Monitor on Psychology - October 2011 - (Page 42)

Retraining the biased brain Is it possible to break people of unconscious prejudice? One researcher’s work suggests it is. BY BRID G ET MURRAY LAW esearchers have long suspected that many people hold implicit prejudices — immediate, unconscious biases against people of other races and ethnicities. These biases show up on tasks in which people rapidly match negative and positive words with black and white faces. It turns out that they are quicker to match the positive words to the white faces and the negative words to the black faces. In fact, about 80 percent to 90 percent of white people show this bias, said prejudice researcher Patricia Devine, PhD, at an APA 2011 Annual Convention session. But most of the time people don’t realize they have these R biases, instead believing that they are open-minded and blind to race. Meanwhile, a growing number of leading scholars in the prejudice field, such as Princeton University’s Susan Fiske, PhD, implicate this unseen bias in fueling discrimination, said Devine. “Implicit biases are associated with a wide range of discriminatory outcomes,” she said, “everything from seemingly mundane ones — like how close or far you sit to someone or the kind of eye contact you make with them in an intergroup situation — to undeniably consequential ones like being denied an employment opportunity or being less likely to receive It’s true. The standard has evolved. With 51 empirically validated new and revised scales, 338 items, and innovative interpretive software, the MMPI-2-RF® is designed to set the new standard. Call 800.627.7271 to place an order or register online for a free MMPI-2-RF web-based presentation at MMPI2RF.com. 800.627.7271 | | PsychCorp.com 5482-2011_MMPI-2-RF Ad_Monitor10-11 (vholdwe).indd 1 8/9/11 8:55 AM 42 MONITOR ON PSYCHOLOGY • OCTOBER 2011 Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. or its affiliate(s). All rights reserved. Pearson, design for Psi, and PsychCorp are trademarks, in the U.S. and/or other countries, of Pearson Education, Inc. or its affiliate(s). Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2-Restructured Form is a trademark and MMPI-2-RF is a registered trademark of the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN. 5482 10/11 A3U http://www.MMPI2RF.com http://www.MMPI2RF.com http://www.PsychCorp.com http://www.PsychCorp.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Monitor on Psychology - October 2011

Monitor on Psychology - October 2011
President’s Column
Subtle and stunning slights
Contents
From the CEO
Live science on the showroom floor
Zimbardo re-examines his landmark study
Ready, set, mentor
Attention students and ECPs: Self-care is an ‘ethical imperative’
Suicide risk is high among war veterans in college, study finds
Psychotherapy is effective and here’s why
From toilet to tap: getting people to drink recycled water
What’s ahead for psychology practice?
A push for more accountability is changing the accreditation process
Peer, parental support prove key to fighting childhood obesity
Popular media’s message to girls
Bullying may contribute to lower test scores
A consequence of cuckoldry: More (and better) sex?
Manatees’ exquisite sense of touch may lead them into dangerous waters
Building a better tomato
How will China’s only children care for their aging parents?
‘Spice’ and ‘K2’: New drugs of abuse now on the market
Many suspects don’t understand their right to remain silent
In Brief
Boosting minority achievement
Where’s the progress?
And social justice for all
Helping new Americans find their way
Segregation’s ongoing legacy
A new way to combat prejudice
Retraining the biased brain
Suppressing the ‘white bears’
How to eat better — mindlessly
Protect your aging brain
Must babies always breed marital discontent?
Outing addiction
Flourish 2051
The danger of stimulants
Keys to making integrated care work
Is technology ruining our kids?
Facebook: Friend or foe?
The promise of Web 3.0
NIMH invests in IT enhanced interventions
Science Directions
Science Directions
PsycAdvocates work to safeguard key programs
The psychology of spending cuts
APA’s strategic plan goes live
Visionary leaders
Bravo!
Vote on bylaws amendments

Monitor on Psychology - October 2011