence judgments,' improves accuracy by 20-30% compared to traditional methods. Witnesses are presented with individual photos and must rate their confidence within seconds.
Two studies examine the psychological status of Fukushima nuclear plant workers and residents' internal radiation exposure after the 2011 meltdown. Researchers found high rates of psychological distress and posttraumatic stress response among Daiichi plant workers, while Minamisoma residents had low levels of cesium radiation exposure.
Researchers found that confident consumers pay more attention to high-level product features and abstract benefits, while less confident consumers focus on concrete details. This shift in attention is attributed to psychological confidence affecting consumers' perception of information relevance.
A recent study conducted at the University of Granada found that both men and women experience intimate and romantic sexual fantasies involving their partner or loved one. Men tend to fantasize more frequently about exploratory activities, while women often imagine scenarios of being forced to have sex. The study suggests that having s...
A new study published in Perspectives on Psychological Science suggests that employees' interests are a stronger predictor of job performance than overall interest scores. The research found that those whose interest profiles matched their job profiles were more likely to perform well, help others, and stay with the company longer.
A new study published in PLOS ONE found that people consistently prefer options that come first, even when making quick choices. The study tested this effect in various settings, including consumer marketing and parole decisions, suggesting that the 'primacy effect' may be an evolutionary adaptation favoring firsts.
A new study found that consumers' preference for larger selections decreases when making choices involving the distant future. Consumers tend to focus on end goals and less about how to get there, leading them to prefer smaller and simpler assortment of options.
A new study by Stanford psychologists reveals that race affects juvenile sentencing, with participants who imagined a black offender more likely to support life sentences without parole. The study's findings highlight the fragility of protections for juveniles when race is in play.
Research in Psychological Science explores public reaction to task force recommendations, citing factors such as anecdotes and perception of medical treatments. The study suggests that changing the public's view on prostate-cancer screenings may require pictorial displays to help evaluate data more effectively.
A new meta-analysis of research on athletes and pain perception reveals that regular exercise can help alleviate pain. Athletes were found to have consistently higher pain tolerance than normally active adults, with endurance athletes exhibiting moderate tolerance and game sports athletes showing a higher but more varied tolerance.
A study of over 800 sets of twins found that genetics had a greater impact on forming key traits such as self-control, decision-making, and sociability than previously thought. The results suggest that genetically influenced characteristics may be the key to a person's success in life.
A new study published in Psychological Science finds that both men and women perceive images of sexy women's bodies as objects, while they view sexy-looking men as people. This study contributes to our understanding of objectification and its impact on human perception.
Researchers found that changing subject matter of questions increases accuracy on longer tests, outperforming groups with random or sequential question patterns. The study suggests a new approach to minimize 'output interference' and improve standardized testing outcomes.
Researchers found that older adults who experienced moderate psychological distress were seven times more likely to experience functional limitation than those without distress. Engaging in physical activity can help achieve greater independence and positive health gains for active older adults.
A new study found that children who experienced general trauma, physical punishment, and emotional abuse are more likely to develop irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in adulthood. Emotional abuse was the strongest predictor of IBS, with a significant association observed mainly in women.
A study by Julia Minson and Jennifer S. Mueller found that collaboration can exacerbate the rejection of outside information, leading to reduced judgment accuracy. Despite initial marginally higher accuracy, pairs' estimates quickly matched those of individuals after revision, highlighting the importance of considering outside input.