Domestic Violence Increased During Lockdown In The United States
By Emily Reynolds
From the very beginning of the pandemic, activists and charities raised concerns that lockdown could be having an impact on domestic violence. Women’s Aid noted that home is often an unsafe environment for those experiencing abuse, while earlier this year Refuge stated that they’d seen a 60% increase in monthly calls to their National Domestic Abuse helpline.
A new study, published in Psychology of Violence, looks at rates of intimate partner violence during the pandemic in the United States. Like data from the UK, it suggests that domestic violence increased during lockdown — and that this w...
Source: BPS RESEARCH DIGEST - September 15, 2021 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: BPS Research Digest Tags: Coronavirus Relationships Source Type: blogs
We ’ve Neglected The Role Of “Psychological Richness” When Considering What Makes A Good Life, Study Argues
By Emma Young
What is it that makes someone feel that theirs is a “good life”? Of all the ideas put forward over the past few millennia, two are most often extolled and researched today. The first is hedonistic wellbeing, often called simply “happiness”, which is characterised by plenty of positive emotions and general life satisfaction. The other is “eudaimonia” — feeling that your life has meaning and that you are realising your potential. Now in a new paper in Psychological Review, Shigehiro Oishi at the University of Virginia and Erin Westgate at the University of Florida sugge...
Source: BPS RESEARCH DIGEST - September 14, 2021 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: BPS Research Digest Tags: Emotion Positive psychology Source Type: blogs
Young Australians Who Couchsurf Experience High Levels Of Psychological Distress
By Emma L. Barratt
When thinking about homelessness, we don’t often consider where to draw the line between housed and homeless. Couchsurfers — homeless individuals who put a roof over their head by staying with friends, relatives, or strangers found on couchsurfing sites — may not spring to mind when considering homelessness.
However, it’s far from a rare arrangement. Though exact numbers are lacking, studies from the last five years found that a shocking 22% of young people in the UK had slept rough at some point, and that 35% had couchsurfed in the absence of having a stable home.
The lack of stability...
Source: BPS RESEARCH DIGEST - September 13, 2021 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: BPS Research Digest Tags: Mental health Source Type: blogs
The Medusa Effect: We Ascribe Less “Mind” To People We See In Pictures
By Emma Young
Much has been written about the downsides of home-working. “Zoom fatigue”, in particular, is now a term, and an experience, that many of us are familiar with. But the tiring effect of video chat could represent only one of its dangers, according to new work in PNAS. It finds that we ascribe less “mind” to people we see in image form, vs in the flesh, and even less again to images of images of people. There could be serious implications, write Paris Will at the University of British Columbia and colleagues: “Given that mind perception underpins moral judgement, our findings sugges...
Source: BPS RESEARCH DIGEST - September 10, 2021 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: BPS Research Digest Tags: Cognition Source Type: blogs
First-Hand Reports Of “Brain Fog” Highlight Struggles Of Those Living With Long Covid
By Emma L. Barratt
Around one in five of those who have recovered from Covid-19 report ongoing symptoms, also known as long Covid. Experiences with this new condition are varied, and several symptoms are neuropsychological in nature.
One such symptom is brain fog. Though not a medical diagnosis in itself, this term is recognised by many health professionals, and refers to a fluctuating and varied set of symptoms which severely affect the sufferer’s ability to think clearly, or conduct their lives as they previously have.
Brain fog is often thought of as a benign, non-specific symptom, and in some circles is eve...
Source: BPS RESEARCH DIGEST - September 9, 2021 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: BPS Research Digest Tags: Coronavirus Mental health Source Type: blogs
Negative Media Coverage Of Immigration Leads To Hostility Towards Immigrants And In-Group Favouritism
By Emily Reynolds
The media plays a huge part in shaping our understanding of the world, including how we respond to other people. Coverage of immigration is no different, and previous research has suggested that even subtle changes in language and framing can change the way people think about immigrants.
A new study, published in Scientific Reports, looks at the real life impact of negative media portrayals of immigrants. It finds that negative coverage can increase hostility towards immigrants and favouritism towards members of the non-immigrant in-group — which can have serious financial, emotional and social c...
Source: BPS RESEARCH DIGEST - September 8, 2021 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: BPS Research Digest Tags: Media Political Social Source Type: blogs
Hand Gestures Help Students Mentally Organise New Information
By Emma L. Barratt
Retaining new information can be tricky, especially with topics far outside of what we’re familiar with. A good teacher can make a huge difference, but effective teaching techniques can add new dimensions to our ability to really take on what we’re being told.
A new study by academics from the University of California and University of Georgia identifies one such technique, and it turns out to be incredibly simple: hand gestures.
The team wanted to know if gestures used by teachers could assist in mental organisation of new information, and help students retain and understand lesson con...
Source: BPS RESEARCH DIGEST - September 7, 2021 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: BPS Research Digest Tags: Educational Source Type: blogs
People Are More Likely To Misread A Black Child As Angry When They Believe The Child Is Older
By Emily Reynolds
Research has found significant racial biases when judging the emotions of others. Black people are more likely to be misjudged as angry, for example, and recent research has suggested that even children are victims of this “anger bias”. Black children are also frequently subject to “adultification” — being perceived as older and more mature than White peers.
