Applying Psychological Science, Benefiting Society
By Lisa Bowleg, PhD (Professor of Applied Social Psychology, George Washington University) “What does unemployment have to do with HIV risk?” I might have naively asked that question when I began my career as an applied social psychologist and HIV prevention researcher 15 years ago. Because the individual is typically the unit of analysis in […]
By Susan P. Limber, PhD (Professor of Psychology, Clemson University) In recent years, adults have had a lot to say about bullying. Members of the press have produced thousands of news articles and reports about bullying. Legislators in 49 states have written and rewritten laws requiring school districts to develop policies about bullying. And researchers, […]
By Julie Williams, PsyD, CRC, ABPP (Member, APA Committee on Women in Psychology) If you’re a woman with a disability, you’re 40% more likely to be abused by your intimate partner than a woman without a disability according to research done in the past 10 years. Studies show that this abuse occurs at the hands […]
By Lacey Rosenbaum, M.Ed. (Director, APA’s Safe and Supportive Schools Project, Office of LGBT Concerns) You cannot escape the headlines: “Bullying may have motivated Nevada school shooter” or “Funeral held for Illinois teen who committed suicide after bullying” or “Two girls arrested on bullying charges after suicide.” What is going on? Do we have a bullying […]
By Melba J. T. Vasquez, PhD, ABPP (2011 Past-President of the American Psychological Association) Stop me if you’ve heard these statements before. “Immigrants take away jobs from American citizens.” “Immigrants come over to live off our social services.” “They refuse to learn English.” Not only are these statements oftentimes false, they create unnecessary confusion about and […]
By U.S. Representative Mike Honda (D-CA), Founder of Congressional Anti-Bullying Caucus In light of the recent government shutdown, it is understandable for the public to view Congress as dysfunctional and unable to compromise, but I want to share with you a bipartisan issue that we do agree on—stopping bullying. The bullying epidemic affects all Americans: […]
By Walker Karraa, PhD (www.walkerkarraa.com) (APA Division of Trauma Psychology, 2014 Program Co-Chair; Perinatal Mental Health Contributor, Science and Sensibility; American College of Nurse-Midwives) In 2010 a crowd gathered at the United States Capitol to celebrate the passage of the Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act—legislation dedicated to comprehensive federal research, education and voluntary support services for […]
APA is featuring the voice of an ally on National Coming Out Day, because allies have a powerful role to play in changing attitudes. People who are prejudiced can have their attitudes changed simply by knowing that people they know have friendships with LGBT people. This is the extended contact effect. In the following blog […]
By Judith M. Glassgold, PsyD (Assoc. Exec. Director, APA’s Public Interest Government Relations Office) “In every generation, action frees our dreams” (1994 Theme for National Women’s History Month). Hi, let me introduce myself. I am the new Associate Executive Director of Government Relations in APA’s Public Interest (PI) Directorate. I am also a long-time APA […]
By Perry N. Halkitis, PhD, MS, MPH Living out your golden years with HIV – once unimaginable – is becoming a reality for hundreds of thousands of Americans. The AIDS epidemic in the United States is vastly different from when we first encountered this disease in 1981. After hundreds of thousands of deaths, especially for […]
Psychology Benefits Society 