Autism spectrum disorder is one of the most common neurodevelopmental conditions diagnosed in children. Most autism research, intervention, and policy focus exclusively on this condition in childhood, but autism often persists across the life course. This narrative review leverages data from 115 participants first diagnosed with autism between ages 2 and 3 years and subsequently followed for 3 decades

A resilience-based approach in American Indian (AI) communities focuses on inherent sociocultural assets that may act as protective resilience buffers linked to mitigated mental health risks (e.g., deep-rooted spiritual, robust social support networks). Executive control functions are implicated as mechanisms for protective factors, but little evidence exists on the underlying neurocognitive mechanisms

Recent academic debate has seen the emergence of the claim that misinformation is not a significant societal problem. We argue that the arguments used to support this minimizing position are flawed, particularly if interpreted (e.g., by policymakers or the public) as suggesting that misinformation can be safely ignored. Here, we rebut the two main claims, namely that misinformation is not of substantive

The frontier of artificial intelligence (AI) is constantly moving, raising fears and concerns whenever AI is deployed in a new occupation. Some of these fears are legitimate and should be addressed by AI developers-but others may result from psychological barriers, suppressing the uptake of a beneficial technology. Here, we show that country-level variations across occupations can be predicted by a

While the impact of heat on physical health is well-known and discussed, researchers, clinicians, and individuals fail to recognize the severity of such heat on one's mental health. Unfortunately, as temperatures are expected to continue rising, the potential consequences of neither recognizing nor effectively responding to this relation between mental health and extreme heat can prove disastrous to

Recently, Dodge et al. (2024) published an article in American Psychologist offering recommendations to the mental health field for changing from an individual-level to a population-level focus. These recommendations included scaling up evidence-based programs, innovating and evaluating population-level interventions, and creating a primary system of care to promote mental health and well-being. For

Dodge et al. (2024) outlined the gap between population mental health needs and the current capacity of the U.S. health care system to provide necessary services. We add international examples and a global perspective to their observations. Unlike some nations, the mental health needs in the United States occur in the context of privatized, for-profit health care. Nations that offer population-based

Longitudinal randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have been commonly used in psychological studies to evaluate the effectiveness of treatment or intervention strategies. Outcomes in longitudinal RCTs may follow either straight-line or curvilinear change trajectories over time, and missing data are almost inevitable in such trials. The current study aims to investigate (a) whether the estimate of average

In psychology, we often want to know whether or not an effect exists. The traditional way of answering this question is to use frequentist statistics. However, a significance test against a null hypothesis of no effect cannot distinguish between two states of affairs: evidence of absence of an effect and the absence of evidence for or against an effect. Bayes factors can make this distinction; however

During an experimental session, participants adapt and change due to learning, fatigue, fluctuations in attention, or other physiological or environmental changes. This temporal variation affects measurement, potentially reducing statistical power. We introduce a restricted randomization algorithm, permuted-subblock randomization (PSR), that boosts power by balancing experimental conditions over the

This article walks through steps to conduct a meta-analysis of Monte Carlo simulation studies. The selected Monte Carlo simulation studies focused on mixture modeling, which is becoming increasingly popular in the social and behavioral sciences. We provide details for the following steps in a meta-analysis: (a) formulating a research question; (b) identifying the relevant literature; (c) screening

Experiments with fully crossed designs are often used in experimental psychology spanning several fields, from cognitive psychology to social cognition. These experiments consist in the presentation of stimuli representing super-ordinate categories, which have to be sorted into the correct category in two contrasting conditions. This tutorial presents a linear mixed-effects model approach for obtaining

Moderated nonlinear factor analysis (MNLFA) has emerged as an important and flexible data analysis tool, particularly in integrative data analysis setting and psychometric studies of measurement invariance and differential item functioning. Substantive applications abound in the literature and span a broad range of disciplines. MNLFA unifies item response theory, multiple group, and multiple indicator

In generalized linear models, the effect of a treatment or intervention is often expressed as a ratio (e.g., risk ratio and odds ratio). There is discussion about when ratio effect measures can be interpreted in a causal way. For example, ratio effect measures suffer from noncollapsibility, that is, even in randomized experiments, the average over individual ratio effects is not identical to the (unconditional)

