Released: 8-Jul-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Study Finds Economic Downturns Unrelated to Incidence of Hate Crimes
American Psychological Association (APA)

While conventional wisdom has been that hate crimes in the United States rise with a declining economy, an analysis of hate crime in New York City from 1987 to 1995 has found little evidence linking racial, religious, ethnic, or homophobic incidents to deteriorating economic conditions.

Released: 12-Aug-1997 12:00 AM EDT
Pathological Internet Use: Who Is Hooked and Why
American Psychological Association (APA)

For those whose Internet use has crossed the line from "avid" to "compulsive," information gathering is not the main attraction for pathological Internet users. EMBARGO: UNTIL 5:00 PM (CDT), AUGUST 14, 1997

Released: 12-Aug-1997 12:00 AM EDT
Security Blankets Can Substitute for Mom
American Psychological Association (APA)

New research presented at the American Psychological Association's (APA) 105th Annual Convention in Chicago shows that bringing along a child's security blanket, (or other "security item") may actually make routine medical exams go smoother when mom is unable to accompany the child. EMBARGO: UNTIL 5:00 PM (CDT), AUGUST 17, 1997

Released: 12-Aug-1997 12:00 AM EDT
Practical Intelligence Better Predictor of Job Success than IQ
American Psychological Association (APA)

When it comes to successful job performance a high level of practical intelligence may be even more important than an abundance of academic intelligence. That's the conclusion of a study of 200 high-level managers presented at the 105th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association (APA) in Chicago. EMBARGO: UNTIL 5:00 PM (CDT), AUGUST 16, 1997

Released: 12-Aug-1997 12:00 AM EDT
Frequency of Family Meals May Prevent Teen Adjustment Problems
American Psychological Association (APA)

Keeping teenagers out of trouble may be as simple as eating meals together as a family more often, according to a study presented at the American Psychological Association's (APA) 105th Annual Convention. EMBARGO: UNTIL 5:00 PM (CDT), AUGUST 15, 1997

Released: 12-Aug-1997 12:00 AM EDT
Cartoons Still Stereotype Gender Roles
American Psychological Association (APA)

Male cartoon characters still outnumber female cartoon characters almost four to one, and male characters are also still portrayed as dominate, powerful and aggressive. Female characters don't have any "character" at all, according to research presented at the American Psychological Association's (APA) 105th Annual Convention in Chicago. EMBARGO: UNTIL 5:00 PM (CDT), AUGUST 17, 1997

Released: 12-Aug-1997 12:00 AM EDT
Psychologists Explore Why Relationships Last
American Psychological Association (APA)

Two studies examining the important ingredients of a satisfying marriage and why others are better at predicting the outcomes of relationships will be presented at the American Psychological Association's (APA) 105th Annual Convention in Chicago. EMBARGO: UNTIL 5:00 PM (CDT), AUGUST 17, 1997

Released: 12-Aug-1997 12:00 AM EDT
Creativity Breeds Happy Families, Study Finds
American Psychological Association (APA)

Parents who work in creative professions seem to create the most happy home environments, according to a study presented at the American Psychological Association's (APA) 105th Annual Convention in Chicago. EMBARGO: UNTIL 5:00 PM (CDT), AUGUST 14, 1997

Released: 12-Aug-1997 12:00 AM EDT
Improving Driving Behavior among Teenagers
American Psychological Association (APA)

New research examining the literature on what works in changing driving behavior found that educating youths about good driving behavior and traffic safety is not enough to change bad driving. The threat of severe penalties is also needed to keep teenagers safe behind the wheel, according to a review of over 54 studies. EMBARGO: UNTIL 5:00 PM (CDT), AUGUST 17, 1997

Released: 12-Aug-1997 12:00 AM EDT
Public Policies for Children Ineffective
American Psychological Association (APA)

Three studies examining the shortcomings of Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.), school- based sex education programs and the Children's Television Act (CTA) will be presented at the American Psychological Association's (APA) 105th Annual Convention. EMBARGO: UNTIL 5:00 PM (CDT), AUGUST 15, 1997

Released: 12-Aug-1997 12:00 AM EDT
America Is Not Colorblind
American Psychological Association (APA)

A paper released today by the American Psychological Association at its 105th Annual Convention in Chicago, "Can -- or Should -- America Be Color-Blind?", states that a color-blind approach to equal opportunity for all Americans will fail. EMBARGO: UNTIL 5:00 PM (CDT), AUGUST 14, 1997

