Monitor on Psychology - January 2012 - (Page 84)

Foundation amerIcan psychologIcal about 38 percent of children and adolescents coming into the clinic have thought about suicide, she says. talk it up A native of Costa Rica, Adriana Weisleder of Stanford University is looking at how the amount of time Spanishspeaking parents talk to their children affects the children’s language development. Through recording Latino families during a typical day in their homes, she’s found that some children spend a lot of time in child-centered interactions with adults, hearing about 1,700 words per hour, while other children hear only 200 words per hour, says Weisleder. Her data indicate that children in richer language environments have better vocabularies, a finding that’s consistent with previous studies. Weisleder’s also found that these children are also better at language processing, including being able to recognize nouns in real-time speech. “It’s the experience of language that makes you better at processing language,” she says. “We think that’s really key, because when kids enter school, there is a lot of information to keep track of.” n For more information on the Koppitz fund, go to www.apa.org/ apf/funding/koppitz.aspx. More big winners APF also presented three $10,000 elizabeth Munsterberg Koppitz fund runners-up grants to: • kalsea koss, of the University of notre Dame, who is studying how adolescents cope with stress and regulate their emotions amid family conflict. • Nicholas Mian, of the University of Massachusetts, Boston, who is testing an intervention for parents of preschool children who are at high-risk for developing anxiety disorders. • Adena Schachner, of Harvard University, who is exploring the role of synchronized movement in children’s social development, looking at whether synchrony promotes prosocial behavior and cooperation. the power of your gift Through the American Psychological Foundation, compassionate individuals have funded research, scholarships and projects that have made real contributions in areas such as domestic violence, post-trauma recovery, prejudice and stigma, stress reduction, parenting and aging minds, as well as chronic diseases such as diabetes. APF’s donors have brought about change in the field of psychology and are bettering society through their generosity. Over the last decade, APF donors have provided approximately $5.9 million in funding to students and psychologists, including to Huaiyu Zhang, of Emory University, who won the 2011 APF Randy Gerson Memorial. “I was thrilled to receive the Randy Gerson Memorial Grant from the American Psychological Foundation. I wish I could personally thank each person responsible for making the grant Zhang available. The grant has directly impacted my research and career. Receiving the grant has allowed me to realize my dream of blending an Eastern philosophy with a Western empirical approach to study alternative treatments for maternal stress. I have been able to hire research assistants, recruit participants and carry out the study’s logistics. The study’s results will address important empirical questions about the outcomes of a well-supported meditation practice and the treatment mechanisms involved in the training. I believe that the grant will build my research credentials and enable my pursuit of a researcher’s position in academic settings.” —Huaiyu Zhang A better society Two psychologists are promoting psychology’s future by remembering APF in their wills. Former APA President and current APF trustee Ronald F. Levant, EdD, of the University of Akron, has made a bequest to fund grants for early career psychologists who work in an area of critical social need through an innovative research, education or intervention project or program. The Ronald F. Levant Early Career Grant will support the research of one early career psychologist every year for five years. “I have been blessed throughout my career by the 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 APF Grants and opportunities 84 http://www.apa.org/apf/funding/koppitz.aspx http://www.apa.org/apf/funding/koppitz.aspx

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