Psychology news

• The battle for free will in the face of determinism | Letters

  29-04-2021 19:27 via theguardian.com
  
  Oliver Burkeman’s long read pitches philosophical readers against the more scientifically minded onesI read the online version of Oliver Burkeman’s long read that raises the question of whether free will is an illusion, and shortly afterwards read the same article again in print (The clockwork universe, Journal, 27 April). I was surprised when I realised that the brief reference to quantum physics online was missing in the printed version. Was it simply a matter of space, or was it l
  
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• Long Covid: why psychological therapies may have limited benefits | Letter

  29-04-2021 19:23 via theguardian.com
  
  Dr Dominic Salisbury says poor-quality evidence lies behind some treatments such as CBT In reviewing the possible role of psychology in treating long Covid (Long Covid is very far from ‘all in the mind’ – but psychology can still help us treat it, 27 April), Dr Carmine Pariante misrepresents why many ME/chronic fatigue syndrome patients remain sceptical about psychological interventions such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). It is not because we deny the important overlap
  
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• Czech Lawmakers Give Nod to Same-Sex Marriage; Final Vote Uncertain

  29-04-2021 19:14 via feeds.socialpsychology.org
  
  Source: U.S. News and World ReportA same-sex marriage bill in the Czech Republic cleared an early hurdle in the lower house of parliament on Thursday, but whether it will become law is uncertain with a general election less than six months away. The legislation has languished for three years in parliament and has split parliamentary factions as lawmakers voted both in favor and against within their parties.
  
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• German Court Orders Revision of Climate Act to Ease Burden on Youth

  29-04-2021 16:27 via feeds.socialpsychology.org
  Source: Google News - HealthGermany's highest court ruled in a landmark case on Thursday that some aspects of the country's climate protection legislation are unconstitutional because they place too much of a burden for reducing greenhouse gas emissions on younger generations. The court gave the government until the end of next year to set clearer targets for reducing emissions starting in 2031, calling the current provisions "incompatible with fundamental rights."
  
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• Biden Tells Transgender Americans That He Has Their Back

  29-04-2021 16:26 via feeds.socialpsychology.org
  Source: CNN - Top StoriesPresident Joe Biden pledged his support for transgender Americans during his address to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday, telling members of the community he's standing by them at a time when they face a barrage of attacks by GOP-led state legislatures. "To all transgender Americans watching at home—especially young people, who are so brave—I want you to know your president has your back," Biden said during his address.
  
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• A Psychologist's Guide to Donating More Effectively to Charities

  29-04-2021 16:25 via feeds.socialpsychology.org
  Source: Science Daily - Top NewsThe decision to donate to a charity is often driven by emotion rather than by calculated assessments based on how to make the biggest impact. In a review article published in the journal Trends in Cognitive Sciences, researchers look at what they call "the psychology of (in)effective altruism" and how people can be encouraged to make charitable contributions that get more bang for the buck, increasing donors' influence.
  
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• Switzerland to Hold Referendum on 2020 Law Allowing Same-Sex Marriage

  29-04-2021 16:22 via feeds.socialpsychology.org
  
  Source: United Press International - Health NewsSwitzerland will hold a national vote on whether to keep a 2020 law allowing same-sex couples to marry, the country's Federal Chancellery said. The court ruled Tuesday that opponents of the law had gathered enough valid signatures—61,027—to put the issue to a national referendum. Supporters, meanwhile, submitted their own petition with 107,000 signatures to keep the law.
  
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• White Supremacists Bigger Threat Than Foreign Terrorists, Says Biden

  29-04-2021 16:20 via feeds.socialpsychology.org
  Source: USA Today - Top StoriesPresident Joe Biden identified White supremacy as a domestic terror threat that the country must remain vigilant against in his first joint address to Congress on Wednesday. In discussing his order to withdraw American troops from Afghanistan, Biden noted global terror networks have largely moved beyond the country and that White supremacists posed a bigger threat than foreign actors.
  