Released: 12-Aug-1997 12:00 AM EDT
Childhood Sibling Abuse Common, but Most Adults Don'T
American Psychological Association (APA)

If told the story of a child who was kicked, bitten, hit with a fist or choked, the words that would come into most people's mind are "child abuse." But when the victims (and perpetrators) of such aggressive acts are siblings, they tend to be perceived differently. EMBARGO: UNTIL 5:00 PM (CDT), AUGUST 18, 1997

Released: 12-Aug-1997 12:00 AM EDT
Working Moms Turn Traditional When They're Home
American Psychological Association (APA)

Stay-at-home dads are equal parts traditional mom and traditional dad, according to two studies presented by psychologists from Loyola University and DePaul University at the American Psychological Association's (APA) 105th Annual Convention in Chicago. EMBARGO: UNTIL 11:30 AM (CDT), AUGUST 16, 1997

Released: 12-Aug-1997 12:00 AM EDT
New Way to Help the Elderly Avoid Getting Swindled
American Psychological Association (APA)

The very strategies that real people have used to detect and escape from con artists -- particularly "the human ability to identify patterns of suspicious behavior" -- are seldom mentioned in widely distributed materials designed to help consumers avoid getting conned, according to a psychologist from Eastern Michigan University. EMBARGO: UNTIL 5:00 PM (CDT), AUGUST 17, 1997

Released: 21-Nov-1997 12:00 AM EST
African American Males More Likely Than Any Other Group to Lose Motivation to Succeed in School by Twelfth Grade
American Psychological Association (APA)

African American boys, compared with Whites, Hispanics and African American girls, are "particularly and perhaps uniquely" vulnerable to "academic disidentification," the phenomenon in which success or failure in school ceases to matter to the student. The finding comes from a four-year study of nearly 25,000 high school students across the United States and is reported in the December issue of the Journal of Educational Psychology, published by the American Psychological Association (APA).

Released: 24-Jan-1998 12:00 AM EST
Which Smokers Use Cigarettes To "Self-Medicate" For Depression May Depend On Their Genetic Make-Up
American Psychological Association (APA)

New research published by the American Psychological Association (APA), suggests that depressed people --and nondepressed people -- who smoke to improve their mood may do so because of differences in their genetic make-up, differences that may be important to the effectiveness of future treatments for depression and nicotine dependency.

Released: 18-Feb-1998 12:00 AM EST
Study Finds Many Older Adults Requiring Daily Living Assistance May Become Depressed
American Psychological Association (APA)

One of the first studies undertaken to examine the effects caregiving has on care recipients found that physically disabled older adults may not always receive the appropriate amount of help they need, and nearly 40 percent reported emotional distress from receiving assistance.

Released: 18-Feb-1998 12:00 AM EST
Research Finds Whites Reluctant to Provide Critical Feedback to Minorities in an Academic Environment
American Psychological Association (APA)

White students tend to evaluate essays written by Black students less critically than similar essays written by other White students, according to research to be reported in the March issue of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology

Released: 27-Feb-1998 12:00 AM EST
Homework does Boost Academic Achievement; but Overemphasizing Grades and Performance May Lead to Cheating
American Psychological Association (APA)

The academic environment's influence on schoolchildren's attitudes about cheating and the value of homework are examined in two studies to be published in the March issue of the American Psychological Association's (APA) Journal of Educational Psychology.

Released: 15-Mar-1998 12:00 AM EST
Mom Was Right about Gossip
American Psychological Association (APA)

Researchers say they have identified a common, but apparently mindless, psychological phenomenon that plays a previously unrecognized role in the way people form impressions of other people. Specifically, they've found that when someone attributes positive or negative traits to someone else, the listener will often attribute those same traits to the speaker. Embargoed: 3-18-98.

25-Mar-1998 12:00 AM EST
Boys and Girls Are Cruel to Each Other in Different Ways--But Effects Are Equally Harmful
American Psychological Association (APA)

The vast majority of past studies on peer victimization have focused on boys and physical aggression. But new research illustrates that girls also experience peer victimization, usually relational aggression, in which a person is harmed through hurtful manipulation of their peer relationships or friendships.

25-Mar-1998 12:00 AM EST
Lower Intelligence may be a Risk Factor for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
American Psychological Association (APA)

People with lower intelligence before a traumatic experience are more likely to develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, according to the first study to identify a cognitive risk factor for PTSD. Conversely, higher intelligence may protect against the development of PTSD.

