Monitor on Psychology - January 2012 - (Page 16)
Brief
In
popular notion that self-enhancement and providing positive performance feedback to low performers improves emotional health, the researchers say (Emotion, October). n More than a decade after their initial diagnoses, nearly four out of 10 cancer survivors are still plagued by symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to new research from the Duke Cancer Institute. Researchers surveyed 566 survivors of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and found that 37 percent of participants experienced persisting or worsening PTSD symptoms, including flashbacks and avoidance, over five years. The study also showed that low-income survivors are especially vulnerable to the psychological effects of a cancer diagnosis (Journal of Clinical Oncology, Oct. 11). n Rats exposed to an antidepressant just before and after birth showed substantial brain abnormalities and irregular behaviors that persist into adulthood. Scientists at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, gave citalopram — a serotonin-selective reuptake inhibitor — to male and female rat pups before and after their birth and examined their brains and behaviors as they grew. The male rat pups became excessively fearful when faced with new situations and shunned normal juvenile play behavior. Some female rats were also similarly affected, but the effects were not as pronounced as in the males. The researchers also discovered miswiring between the brain’s left and right hemispheres (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Oct. 24).
the stress of living in poverty affects children’s readiness for school.
n Poverty-related stress negatively affects children’s readiness for school, finds a study by scientists at Pennsylvania State University, New York University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The team measured levels of the stress hormone cortisol in 1,300 young children and administered tests to assess their executive function — a group of cognitive processes considered important for adjusting to school and making academic progress in the early elementary grades. They found that children in lower-income homes had higher levels of cortisol than children
in slightly better-off homes – and that higher levels of cortisol were associated with lower levels of executive function abilities (Child Development, Oct. 25). n College football players who express their emotions have more confidence, according to research from Indiana University-Bloomington. In one experiment, 150 college football players were randomly assigned to four groups to read vignettes about “Jack,” a football player who cries after a football game. In the vignettes, Jack either sobs or tears up after his team loses or wins. The college football players in the study who
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M o n i t o r o n p s y c h o l o g y • J a n u a ry 2 0 1 2
photos.com
http://www.photos.com
http://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/releases/emo-11-5-1096.pdf
http://jco.ascopubs.org/content/early/2011/10/04/JCO.2011.37.2631.abstract
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2011.01643.x/abstract
http://www.pnas.org/content/108/45/18465.full.pdf+html?sid=f13871ba-125f-407e-8d83-ac4f7049897b
http://www.pnas.org/content/108/45/18465.full.pdf+html?sid=f13871ba-125f-407e-8d83-ac4f7049897b
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Monitor on Psychology - January 2012
Monitor on Psychology - January 2012
Letters
President’s Column
Contents
Contents
From the CEO
Apa’s Statement on the Dsm-5 Development Process
Girl Scouts Badge Promotes Positive Psychology
Early Investments Pay Off for Poor Children, Study Finds
Apa Meets With Chinese Psychological Society to Further Interaction and Exchange
Unique Opportunity for Psychologists to Travel to Cuba
In Brief
Government Relations Update
On Your Behalf
Psychology’s Growing Library of Podcasts
Standing Up for Psychology
Judicial Notebook
Random Sample
Time Capsule
Questionnaire
Science Watch
Beyond Psychotherapy
Perspective on Practice
Yes, Recovery Is Possible
Inequity to Equity
Making E-Learning Work
New Standards for High School Psychology
A Trailblazer Moves On
Psychologist Profile
Plan Now for Psychology’s Regional Meetings
New Journal Editors
Apa News
Division Spotlight
American Psychological Foundation
Personalities
Monitor on Psychology - January 2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/apa/monitor_201206
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/apa/monitor_201205
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/apa/monitor_201204
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/apa/monitor_201203
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/apa/monitor_201202
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/apa/monitor_201201
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/apa/monitor_201112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/apa/member_benefits
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/apa/monitor_201111
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/apa/monitor_201110
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/apa/monitor_201109_test
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/apa/monitor_201109
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com