Controversial research can put people on the defensive and may even lead to calls to censor findings that conflict with a particular ideological perspective. However, a pair of studies published in Psychological Science, by authors Cory J. Clark (University of Pennsylvania), Maja Graso (University of Groningen), Ilana Redstone (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign), and Philip E.… Read More »
People Generalize Expectations of Pain to Conceptually Related Tasks
Chronic pain can seriously restrict our lives, preventing us from reaching our full professional potential, enjoying hobbies, and even participating in meaningful life events with friends and family out of fear that certain activities may lead to additional pain and suffering. Avoiding experiences associated with pain can be an adaptive behavior. But, as Eveliina Glogan,… Read More »
Native Americans’ Awareness of Omission and Discrimination Fuels Civic Engagement
Derogatory stereotypes constitute a clear form of discrimination, but an absence of information about a group in mainstream society can also communicate a lack of respect for a community. That is the case for Native Americans, who are often underrepresented in media and policy discussions. In a recent Psychological Science study, researchers found that Native… Read More »
Conspiracy Theorists May Not Always Think Rationally, but They Don’t Generally Believe Contradictory Claims
It’s easy to characterize conspiracy theorists as people who will believe just about anything. However, it’s not true that conspiracy theorists commonly believe contradictory conspiracies, such as the claim that Diana, Princess of Wales, did not die in a car accident but instead both was murdered and is still alive after faking her own death.… Read More »
Lonely People’s Divergent Thought Processes May Contribute to Feeling “Alone in a Crowded Room”
Common wisdom suggests that a core difference between solitude and loneliness is choice. Whereas a person who appreciates solitude might choose to enjoy a quiet night in or a solo trip abroad, a lonely person may feel disconnected from other people even in a crowded room. New research published in Psychological Science supports this notion,… Read More »
New Research in Psychological Science
Responding to the Association for Psychological Science Strategic Plan, 2022–2027Patricia J. Bauer Editor-in-Chief Patricia Bauer announces several changes intended to ensure that research published in the journal represents a greater breadth of human culture, thought, experience, and behavior. The changes align with two of the three strategic goals in APS’s new 5-year strategic plan: to… Read More »
The Self-Taught Vocabulary of Homesigning Deaf Children Supports Universal Constraints on Language
Deaf homesigner in Guatemala, © The Author(s) 2023. Languages may seem different on an instinctual level—“hello,” for example, does not sound like “ni hao.” But the work of many psychological scientists suggests that the thousands of languages spoken throughout the world draw on many of the same fundamental linguistic abilities and reflect universal aspects of… Read More »
Diversity Training: One Size Does Not Fit All
What explains persistent racial disparities in policing, despite police departments’ repeated investments in bias-training programs? A wide range of data indicate that police in the United States tend to stop, arrest, injure, or kill more Black people than White people. Calvin K. Lai (Washington University in St. Louis) and Jaclyn A. Lisnek (University of Virginia)… Read More »
