Interviews
Psychologist’s training program may impact police reform
By Catherine Robertson Souter
Just over a year ago, the world paused in stunned horror when a video surfaced of the murder of George Floyd, suffocated while pinned under the knee of a Minneapolis police officer who has since been found guilty of murder. The country erupted in anti-police brutality protests and calls went out for systemic change within policing around the country.
For police departments, it has been a time of reckoning. No one wants to think that they are the “bad guys,” especially not those who have dedicated their lives to stepping up to defend the weak and rout out crime.…
Study: Young Puerto Ricans experience higher rates of depression on U.S. mainland than at home
By Eileen Weber
Puerto Ricans experience higher rates of depression and anxiety on the U.S. mainland than when at home. After nearly 20 years of research and about 2,000 people interviewed, the Boricua Youth Study discovered that fact.
The study compared kids ages five to 13 as they transitioned to early adulthood from 15 to 29 under similar conditions of income and exposure to violence in both Puerto Rico and the South Bronx, a region with one of the highest Puerto Rican populations on the U.S. mainland.
Research focused on four categories that influence mental health: environmental/social factors, cultural and minority stress, parent/peer relations, and family/individual vulnerability.…
Link between video games, violence again examined
By Catherine Robertson Souter
Following recent mass shooting tragedies that killed 31 people in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio, President Trump condemned the “glorification of violence in our society,” specifically “the gruesome and grisly video games that are now commonplace.” This claim of a link between the tragedies and the use of video games was repeated by other lawmakers, who claimed that the rise of video game use is directly linked to the rise in gun violence.
But is it true? Does playing violent video games cause violent behavior? Or, maybe more importantly, would removing these types of games from our culture curb the behavior?…
Political Psychology: A discipline of borrowers
By Phyllis Hanlon
Unlike other niche areas, political psychology eludes precise definition. Rather, the practice could probably best be described as a smorgasbord of disciplines that includes anthropology, psychology, sociology, economics, communications, and political science. And within the realm of political psychology, practitioners engage in a wide range of research projects, depending on their particular interests.
The terrorist attacks on 9/11 proved to be influential in steering Elizabeth Nugent, Ph.D, assistant professor in the department of political science at Yale University, into this career path as she became more aware of the political and psychological implications resulting from trauma.…
Violence and Video Games: Are They Linked?
By Eileen Weber
Contentious debate continues over whether video games and other forms of media promote violent behavior, particularly in the wake of the Parkland, Fla., school shooting. Games like “Resident Evil,” “Manhunt,” and “Mortal Kombat” top the list. But, is there a one-size-fits-all answer to the question?
“I don’t think you are going to find any media effects researchers willing to suggest that violent video games lead to school shootings,” said Kirstie Farrar, Ph.D, associate professor of communications at the University of Connecticut.
“However, most media effects researchers agree there is a small but significant relationship between violent media exposure and outcome aggression.”…