Monitor on Psychology - February 2012 - (Page 17)

brief In n The antidepressant mirtazapine may help reduce methamphetamine use among gay men, according to research led by scientists at the University of California, San Francisco. In the study, half of the trial’s 56 participants received a daily dose of mirtazapine; the other half, a placebo. After 12 weeks of treatment, men assigned to the mirtazapine group had 19 percent fewer methamphetamine-positive urine test results than the men assigned to the placebo group. Risky sexual behaviors also decreased among the mirtazapine group over the course of the trial (Archives of General Psychiatry, November). n Babies as young as 8 months old prefer it when antisocial people are mistreated, according to a study led by a University of British Columbia psychologist. Researchers presented four scenarios to 100 babies using animal hand puppets. After watching puppets act negatively or positively toward other characters, the babies were shown puppets either giving or taking toys from these “good” or “bad” puppets. When prompted to choose their favorite characters, babies preferred puppets that mistreated the bad characters (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Nov. 28). n Nice guys make less money, according to a study led by a business professor at the University of Notre Dame. Researchers collected data from n Early weight gain may predict whether or not a child will Children who became obese later on tended to have high and become obese, rising BMIs before age 4, a study found. according to a study conducted overweight or smoked during pregnancy at the University of Montreal. Scientists were significantly more likely to be in analyzed the body mass indexes the high-rising group. By the time these (BMI) of 1,957 children whose height children moved into middle childhood, and weight measurements had been more than 50 percent of them were taken yearly, from age 5 months to 8 obese (Archives of Pediatric and years, and identified three trajectory Adolescent Medicine, October). groups: children with low but stable BMI, children with moderate BMI — A. NoVoTNEy and children whose BMI was elevated and rising. The children who went on For direct links to these to become obese tended to be those articles, click on the journal who had high and rising BMI before names. age 4. Researchers also found that those children whose mothers were 17 F e b ru a ry 2 0 1 2 • M o n i t o r o n p s y c h o l o g y BananaStock video depicting a person’s behavior (European Journal of Personality, Oct. 12). 10,000 workers from around the nation and found that men who perceive themselves as being less agreeable earn an average of 18 percent more than their more agreeable co-workers. A woman’s level of agreeableness has little to no effect on her pay (Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Nov 28). http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/per.848/abstract http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/per.848/abstract http://archpsyc.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/68/11/1168 http://archpsyc.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/68/11/1168 http://www.pnas.org/content/108/50/19931 http://www.pnas.org/content/108/50/19931

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Monitor on Psychology - February 2012

Monitor on Psychology - February 2012
Letters
President’s column
Contents
From the CEO
APA files two briefs in support of same-sex couples
New registry seeks to understand addiction recovery through ‘crowdsourcing’
APA launches a database of tests and measures
Watch for new member benefit: “APA Access”
Apply now for APA’s Advanced Training Institutes
PsycTHERAPY, APA’s new database, brings therapy demos to life
In Brief
APA scientists help guide tobacco regulation
A-mazing research
‘A machine for jumping to conclusions’
Judicial Notebook
Random Sample
Righting the imbalance
The beginnings of mental illness
Science Directions
Improving disorder classification, worldwide
Protesting proposed changes to the DSM
Interventions for at-risk students
Harnessing the wisdom of the ages
Anti-bullying efforts ramp up
Hostile hallways
R U friends 4 real?
Support for teachers
Speaking of Education
Record keeping for practitioners
Going green
At the intersection of law and psychology
Division Spotlight
Grants help solve society’s problems
Personalities

Monitor on Psychology - February 2012