Applying Psychological Science, Benefiting Society
By Efua Andoh (APA Public Interest Directorate Communications Staff) The horrific shootings in Isla Vista, California on May 23 have given rise to a complex conversation on social media. The shooter’s disturbing YouTube videos and manifesto contained racist and misogynist rants revealing an attitude of male sexual entitlement and white male supremacy. Shockingly, after they came […]
By Gwendolyn Puryear Keita, PhD (Executive Director, Public Interest Directorate, American Psychological Association) The world is justifiably horrified at the abduction and trafficking of nearly 300 schoolgirls by the terrorist group Boko Haram in Chibok, Nigeria. It is critical that the world understand the psychological impact of this terrorist act on the girls and their […]
By Roberta Downing, PhD (Senior Legislative and Federal Affairs Officer, APA Public Interest Directorate – Government Relations Office) Have you ever wondered if you’re being discriminated against in your pay? Would you even know if you were? This week marks Equal Pay Day, which highlights how far into the next year that a woman would have […]
By Christin P. Bowman, MS, MA (Doctoral student in Critical Social-Personality Psychology at The Graduate Center, City University of New York) **Trigger warning. This blog is about sexual violence.** Let’s make something clear right from the start: Rape is caused by rape culture. Rape culture has many ingredients, and like any successful recipe, once you […]
By Kevin L. Nadal, PhD (Associate Professor of Psychology, John Jay College of Criminal Justice – City University of New York) When I was a little kid, I used to hear my brothers, cousins, and friends say things like “That’s so gay!” on a pretty regular basis. I would usually laugh along, hoping with all my might […]
By Roberta Downing, PhD (Senior Legislative and Federal Affairs Officer, APA Public Interest Directorate – Government Relations Office) There are millions of unemployed workers who cannot get hired in the current job market. Of the 10.4 million Americans who are currently unemployed, 3.9 million have been unemployed for more than 27 weeks.[i] These workers face the […]
Dr. Walker Karraa had the opportunity to interview Dr. Anne Becker (Harvard University) about a critical but often underexamined issue affecting global health – the burden of mental illness. During their rich and wide-ranging conversation, Drs. Karraa and Becker discussed: The economic and health consequences of leaving the global burden of mental illness unaddressed, The […]
By Carl Hart, PhD (Associate Professor of Psychology, Columbia University) A man holds up an egg and says, “This is your brain.” Then, he picks up a frying pan and says, “This is drugs.” Then, he cracks open the egg, fries the contents, and says, “This is your brain on drugs.” Finally, he asks, “Any questions?” […]
Sequestration is causing considerable suffering for many low-income families. By Roberta Downing, PhD (Senior Legislative and Federal Affairs Officer, APA Public Interest Directorate – Government Relations Office) How is your housing situation? Do you know where you’re going to sleep tonight? What about your meals? Do you know what you (and your children if you […]
By Carola Suárez-Orozco, PhD (Professor of Human Development and Psychology at UCLA, Chair of the APA Presidential Task Force on Immigration) What are the implications of growing up in the shadows of our society? Over a million young people in United States live in limbo status, without formal documentation. Many were brought here as young […]
Psychology Benefits Society 