Monitor on Psychology - February 2012 - (Page 52)

and librarians by helping students read, recommending books, and providing one-on-one encouragement to children who’ve struggled with their lessons. Those executive abilities — planning, abstract thinking and filtering relevant sensory information — are also crucial for driving, shopping, cooking and other activities necessary for independent living, and so strengthening those abilities can help seniors stay independent longer. Carlson says the intellectual and social engagement, and the physical activity, which volunteering in schools requires, might have that effect, but it’s difficult to prove causation. After all, seniors who retain their cognitive faculties longer might volunteer more often — Quantifying cognition and might fare equally well if they didn’t. Michelle Carlson, PhD, an associate professor of psychology at To demonstrate causality, Carlson and her colleagues Johns Hopkins, says her preliminary findings suggest that the analyzed functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) cognitive capabilities of elderly volunteers in the Experience data for signs of improvement or at least maintenance in the Corps improve. Small teams of Experience Corps volunteers prefrontal brain region that supports executive function, in cooperate with teachers to help children who struggle with Experience Corps volunteers and in elderly people not involved reading and learning. Beyond aiding kids with their studies, the in the program. In two pilot studies published in 2008 and 2009 volunteers provide the individual encouragement often lacking in The Gerontologist and the Journal of Gerontology, the team in crowded classrooms. reported gains in executive function, according to cognitive tests “Every child has different needs, so that means the and increased activity in the prefrontal regions of volunteers volunteers must solve problems, multitask and exercise their compared with controls. She and her colleagues have increased executive abilities on a broad level,” says Carlson. After 32 the number of participants to 702 in a trial that began in 2005. hours of training, participants volunteer for at least 15 hours If participants who have been active in the program for two per week within schools, where they assist classroom teachers years show cognitive benefits or cognitive stability that accrues beyond one year of exposure or less, Carlson and colleagues can check off a critical element in proving causality — a dose-dependent effect. “Even if the program simply The Adolescent Self-Regulation maintains brain function over two years, Brain, Cognition, Brain that implies we can delay an individual’s and Development Learning, Reasoning, progression to dementia, and that Andrea Berger and Decision Making 2011. 225 pages. Hardcover. has huge personal and public health Edited by Valerie F. Reyna, ISBN 978-1-4338-0971-2 • Item # 4318092 implications,” says Carlson. Sandra B. Chapman, Michael R. List: $79.95 • APA Member/Affiliate: $49.95 Dougherty, and Jere Confrey Importantly, the Experience Corps 2012. 440 pages. Hardcover. reaches a population of senior citizens ISBN 978-1-4338-1070-1 • Item # 4318098 The Journey From who are at high risk for cognitive List: $79.95 • APA Member/Affiliate: $59.95 Child to Scientist impairment — often those from lower How Animals Affect Us Integrating Cognitive economic classes with no college Development and the Examining the Influence of education. The majority of participants Education Sciences Human–Animal Interaction are African American. Carlson says that in Edited by Sharon M. Carver on Child Development and Jeff Shrager her trials, she intentionally tries to reach and Human Health 2012. 352 pages. Hardcover. this at-risk population, who traditionally Edited by Peggy McCardle, ISBN 978-1-4338-1138-8 • Item # 4318104 do not volunteer for health promotion Sandra McCune, James A. Griffin, List: $79.95 • APA Member/Affiliate: $49.95 and Valerie Maholmesh programs, but are willing to serve the 2011. 228 pages. Hardcover. community. ISBN 978-1-4338-0865-4 • Item # 4318085 “These volunteers are not the ‘worried List: $69.95 • APA Member/Affiliate: $49.95 FAD0093 well,’” says Carlson. They don’t usually leap at treatments and tasks marketed as www.apa.org/pubs/books • 800-374-2721 cognitive-enhancing, such as ginkgo biloba Service), as well as state and local public and private funds, and foundations including the Atlantic Philanthropies. To examine whether the cost of the program is justified, Linda Fried, MD, MPH, the dean of Columbia’s Mailman School of Public Health, has solicited help from an interdisciplinary group of colleagues to assess its impact on the students and elderly volunteers. Together with the Johns Hopkins Center on Aging and Health, she’s developed a research-community partnership with the Greater Homewood Community Corporation to conduct trials assessing the program. Developmental Psychology 52 M o n i t o r o n p s y c h o l o g y • F e b ru a ry 2 0 1 2 http://www.apa.org/pubs/books

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