PSYCHOLOGY UPDATE — 3 Articles Regarding the APA Final Report on Torture

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3 Articles Regarding the APA Final Report on Torture

Article #1  Report of the Independent Reviewer regarding APA and allegation of collaboration with CIA in Torture, APA and Ethics Codes

DESCRIPTION

James Risen, of the New York Times, April 30, 2015, reported that “The American Psychological Association secretly collaborated with the administration of President George W. Bush to bolster a legal and ethical justification for the torture of prisoners swept up in the post-Sept. 11 war on terror, according to a new report by a group of dissident health professionals and human rights activists.”  The information in the article is based upon a report that investigated numerous communication documents and concludes that the APA was complicit in the CIA torture program.  In the third listed article, the APA’s response to the April 30th allegations points out  that it has denied any allegations in such involvement but with the documented report and Risen’s book, it has since appointed an independent investigator due to the seriousness of the allegations.  The report was published on July 2, 2015 and is referenced below.

Report of the Independent Reviewer and Related Materials

“The APA Board of Directors engaged attorney David Hoffman of the law firm Sidley Austin in November 2014 to conduct an independent review of whether there was any factual support for the assertion that APA engaged in activity that would constitute collusion with the Bush administration to promote, support or facilitate the use of “enhanced” interrogation techniques by the United States in the war on terror.“

SOURCE

American Psychological Association. July 2, 2015

LINK TO RESOURCE

http://www.apa.org/independent-review/APA-FINAL-Report-7.2.15.pdf

 

Article #2  Press Release and Recommended Actions: Independent Review Cites Collusion Among APA Individuals and Defense Department Officials in Policy on Interrogation Techniques*

APA Apologizes for “Deeply Disturbing” Findings and Organizational Failures; Announces Initial Policy and Procedural Actions to Correct Shortcomings

DESCRIPTION

In response to the Hoffman report, the Board initiated several actions and made additional recommendations to the APA’s governing Council of Representatives.   The list is quite extensive.   Article #3 discusses the final outcome of the Board vote.

SOURCE

American Psychological Association, July 10, 2015

LINK TO RESOURCE

http://apa.org/news/press/releases/2015/07/independent-review-release.aspx

 

Article #3   Recommended Board Actions Related to the Report of the Independent Review Relating to APA Ethics Guidelines, National Security Interrogations and Torture

DESCRIPTION

An extensive number of recommendations was made and passed regarding the problems with the ethics rules on “torture issues” as well as oversight (checks and balances) to avoid problems in the future.   Rather than a simple summary, read the enumerated resolutions in the APA summary document.   These can be easily understood by professionals as well as students and can be discussed in the context of the findings.

SOURCE

American Psychological Association, July 29, 2015

LINK TO RESOURCE

http://apa.org/independent-review/recommended-actions.aspx

CLASS DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

••Discuss, in general, why a professional organization has an ethics code.  The code can be found at:   http://apa.org/ethics/code/index.aspx
•Discuss how the ethics code forbids harm to others.
“3.04 Avoiding Harm
Psychologists take reasonable steps to avoid harming their clients/patients, students, supervisees, research participants, organizational clients and others with whom they work, and to minimize harm where it is foreseeable and unavoidable.”
•Discuss the role of career psychologists in government agencies such as DOD and CIA.  Discuss conflict between work expectations and ethical codes of conduct.
“3.06 Conflict of Interest
Psychologists refrain from taking on a professional role when personal, scientific, professional, legal, financial or other interests or relationships could reasonably be expected to (1) impair their objectivity, competence or effectiveness in performing their functions as psychologists or (2) expose the person or organization with whom the professional relationship exists to harm or exploitation.”
•Discuss the findings that Psychologists did in fact engage in intensive extensive extreme interrogation techniques and how this is a violation of long standing policies.
•Discussion the findings that the APA Executive Committee did in fact rewrite the ethics principles which would permit collusion with the Bush administration.
•Finally discuss findings that these interrogation techniques do not actually yield useful information.

 

APP OF THE WEEK — Psychology Spotlight

Posted by & filed under Psychology App of the Week.

 

 

Screen Shot 2015-02-06 at 10.40.42 AMPsychology Spotlight by Wiley Publishing
(free for iOS: iPad and iPhone)

“The app shines a powerful spotlight on psychology, enabling you to read all the latest news and developments in your field instantly. Whether you want to keep track of broad trends across the discipline or focus in on a subfield. Psychology Spotlight is an essential tool for your research and teaching.”