It is unappreciated that there are four different approaches to power analysis for detecting misspecification by testing overall fit of structural equation models (SEMs) and, moreover, that common approaches can yield radically diverging results for SEMs with many items (high p). Here we newly relate these four approaches. Analytical power analysis methods using theoretical null and theoretical alternative

Nonlinguistic external representations, such as diagrams, animations, or puppet shows, involve local relations between a perceptually available object (a symbol) and an entity that is relevant in the current communicative context (a discourse referent). By analyzing the empirical evidence on early pretend play, I argue that object substitution pretense can be fully accounted for if it is conceived

Considerable recent research in neurosciences has dealt with the topic of consciousness, even though there is still disagreement about how to identify and classify conscious states. Recent behavioral work on the topic also exists. We survey recent behavioral and neuroscientific literature with the aims of commenting on strengths and weaknesses of the literature and mapping new directions and recommendations

Object individuation studies have been a valuable tool in understanding the development of kind concepts. In this article, we review evidence from object individuation paradigms to argue that by their first birthday, infants represent at least three superordinate-level sortal kinds: OBJECT, ANIMATE, and AGENT (possibly also ARTIFACT). These superordinate sortal-kind concepts share key characteristics

Group creative ideation, the capacity of group to produce novel and useful ideas, is essential for navigating challenges and embracing opportunities. Despite its significance, research to decode its neurocognitive underpinnings utilizing interpersonal neuroscience paradigm has just commenced, linking group creative ideation to interpersonal neural coupling. In this perspective, we propose an interpersonal

Although the importance of unsupervised learning has been recognized since William James's "blooming, buzzing confusion," it has received less attention in the literature than supervised learning. An important form of unsupervised learning is clustering, which involves determining the groups of distinct objects that belong together. Visual clustering is foundational for ensemble perception, numerosity

A review of Pavlovian conditioning in animals and humans reveals a critical role for expectancy in the learning of an association between a conditioned stimulus (CS) and an unconditioned stimulus (US), as well as in the expression of this association in a conditioned response (CR). The automatic and involuntary nature of CRs has traditionally been explained in terms of the formation of excitatory or

When it comes to body movements in external space, people are experts in learning fine-grained voluntary control, for example, when manipulating tiny objects. Voluntarily controlling actions in the internal body (e.g., decreasing heart rate), however, is far more difficult and requires dedicated training, for example, in meditation or yoga. Not much is currently known about the learning mechanism underlying

Psychological measures frequently show trait-like properties, and the ontological status of stable psychological traits has been discussed for decades. We argue that these properties can emerge from causal dynamics of time-varying processes, which are omitted from the analysis model, potentially leading to the estimation of traits that are, at least in part, illusory. Theories positing the importance

The speed-accuracy trade-off (SAT) is the tendency for fast decisions to come at the expense of accurate performance. Evidence accumulation models such as the drift diffusion model can reproduce a variety of behavioral data related to the SAT, and their parameters have been linked to neural activities in the brain. However, our understanding of how biological neural networks realize the associated

Covert identity signals permit the communication of group membership to ingroup members while avoiding potentially costly detection by members of other groups. If individuals are incentivized to detect others' group memberships, however, covert signals may not remain covert for very long. We propose a theoretical extension to the literature on covert signaling in which conventionalized identity signals

Humans evolved to solve adaptive problems with kin and nonkin across fitness-relevant domains, including childcare and resource sharing, among others. Therefore, there is a great diversity in the types of interdependences humans experience across activities, relationships, and ecologies. To identify human psychological adaptations for cooperation, we argue that researchers must accurately characterize

Situating phenomenological reflections on nostalgia within a historical context, I argue that Kant's temporalization of nostalgia remains incomplete. Bringing into question the widespread assumption that the object of nostalgia must be the past, I argue that nostalgia can be spoken of in three fundamental ways: as nostalgia for the past, for the present, and for the future. I further clarify the relation

We propose a cognitive and neurobiological model by which curiosity regulates affective memory, by positively biasing memory encoding through the promotion of emotion regulation. We begin with a brief overview of curiosity's observed emotional effects. Then we introduce three prominent models of affective memory encoding to suggest that the dopaminergic modulation of encoding associated with curiosity