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• Gender-Affirming Surgeries Improve Mental Health in Young

  29-04-2021 15:51 via feeds.socialpsychology.org
  
  Source: United Press International - Health NewsWhen gender-diverse or transgender people have surgeries to affirm their gender, they experience a variety of positive mental health outcomes, new research suggests. The study found a link between the surgeries, which participants had at least two years prior to a survey, and significantly lower rates of past-month psychological distress and past-year suicidal ideation, compared to people who had not had gender-affirming surgery but wanted it.
  
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• CVS Offers Mental Health Counseling in Stores

  29-04-2021 15:50 via feeds.socialpsychology.org
  Source: Google News - HealthThe company is leading the way in trying to fill gaps in access to mental health by piloting a counseling service in some of its retail stores. And by negotiating with insurance companies to cover visits, it's also trying to reduce the cost of mental health care. The idea is to create a place where consumers can get eye exams, diabetes screenings and vaccinations as well as mental health treatment, where they already buy their prescriptions.
  
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• India's Crushing COVID Caseload the Result of "Perfect Storm" of Factors

  29-04-2021 15:41 via feeds.socialpsychology.org
  Source: USA Today - Top StoriesLast March, when COVID-19 arrived in India, the country of 1.4 billion people quickly went into lockdown, keeping infection rates under tight control. There was a spike in September, but then the numbers came back down. By February, cases were at an all-time low, and the country began relaxing. Now, the country's caseload is growing exponentially due to a "perfect storm" of factors, and its health care system is completely overwhelmed.
  
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• Breathing Dirty Air Could Raise a Child's Risk for Adult Mental Illness

  29-04-2021 15:39 via feeds.socialpsychology.org
  Source: U.S. News and World ReportKids exposed to air pollution may be at risk for mental illness. Researchers found that young adults in Britain who were exposed to higher levels of traffic-related air pollutants during their childhood and teen years were prone to develop symptoms of mental illness later. Nitrogen oxides were a particular problem, the study authors reported. The findings were published online April 28 in JAMA Network Open.
  
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• Tennessee Could Mandate Bathroom Signs About Transgender Use

  29-04-2021 11:28 via feeds.socialpsychology.org
  Source: U.S. News and World ReportTennessee lawmakers have passed a bill that requires businesses or government facilities open to the public to post a sign if they let transgender people use multi-person bathrooms, locker rooms, or changing rooms associated with their gender identity. To take force, the law must be signed by the governor, Republican Bill Lee.
  
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• Alabama Removes Anti-Gay Language From State's Sex Education Law

  29-04-2021 11:02 via feeds.socialpsychology.org
  Source: U.S. News and World ReportAlabama will remove anti-gay language from the state's sex education law saying students should be taught that homosexuality is both socially unacceptable and illegal. The bill removes a section of the 1992 sex education law directing that sex education programs should include "an emphasis, in a factual manner and from a public health perspective, that homosexuality is not a lifestyle acceptable to the general public."
  
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• Can Therapy Ease the Trauma Caused by Racism?

  29-04-2021 10:56 via feeds.socialpsychology.org
  
  Source: U.S. News and World ReportTalk therapy and other treatments have been developed for survivors of such catastrophes as war and customized to meet the needs of people from different cultures and backgrounds. To help people cope with the stress of racism, the Association of Black Psychologists organized online group therapy "healing circles" after the death of George Floyd. Therapists say individuals traumatized by racism can experience flashbacks, crying spells, and...
  
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• Satellites Show World’s Glaciers Melting Faster Than Ever

  29-04-2021 10:55 via feeds.socialpsychology.org
  Source: Google News - HealthGlaciers are melting faster, losing 31 percent more snow and ice per year than they did 15 years earlier, according to three-dimensional satellite measurements of all the world’s mountain glaciers. Scientists blame human-caused climate change. Half the world’s glacial loss is coming from the United States and Canada, researchers estimate, with Alaska's melt rates among the highest on the planet.
  
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• FDA Announces Plan to Ban Menthol Cigarettes

  29-04-2021 09:45 via feeds.socialpsychology.org
  Source: USA Today - U.S. NewsThe Biden administration announced plans to push for a ban on menthol cigarettes, a product that has long been the target of anti-smoking advocates and civil rights activists who say the industry has aggressively marketed to Black Americans. "For far too long, certain populations, including African Americans, have been targeted, and disproportionately impacted by tobacco use," said Mitch Zeller, director of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products.
  
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