 

WEB SITE OF THE WEEK: WILEY PLUS

Posted by & filed under Psychology Website of the Week.

WEB SITE OF THE WEEK

 Each week, the Psychology Update will highlight a website that is worth exploring by either the professor and/or student. The sites listed will be rich in content to supplement teaching and increase student engagement. 

WILEY PLUS

https://www.wileyplus.com/WileyCDA/Section/Real-World-Psychology.id-819557.html

WileyPLUS course:

Real World Psychology by Karen Huffman, Catherine A. Sanderson

With a combined total of 49 years teaching introductory psychology, authors Karen Huffman and Catherine A. Sanderson provide the latest up-to-date coverage and real world applications to core concepts in the teaching of psychology. Designed for introductory psychology courses, Real World Psychology is above all a brief book that works within the time constraints of today’s instructors and students. This first edition text allows readers to grasp the “big picture” in psychology without an abundance of supplementary details. Huffman and Sanderson tie each key concept to real-world, in-text examples that offer an incomparable window into not only ourselves, but also into the world and the people who sustain uWileyPLUS is an interactive online teaching and learning environment allowing students to achieve mastery in a rich structured environment that’s available 24/7.

WileyPLUS empowers students to take advantage of their individual strengths and study skills, students can;

  • Integrate multi-media resources to provide multiple study-paths so students can customize to fit their learning style.
  • View tutorials & simulations, watch video clips relating to specific topics and concepts, practice thinking critically, and more.
  • Access the complete digital version of the textbook

WileyPLUS empowers instructors with the tools and resources needed to make teaching even more effective, instructors can:

  • Personalize and manage assignments, track grading, and more
  • Assign quiz questions to ensure students are reading materials either before or after class
  • Assign videos and simulations to reinforce students understanding of psychology concepts and theories

Ask your Wiley rep to provide you with information so that you can log in and explore the web site.

WELCOME TO WILEY UPDATE (August thru December 2015)

Posted by & filed under Psychology Update, Uncategorized.

Welcome to  Introductory Psychology Weekly Updates

Every Monday through December, you will find wonderful resources to enhance your teaching and to engage your students in discussions.   With each “published” edition, you will discover two or three interesting provocative articles to use as “triggers” to discuss important issues that relate to your teaching content, subject matter, and/or important issues.  The choice of the articles is such that students can find these on popular sites such as the New York Times, Time Magazine, Huffington Post, and read them without the pressure of going to the library or poring through their textbook.  The popular media choices are easy to find without the need for subscription services; these are often articles that you might have read and brought up in your class.   Further, the update will include a few questions that can be used to get a discussion started.

In addition to a listing of the articles, you will also be presented with a few websites for use in your teaching.  The websites can be useful informative resources for both your teaching preparation and for  student use.  Lastly, every week, you will find either an App Of The Week listing, occasionally YouTube video, or a Podcast that will both enhance your teaching and presentations.   If you have any suggestions please contact me.

Thank you,

David Berg
[email protected]

 

 

Psychology Update — 3 Articles on Positive Applications of Mindfulness and Meditation

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3 Articles on Positive Applications of Mindfulness and Meditation

Article #1       Harvard neuroscientist: Meditation not only reduces stress, here’s how it changes your brain – The Washington Post

SOURCE

Washington Post, May 26, 2015, by Brigid Schulte

LINK TO RESOURCE

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/inspired-life/wp/2015/05/26/harvard-neuroscientist-meditation-not-only-reduces-stress-it-literally-changes-your-brain/

(shortened URL)   http://tinyurl.com/mepz6ds

Article #2   Mindfulness Training Improves Resilience Of Active-Duty Soldiers

SOURCE

The Huffington Post, February 18, 2015,  by Carolyn Gregoire

LINK TO RESOURCE

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/18/mindfulness-military-_n_6704804.html?ncid=newsltushpmg00000003

(shortened URL)   http://tinyurl.com/n9jxeja

Article #3   Meditation for a Good Night’s Sleep – NYTimes.com

SOURCE

New York Times, February 23, 2015, by Anahad O’Connor

LINK TO RESOURCE

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/02/23/meditation-for-a-good-nights-sleep/?em_pos=small&emc=edit_hh_20150224&nl=subscription-3&nlid=38200791&ref=headline