The MINDSPACE framework has made it easier to incorporate insights from behavioral science into policy, including health policy, but lacks granularity. Difficult policy problems such as adherence to psychiatric medication can benefit from judicious selection of nudges. We present a MINDSPACE Expanded Framework including 34 insights from behavioral science in the 9 MINDSPACE principles to support a

Chronic pain can be highly distressing, disabling and complex. The experience of living with chronic pain often leads to a fundamental struggle with one's sense of self and identity. In this article, we briefly review the wide range of conceptualisations of self in pain research. We then introduce a contextual behavioural conceptualisation of self, a more recent approach to self, and discuss its application

Rising to higher hierarchical positions is a struggle for those who do not fit the stereotypical leadership mold. Implicit Leadership Theories (ILTs) associate leadership with dominant groups (e.g., white, male), which limits opportunities of non-prototypical individuals (e.g., women, ethnic minorities) to claim or be granted leadership roles. We first review evidence of the barriers members of non-prototypical

We raise issues about the philosophical claims made in this article regarding the nature of nostalgia. Drawing on psychological research, we contend that nostalgia is rooted in memory rather than time, is directed toward specific objects rather than being object-free, is predominantly positive rather than a form of mourning, and is focused on the past rather than the present or future.

This paper discusses (i) the usefulness and (ii) the clarity of the concept of arousal. In discussing its usefulness, I argue that we can explain some key “arousal effects” without relying on the concept of arousal. To do so, I consider the role of the appraisal of affective relevance as a process mainly subserved by the amygdala and explaining emotional effects on attention, memory, and learning.

People with schizophrenia suffer from hallucinations and delusions as well as from significant cognitive impairments. Working memory is a critical resource for many complex cognitive operations and is a critical area of impairment in schizophrenia. Here we present our hyperfocusing hypothesis, which suggests that an overly narrow and intense focusing of attention may underlie the working memory deficits

A growing body of research documents the positive impact that action video game play has on a range of cognitive skills. Such a result, in which training on one task promotes a broad variety of benefits, is a rarity in the cognitive training domain. Instead, the more typical result is that training on one task promotes benefits on that task alone with only limited transfer to untrained tasks. We have

The idea of arousal as a non-specific state of activation has been implicated as an explanatory factor for many aspects of human behavior, ranging from emotional experiences to learning and memory. Critiques of this concept have highlighted that arousal is ambiguous and evidence for its role in emotion is mixed. However, contemporary emotion theories and empirical research continue to incorporate the

Given its clinical significance, horror should occupy a prominent place within emotion theory. However, conceptualizations of horror within psychological science are relatively underdeveloped and conceptually confused. Through conceptual analysis of the disparate literature on the emotion, we seek to establish horror as a qualitatively distinct mode of engagement with the world and to remedy its o

The prevention of depressive disorders may be an important way to reduce the disease burden. All three types of prevention (universal, selective, and indicated) have potential but also have important limitations. Increasing evidence suggests that universal prevention, aimed at a population, may have no impact on the incidence of depression. Selective prevention, aimed at high-risk groups, is probably

The heterogeneity of chronic pain and stagnating improvements in treatment effectiveness have prompted calls for a shift toward personalized and process-based approaches to the assessment and treatment of chronic pain. As this opens a new line of research, several fundamental questions arise. We begin by defining key terms and reviewing attempts to personalize treatment to date. Despite progress in

This meta-analysis studied the development of ability stereotypes that could limit girls' and women's participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, as well as contribute to boys' underachievement in reading and writing. We integrated findings from 98 studies measuring children's gender stereotypes about STEM and verbal abilities. The data comprised 145,204 children

This first-of-its-kind meta-analysis (N = 79 studies; 56,552 students; k = 640 effects) provides a comprehensive assessment of five cultural diversity climate approaches that capture different ways of addressing cultural diversity in K-12 schools. We examined how intergroup contact theory's optimal contact conditions, multiculturalism climate, colorblind climate, critical consciousness climate, and

In our review, we explore two different flavors of social norms: strength and stability. These two fundamental features are crucial for understanding norm change and designing effective interventions. Strong norms, which significantly influence behavior and are widely adopted, and stable norms, which endure over time, are essential for group coordination and addressing collective challenges. Using