Released: 3-Apr-1998 12:00 AM EST
Sex Offenders Not as Likely to Relapse as Thought
American Psychological Association (APA)

Many believe that once a sex offender, always a sex offender. Not necessarily. According to 61 studies, less than 20 percent of sex offenders are found to have committed another sexual offense. Deviant sexual preferences, criminal lifestyle and dropping out of treatment were the biggest risk factors for reoffending.

Released: 10-Apr-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Social Phobias Found to be Common Among Adults and Children, Says New Book
American Psychological Association (APA)

Social phobias -- the presence of extreme fear and/or avoidance of social situations -- is common in adults and children and is extremely debilitating, according to a newly released book, Shy Children, Phobic Adults: Nature and Treatment of Social Phobia, published by the American Psychological Association (APA).

5-May-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Social Relations and Income Found to Matter in Determining Risk for Heart Disease
American Psychological Association (APA)

People who don't have good social relations and/or have incomes near the poverty level are at a much greater risk for developing heart problems and dying much earlier than their natural lifespan, say researchers. A cardiac patient's race and sex also seem to determine whether certain life-saving procedures will be preformed. This research will be presented at the conference, Public Health in the 21st Century: Behavioral and Social Science Contributions in Atlanta, May 9.

Released: 8-May-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Overwhelming Public Support for Legal Accountability of All Managed Care Health Plans
American Psychological Association (APA)

he American Psychological Association (APA) today released results of a national public opinion poll, conducted by Penn, Schoen & Berland, that shows 77 percent of Americans support changing federal law to allow patients to sue a managed care company when they are injured by negligent decisions or cost containment actions.

Released: 16-May-1998 12:00 AM EDT
106th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association
American Psychological Association (APA)

Psychology's movement away from an exclusive focus on assessing and repairing illness and toward an emphasis on prevention will be an overarching theme of the 106th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association.

   
22-May-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Study Finds Dramatic Distorting Effect of Law Enforcement Feedback to Eyewitnesses in Criminal Cases
American Psychological Association (APA)

Fingerprints, DNA matches and fibers may be more reliably objective indicators that a suspect committed a crime, but, studies have found, for most jurors, nothing beats the confident testimony of an eyewitness, even when the eyewitness is completely wrong. Research has shown that incorrect eyewitness identifications account for more convictions of innocent persons than all other causes combined. Now a new study published by the American Psychological Association provides even further evidence that eyewitness testimony may not deserve the confidence that many jurors have in it.

22-May-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Optimism in the Face of Stressful Situations Affects Immune System, Study Finds
American Psychological Association (APA)

While research has tied optimism to better coping and disease course with health challenges such as surgery and AIDS, a new study is the first relating optimism to immune change in a healthy population.

22-May-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Studies Find Drawing Facilitates Children's Ability to Talk About Emotional Experiences
American Psychological Association (APA)

Researchers report that when relaying an emotional experience, children who drew as they spoke reported more than twice as much information than children asked only to talk about their experiences. Furthermore, the additional information did not occur at the expense of accuracy, according to an article to be published in the June issue of the APA's Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied.

28-Jun-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Want to Lose Weight During the Summer? Notetaking May Help You Keep the Pounds Off.
American Psychological Association (APA)

The fourth of July is approaching, and with it come backyard cookouts with hot dogs, hamburgers, and apple pie - a multi-pronged assault on the calorie-conscious. Coming to the picnic table armed with paper and pencil may help dieters fend off fat, according to a study to be published in the July issue of the American Psychological Association's (APA) Health Psychology.

8-Jul-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Praising Children for Their Intelligence May Leave Them Ill-Equipped to Cope with Failure
American Psychological Association (APA)

While children are often commended for good grades and high test scores, new research illustrates that complimenting children for their intelligence and academic performance may lead them to believe that good test scores and high grades are more important than learning and mastering something new.

Released: 10-Jul-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Narcissists Most Aggressive when Criticized
American Psychological Association (APA)

New research suggests that the most dangerous people are "those who have a strong desire to regard themselves as superior beings." The research, which will be published in the July issue of the American Psychological Association's Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, demonstrates that actual self-esteem may have little if any relation to aggression.

Released: 17-Jul-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Antidepressant Medications: Miracle Drugs or Placebos with a Buzz?
American Psychological Association (APA)

The authors of a meta-analysis of 19 drug studies involving 2,318 patients conclude that three-quarters of the beneficial effect of anti-depressant edications, can be ascribed to the placebo effect - the patient's belief and expectation that the pill they are taking will make them better.