(shortened URL)   http://tinyurl.com/of4j46m

DESCRIPTION

The Penn Medicine site for Mindful Meditation (see Website of the Week 06/15/2015) describes the process as “Mindfulness techniques cultivate steadiness, health and wholeness even during the most difficult moments. With training, you can learn to connect with your inner resources in a simple and satisfying way.”  Three articles on Mindful Meditation research empirically quantify the benefits of the process as well as what goes on the the brain.  The first article discusses the regions of the brain involved in meditation and points out that their are actual physiological changes that result from the technique.  The second article discusses a study wherein soldiers are taught the technique during training as a means of coping with the stressors of training and subsequent deployment.  The last article discusses the research using meditation as a technique for better sleep efficiency.  The articles can be read as how empirically based research investigates claims of meditation techniques as well as areas of application.  Further, the information regarding the technique can be integrated into discussions of “states of consciousness” found in most introductory Psychology textbooks.

CLASS DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

The first two questions are for use with related chapters in Intro Psychology textbooks.
•What is the meaning of “states of consciousness?”
•What methodology is used to empirically study “states of consciousness?”
•What is Mindful Meditation?
•How does alter physiology and the brain? (Article #1)
•What are the applications? (Articles #2 and #3)
•Discuss how Psychology can use methodology to investigate empirically a variety of techniques that make claims of their effectiveness but are often found to be hoaxes, useless, and generally fraudulent.

Psychology Update — This Scientific Test Will Tell You How Addicted You Are To Your Smartphone

Posted by & filed under Psychology Update.

This Scientific Test Will Tell You How Addicted You Are To Your Smartphone

DESCRIPTION

Do your students have smartphone addiction? NOMOPHOBIA  means no mobile phone phobia.  “It refers to fear of not being able to use a smartphone … [and] it refers to the fear of not being able to communicate, losing the connectedness that smartphones allow, not being able to access information through smartphones, and giving up the convenience that smartphones provide.”  The Huffington Post reports a study and provides the actual questionnaire from an actual scientific study (see below).   The questionnaire can be administered very easily and then discussed in class.  I suggest that it be used with an app such as Poll Everywhere so that the results can be viewed on line in class.  The topic opens up to a discussion of addiction, phobia, and anxiety disorders.

SOURCE

The Huffington Post, Posted: 05/18/2015,  By Carolyn Gregoire

LINK TO RESOURCE

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/05/18/nomophobia-smartphone-sep_n_7266468.html?ir=Science?ncid=newsltushpmg00000003

(shortened URL)   http://tinyurl.com/mkwcgfp

Original Study:

iPhone separation linked to physiological anxiety, poor cognitive performance

Russell B. Clayton, Glenn Leshner, Anthony Almond (2015),  The Extended iSelf: The Impact of iPhone Separation on Cognition, Emotion, and Physiology. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 2015; DOI: 10.1111/jcc4.12109

CLASS DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

•What is a phobia?  What are the symptoms?
•Do individuals with “nomophobia” experience the same symptoms as those diagnosed as an actual disorder?
•What causes this condition?
•Can this actually be considered an addiction?  That is, for those who cannot put down their phones or who appear to have separation symptoms, does this condition affect them like withdrawal?
•Brainstorm:  how would an individual overcome nomophobia?
•This survey method also opens up questions regarding methodology and research in Psychology.  This can also be a focus of discussion.

APP OF THE WEEK — POCKET

Posted by & filed under Psychology App of the Week, Psychology Update.

APP OF THE WEEK

POCKET

POCKET

iOS  &   Android    (free — click on your platform)

DESCRIPTION

From Google Play Store and iTunes Store

Read more. Watch more. Never be bored again.

Pocket helps you find and save the best articles, videos, tweets, and links the Internet has to offer, so you can view them when you actually have the time.

You can even read saved articles offline, making Pocket the perfect companion for reading on commutes, flights or simply kicking back on your couch.

HOW TO USE THIS APP

POCKET is a popular app for those of us who find interesting articles to read on our tablets but having little time to read when we find them.  So POCKET will permit you to save the article and read it at a later time even when you cannot be online.  This is great for traveling in that you can store your articles and read at your leisure on trains, planes, hotels, vacations, and so on when you do not have wifi access.  It’s a very popular app.

