June 2004 | Monitor on Psychology
Vol. 35 No. 6
On the Cover: Consumerism
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Consumerism and its discontents
Materialistic values may stem from early insecurities and are linked to lower life satisfaction, psychologists find. Accruing more wealth may provide only a partial fix.
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Too many choices?
Today's abundance of consumer options can stall our decision-making and even wear away our well-being. But there are solutions.
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Protecting children from advertising
APA's Council of Representatives supports a task force's call for stricter regulations on ads geared to kids.
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Advertising recommendations
To counter the potential negative effects of ads aimed at children, the Task Force on Advertising and Children suggests things such as restricting television advertising directed to children and using advertising disclaimers.
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Driving teen egos--and buying--through 'branding'
A glut of marketing messages encourages teens to tie brand choices to their personal identity.
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Maxed out: Why do some succumb and others steer clear?
Psychologists are investigating what underlies Americans' ever more burdensome credit card debt, but answers remain elusive.
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The value of money
In her niche practice, psychologist Lynne Hornyak coaches people to pair their approach to money with their life values.
SCIENCE WATCH
New research on elephants' hemispheric specialization may begin to answer long-standing questions on side preferences' evolutionary advantages.
IN BRIEF
- Young children can discern pretending from sincere effort
- Among young teens, aggression equals popularity
- NLPA plans first-ever Latina/o psychology conference
- Schizophrenia may be characterized by unique smell deficits
- Families' financial woes can foster child depression and disobedience
- Web site lists highly cited psychologists
- Sexist countries view men as 'bad, but bold'
- Happy memories don't always lift unhappy moods
- New neuropsych mentoring program hopes to attract minorities
- Psychologists testify at drug-treatment hearing
Features
Louisiana psychologists' persistence pays off, and their state becomes the second to pass RxP legislation.
Psychopharmacology training programs meet a need for many practitioners-- and, indirectly, for consumers.
A new West Virginia law provides safeguards for psychologists conducting child-custody evaluations, an often-avoided area.
Psychologist Page Walley, the new commissioner of Alabama's biggest state agency, finds creative ways to infuse individual care.
An APA-sponsored event drew together high school students and social scientists to discuss criminal groups.
Recent psychological research calls "discovery learning" into question.
Psychologists are helping the government screen and train airline pilots to become federal flight deck officers.
The public is hungry for mind-body alternative and complementary interventions. And more psychologists are studying what helps and what hurts.
A federal report pushes for increased integration of the behavioral and social sciences into medical school curricula.
A National Academies committee is studying the quality of postdoctoral experiences.
Jennie Ward Robinson says psychology can do more to improve the lives of families living with Alzheimer's disease--and she's helping to lead the effort.
CORRECTIONS
COLUMNS
In the Public Interest
Judicial Notebook
President's Column
Running Commentary
Science Directions