Anti-blackness remains endemic to the U.S. social order. As such, scholars have used theories of anti-blackness to contextualize the harm and violence that many Black youth experience in school settings. In the current article, we discuss the psychological framework of radical healing for communities of color and the Community Healing and Resistance Through Storytelling framework to highlight how schools

Traditional psychological models characterize self-control as an inherently effortful process, relying on deliberate and cognitively demanding strategies to resist impulsive temptations. Drawing on behavioral economics literature, we investigate opportunity cost salience as an effective intervention to enhance self-control with minimal effort. Specifically, we demonstrate that opportunity cost salience

Psychological treatments tend to be created based on group averaged results of how variables relate to each other. This means that treatments may not be applicable to individual people where variables may relate to each other in other ways than seen in the group models. While the personalization of psychological treatments is on the rise, such attempts need to be accompanied by idiographic research

Most scientific disciplines use significance testing to draw conclusions about experimental or observational data. This classical approach provides a theoretical guarantee for controlling the number of false positives across a set of hypothesis tests, making it an appealing framework for scientists seeking to limit the number of false effects or associations that they claim to observe. Unfortunately

Recent years have seen a surge in research on why people fall for misinformation and what can be done about it. Drawing on a framework that conceptualizes truth judgments of true and false information as a signal-detection problem, the current article identifies three inaccurate assumptions in the public and scientific discourse about misinformation: (1) People are bad at discerning true from false

Transformer models of language represent a step change in our ability to account for cognitive phenomena. Although the specific architecture that has garnered recent interest is quite young, many of its components have antecedents in the cognitive science literature. In this article, we start by providing an introduction to large language models aimed at a general psychological audience. We then highlight

An emerging literature on “the psychology of poverty” suggests that the experience of poverty itself has psychological consequences, some of which may make escaping poverty more difficult. We synthesize the evidence base from both psychology and economics using an organizing framework comprising four sets of mechanisms: cognitive function, mental health, beliefs, and preferences. We discuss the strength

Intersectionality has emerged as an important theoretical concept for examining overlapping social hierarchies and has garnered varying interpretations and applications in scholarly discourse. To help organize varied definitions of intersectionality that are commonly used in the social sciences, we propose a typology that distinguishes between primary, pragmatic, and pluralistic intersectionality.

The theme of limited resources pervades the mental health landscape. Practitioners often lack adequate resources to provide interventions for all who could benefit from them, and potential beneficiaries often lack adequate cognitive, financial, and temporal resources to make use of them. Even under rare conditions of bounty, many intensive interventions show small, fleeting effects. Such a landscape

The prevalence of diversity initiatives in organizations has prompted significant debate regarding whether they are necessary and effective. This paper provides a synthesis of classic and contemporary work on the effectiveness of diversity initiatives. We define diversity initiatives as practices used by organizations to improve the experiences and outcomes of marginalized social groups, and briefly

Research on judgment and decision making typically studies "small worlds"-highly simplified and stylized tasks such as monetary gambles-among homogenous populations rather than big real-life decisions made by people around the globe. These transformative life decisions (e.g., whether or not to emigrate or flee a country, disclose one's sexual orientation, get divorced, or report a sexual assault) can

Simulation studies are widely used for evaluating the performance of statistical methods in psychology. However, the quality of simulation studies can vary widely in terms of their design, execution, and reporting. In order to assess the quality of typical simulation studies in psychology, we reviewed 321 articles published in Psychological Methods, Behavior Research Methods, and Multivariate Behavioral

Depression is vastly heterogeneous in its symptoms, neuroimaging data, and treatment responses. As such, describing how it develops at the network level has been notoriously difficult. In an attempt to overcome this issue, a theoretical "negative prediction mechanism" is proposed. Here, eight key brain regions are connected in a transient, state-dependent, core network of pathological communication

Mental health treatments currently available to address racial discrimination for 21 million youth of color are inadequate. Given the nascent but promising mechanisms found within behavioral health interventions via racial socialization, or the process through which children acquire knowledge about race, developing effective and scalable therapeutic strategies to contend with the stress from racism

This review delves into the nuanced boundary conditions of social norms in fostering behavior change within the realm of climate action. Current research is examined within a “Sender - Message - Receiver (SMeR)" framework, which investigates factors such as group identification and group size that influence the effectiveness of social norms. Furthermore, it explores how cultural context, personal norms