Psychology Update — Habitual Gamblers See Patterns Where There Are None, Study Says

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Habitual Gamblers See Patterns Where There Are None, Study Says

DESCRIPTION

Are habitual gamblers different from occasional recreational gamblers?  Yes, is the answer according to research done in the field.  “Our results suggest that gamblers are more willing to bet impulsively on perceived illusory patterns,” stated co-lead author Wolfgang Gaissmaier in a press release.”  Gamblers see patterns in random events according to the researchers, and this phenomenon can be considered a cognitive distortion that leads to dysfunctional behavior (pathological gambling).  Do all of us do this to some extent?  Of course we often believe that sports teams are on a winning or losing streak or that the results of some recurring events show a pattern.

SOURCE

Time Magazine, April 30, 2015 by Kevin McSpadden

LINK TO RESOURCE

http://time.com/3841369/gamblers-gambling-addiction-gaming-patterns/

(shortened url)   http://tinyurl.com/kf38up9

ORIGINAL STUDY

Wolfgang Gaissmaier, Andreas Wilke, Benjamin Scheibehenne, Paige McCanney, H. Clark Barrett. (2015)  Betting on Illusory Patterns: Probability Matching in Habitual Gamblers. Journal of Gambling Studies, 2015; DOI: 10.1007/s10899-015-9539-9

CLASS DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
•Ask the students if they have ever gambled at casinos, sports pools (football and NCAA), horse races, and so on.   Have they ever gotten caught up in believing that there is a pattern to the wins and/or losses?  Have they ever gotten into trouble because of this?
•Discuss gambler’s fallacies such as events that must change after a series of wins or losses.  For example, gamblers are known to double down after each loss believing that their luck will change after a series of losses and will then hit the big payoff.
•Ask the students what they would predict as the next coin toss if 5 tails in a row were thrown.  Would they predict heads?
•As a professor, have you ever believed that some students look for patterns in a multiple choice test to predict the answer for a particular question.
•Cite the symptoms of the DSM 5 for gambling disorder.  Ask the students if they know someone who fits the pattern.  Is gambling an addiction?
•Discuss therapies for gambling disorder.

WEBSITE OF THE WEEK — academiPad

Posted by & filed under Psychology Website of the Week.

WEBSITE OF THE WEEK —  academiPad

TITLE

academiPad

URL

http://www.joachim-scholz.com/academipad/

DESCRIPTION

This site has a wealth of information for the academic professor.  Tips, hints, reviews of apps.   It is also extremely helpful for students who use an iPad for academic purposes.

NOTE:

There are many categories on the site.  If you like surfing and reading about how technology, apps, and the iPad are used in academics, then you will like this site.

 

Psychology Update — 3 ARTICLES ON KEEPING THE AGING BRAIN HEALTHY

Posted by & filed under Psychology Update.

3 ARTICLES ON KEEPING THE AGING BRAIN HEALTHY

ARTICLE #1  The Changing Brain in Healthy Aging
SOURCE

National Institute on Aging

LINK TO RESOURCE

http://www.nia.nih.gov/alzheimers/publication/part-1-basics-healthy-brain/changing-brain-healthy-aging

(shortened URL)   http://tinyurl.com/koeyalx

ARTICLE #2   As We Age, Keys to Remembering Where the Keys Are

SOURCE

New York Times, May 4, 2015, by Jane Brody

LINK TO RESOURCE

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/05/04/as-we-age-keys-to-remembering-where-the-keys-are/?emc=edit_hh_20150505&nl=health&nlid=38200791&_r=0

(shortened URL)   http://tinyurl.com/ov2jrta

ARTICLE #3   For an Aging Brain, Looking for Ways to Keep Memory Sharp

SOURCE

New York Times, May 11, 2015, by Jane Brody

LINK TO RESOURCE

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/05/11/for-agings-effects-more-solutions-than-proof-of-success/?emc=edit_hh_20150512&nl=health&nlid=38200791&_r=0

(shortened URL)   http://tinyurl.com/puso99h

DESCRIPTION

The three articles look at how the “healthy” brain and changes through the aging process.  The first of the articles from the National Institute on Again (also see Website of the Week) details both the physical and cognitive (mental) changes that occur over time; this article should be read first.  The next two articles by Jane Brody in the New York Times examines everyday situations and how the brain changes affect daily living especially memory retrieval.  Further, the articles highlight some recent studies on cognitive decline prevention and some strategies on improving memory function.

CLASS DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

•What are the normal physical changes that occur in the brain due to aging?
•What are the cognitive (mental) changes that occur due to aging?
•How, in particular, does memory show decline in healthy aging?
•What strategies are suggested for prevention of the decline?
•Though not mentioned as such in the articles, discuss the concepts of fluid and crystallized intelligence.