A new study explores the links between these two phenomena, finding that the older adults believe Black children to be, the more likely they are to (incorrectly) judge them to be angry too. Writing in Cognition and Emo...
Source: BPS RESEARCH DIGEST - September 6, 2021 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: BPS Research Digest Tags: Anger Source Type: blogs
Diversity Grants Can Discourage Diverse Candidates From Applying For More Lucrative Scholarships
This study highlights the need for thorough consideration and assessment of the application of diversity initiatives. There are clearly other factors to consider too; for example, it may be the case that diversity grants encourage a larger number of diverse candidates to apply for awards in the first place. However, these findings strongly underline the necessity for proper analysis and monitoring of grant applications to ensure the intended effect is achieved.
– Do Diversity Awards Discourage Applicants From Marginalized Groups From Pursuing More Lucrative Opportunities?
Emma L. Barratt (@E_Barratt) is a staff...
Source: BPS RESEARCH DIGEST - September 3, 2021 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: BPS Research Digest Tags: Educational Money Source Type: blogs
Tackling Income Inequality Could Boost Children ’s Vocabulary
By Emily Reynolds
In 1995, a seminal book was published suggesting that children from lower socioeconomic backgrounds were exposed to 30 million fewer words than richer children by the age of 4 — the so-called “word gap”. The idea is now widespread and has informed early childhood policy in the United States (though the findings are more contentious than this ubiquity might suggest).
But why might these kids be exposed to fewer words? A new study from a team at the University of California, Berkeley, finds that worries about financial insecurity reduced the amount that caregivers spoke to their small...
Source: BPS RESEARCH DIGEST - September 2, 2021 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: BPS Research Digest Tags: Developmental Language Money Source Type: blogs
We Think Anger Is A Sign Of Guilt — But It May Actually Be A Better Sign Of Innocence
By Emma Young
We’re famously bad at spotting lies (well, most of us are; skilled liars are better). That doesn’t stop us thinking we know when someone’s spinning us a line, of course. Now a new paper in Psychological Science reveals that we take an angry denial to be a sign that the accused is lying. And yet, Katherine A. DeCelles at the University of Toronto and colleagues also report, anger in response to a false accusation is in fact a sign of innocence.
In initial studies on more than 4,000 online participants, the team established that anger is consistently taken as a sign of guilt. This held across a...
Source: BPS RESEARCH DIGEST - August 27, 2021 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: BPS Research Digest Tags: Anger Source Type: blogs
“Claim Your Dose”: How Text-Message Reminders Can Increase Uptake Of COVID-19 Vaccines
By Emma L. Barratt
Overcoming psychological barriers to vaccination remains a significant hurdle for COVID-19 vaccination efforts. Any given COVID-19 news feature will remind you that vaccine hesitancy is rife, especially in countries such as the United States. Compounding the issue further, even those who fully intend to get their jab can be forgetful or procrastinate, further hampering efforts to get shots in arms.
As such, it’s vital to develop an effective toolbox to make it as effortless and appealing as possible for patients to book and turn up for their appointments. And though they may seem insignificant, ...
Source: BPS RESEARCH DIGEST - August 26, 2021 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: BPS Research Digest Tags: Coronavirus Source Type: blogs
Women And Early Career Academics Experience Imposter Syndrome In Fields That Emphasise Natural Brilliance
By Emily Reynolds
Imposter syndrome — the feeling that you don’t belong or aren’t capable at work or in education — can affect anybody. But people from underrepresented backgrounds are more likely to experience imposter syndrome: first generation university students, for example, or people of colour.
Imposter syndrome can be particularly acute in academia, where intellectual flair is prized. In fact, a new study published in the Journal of Educational Psychology finds that in fields in which intellectual “brilliance” is perceived to be a prerequisite to success, imposter syndrome is more like...
Source: BPS RESEARCH DIGEST - August 25, 2021 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: BPS Research Digest Tags: Educational Gender Source Type: blogs
Ability To Name Unrelated Words Is A Good Test Of Creativity
By Emma L. Barratt
Obtaining a solid measurement of creativity can be hugely time consuming. Well-established tests — such as the Alternative Uses Task (AUT), which asks participants to generate unusual ways to use common objects — require substantial time and effort in order to properly score participant responses. Not only that, but assessment of the creativity of responses varies wildly as a result of both the scorers’ judgements and the qualities of answers relative to the rest of the data. For example, one especially creative response amongst a sea of generic responses may garner extra points; place that same...
Source: BPS RESEARCH DIGEST - August 24, 2021 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: BPS Research Digest Tags: Creativity Language Source Type: blogs
Study Of Marching Band Shows That Resilience Is A Process, Not A Fixed Trait
By Emily Reynolds
Resilience allows you to bounce back when things get hard, whether that’s something as small as a bad day in the office or more serious adverse events. And while it can be easy to think of resilience as something we either do or don’t have, research suggests that isn’t the case: rather, our level of resilience changes in different contexts.
A new study, published in Group & Organization Management, looks closely at resilience in the workplace. It, too, finds that resilience isn’t a static phenomenon, and that it should be seen as something distinctly more flexible instead.
Parti...
Source: BPS RESEARCH DIGEST - August 23, 2021 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: BPS Research Digest Tags: Occupational Source Type: blogs
