January 2006 | Monitor on Psychology

Vol. 37 No. 1

On the Cover: Why we sleep

Why we sleep
Like hunger and thirst, sleep is a basic biological drive we can't ignore.
To sleep, perchance to twitch
Active sleep, and its characteristic muscle spasms, may help the nervous system map the body.
Wild findings on animal sleep
Do the similarities of sleep across the animal world indicate a universal function or just convergent evolution?
Brain, heal thyself
Researchers are finding that sleep may provide a crucial time for the brain to perform biochemical housekeeping.
Let's sleep on it
A good night's sleep may be the key to effective learning, says recent research.

SCIENCE WATCH

Screening surveyed

Psychological research on whether people can apply their knowledge of specific objects to broader categories during screening tasks may have implications for aviation security.

IN BRIEF

ETHICS ROUNDS

A letter to ‘Ethics Rounds'

Ethical complexities when therapist-spouses refer clients to one another call for a thoughtful process to protect our clients from harm.

Features

Clearing the way

APA's new policy on granting rights to reuse published material will ensure that electronic versions of books and journals match the print originals.

Nationwide survey spotlights U.S. alcohol abuse

A large federal epidemiological survey offers new insights into alcohol abuse–and an opportunity for psychologists to further investigate alcoholism and related disorders.

Allied against autism

A new autism center–headed by a psychologist–is bringing together a diverse array of researchers at the University of Missouri–Columbia.

Keita takes over leadership of APA's Public Interest Directorate

At the helm of the Public Interest Directorate, Gwendolyn Puryear Keita aims to increase psychology's prominence.

Faculty mentoring faculty

Universities increasingly offer mentoring programs that link new faculty with more experienced colleagues.

Changing health care's focus

A newly released APA draft manual aims to transform the way health professionals approach health care.

Assessing assessment

Psychological assessment enjoys new respect, applications and approaches.

War's invisible wounds

Volunteer psychologists and other providers are helping relatives of National Guard and Army Reserve troops in Afghanistan and Iraq cope with the wars' effects.

Chronic pain and marital relationships

Weiss Fund recipient David A. Sbarra investigates how couples navigate chronic pain conditions.