14-Aug-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Gender Differences in Adolescent Depression
American Psychological Association (APA)

Gender differences in worrying or rumination may be one of the reasons that by age 18 females have twice the rate of depression as males.

15-Aug-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Older Drivers Car Accidents' Risks
American Psychological Association (APA)

Most older drivers are safe drivers, but older adults with cognitive impairments and those above age 80 have a much higher risk for causing and/or being in a car accident, say psychologists who have been studying the determinants of auto safety in older drivers.

16-Aug-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Anti-Gay Aggression: Expressions of Hatred
American Psychological Association (APA)

One of the most widespread forms of bias crime among teenagers and young adults - violence against sexual minorities - is rarely motivated by genuine hatred, but is instead "an expression of cultural norms that are entrenched even among preadolescent children," says a forensic psychologist.

17-Aug-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Body Image: Major Concern for Girls as Young as 10 Years
American Psychological Association (APA)

New research suggests that girls as young as ten years old who are teased or socially victimized by peers relate such experiences to their own body image.

18-Aug-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Optimism, Pessimism and Depression
American Psychological Association (APA)

According to new research, older people are less vulnerable to depression the more pessimistic and realistic they are about life events.

15-Aug-1998 12:00 AM EDT
More Youths than Adults Gamble Pathologically
American Psychological Association (APA)

Between five and eight percent of young Americans and Canadians have a serious gambling problem (compared with one to three percent of adults). Research also shows that adolescents may become more addicted to gambling than they are to alcohol, smoking and drugs and sometimes gamble for reasons other than winning money.

15-Aug-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Prevalence of Youth Gambling
American Psychological Association (APA)

What is the Prevalence of Youth Gambling and How Addicting is it? News Briefing at the 106th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association in San Francisco: Saturday, August 15, 1998 at 10:00 AM

17-Aug-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Do Children with ADHD Need Medication?
American Psychological Association (APA)

Do Children with ADHD Need Medication to Control Their Behavior? News Briefing at the 106th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association in San Francisco: Monday August 17, 1998 at 9:00 AM

17-Aug-1998 12:00 AM EDT
TV News' Coverage of Violence and Children's Fear
American Psychological Association (APA)

Does Television News' Coverage of Violence Instill Fear in Children? News Briefing at the 106th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association in San Francisco: Monday August 17, 1998 at 10:30 AM

5-Oct-1998 12:00 AM EDT
Parent Skills and Children at Risk
American Psychological Association (APA)

Evidence shows that certain family characteristics can put children at risk for developing aggressive behavior problems. But, according to a study in the October issue of the American Psychological Association's Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, strengthening parenting skills early can be a good step toward preventing problem behaviors in children at risk.

10-Nov-1998 12:00 AM EST
Friendly Faces May Lead to Failure
American Psychological Association (APA)

Researchers at Wittenberg University and Case Western Reserve University reported in the November issue of the American Psychological Association's (APA) Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, on three studies to determine the effect of supportive audiences on skilled performance.

10-Nov-1998 12:00 AM EST
Aging May Heighten a Person's Well-Being
American Psychological Association (APA)

In a recent study appearing in the American Psychological Association's November issue of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology that as people get older, they become happier not sadder, psychologists from Fordham University and the University of Warsaw (Poland) report.

22-Nov-1998 12:00 AM EST
Psychotherapy and Anti-Depressants Equally Effective in Depression
American Psychological Association (APA)

Researchers comparing the effectiveness of treating major depression with either antidepressant medication or psychotherapy noted no difference in the success of the two treatment methods after an eight-month clinical investigation, they reported in the December issue of the American Psychological Association's Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology.

23-Nov-1998 12:00 AM EST
Meaning in Life May Lengthen Lives for HIV+ Gay Men
American Psychological Association (APA)

New research finds that HIV-positive gay men who find meaning from the death of a partner or close friend to AIDS may have improved immune functioning and live longer than HIV-positive gay men who are less successful in coping with this type of loss, according to UCLA researchers.

22-Nov-1998 12:00 AM EST
Smoking Does Not Keep Young Adults Thin
American Psychological Association (APA)

For people under 30, smoking does not prevent typical age-related weight gain, a University of Memphis study reported in the December issue of the American Psychological Association's (APA) Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology indicates that smoking has a negligible effect on body weight.

30-Nov-1998 12:00 AM EST
Television Violence Can Impair Memory
American Psychological Association (APA)

Violent television programming impedes the viewer's memory of the commercial messages run during the program, according to new research in the December issue of the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, published by the American Psychological Association.


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