Monitor on Psychology - October 2011 - (Page 43)

lifesaving medical treatments.” In an effort to combat implicit bias and its harmful results, Devine and other prejudice researchers have been testing various anti-bias training methods. And there’s good news from Devine’s latest study: One adaptation of these approaches appears to reduce implicit bias, and to sustain that effect over time. Implicit bias operates much like any habit, said Devine, a psychology professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Breaking that habit requires several deliberate steps: • Becoming aware of one’s implicit bias. • Being concerned about the consequences of the bias. • Learning to replace the biased response with nonprejudiced responses — ones that more closely match the values people consciously believe that they hold. Once people take the first step, they’re more likely to take the next ones, said Devine. This is because awareness of prejudiced responses leads to guilt, which leads to self-regulation to prevent future prejudice. Devine started her investigation by recruiting 91 nonblack college students and assessing their self-reported racial attitudes and implicit bias, as indicated by the face-word task. All participants received feedback on their task performance, but only half received the educational intervention, in which they learned about implicit bias and how it perpetuates discrimination. For example, they heard about the photo-caption controversy that erupted after Hurricane Katrina: In one photo, a black man was said to have “looted” a grocery store; in another, a white couple was said to have “found” items from a store. Finally, the intervention group learned research-based strategies to combat bias, including empathizing with and imagining people as the opposite of their stereotypes. Both the intervention and control groups were tested again postintervention. The results, said Devine, are notable: Both groups started out as equivalent in implicit bias, but, four weeks later, only the intervention group showed a significant reduction in it. The effect persisted through week eight. “This is the first study I know of showing a sustained drop in implicit bias, and I am considering eight weeks sustained,” said Devine. The study also revealed an association between higher self-reported concern about bias and lower implicit-bias scores. These patterns held when Devine’s team retested the participants two years later. What’s not clear is which parts of the intervention made the difference — was it teaching participants about the existence and effects of implicit bias, or was it giving them tools to combat it? “That,” said Devine, “is a question for future research.” n Bridget Murray Law is a writer in Silver Spring, Md. Gain a sharper focus o n r e a d i n g d i f f i c u lt i e s The Woodcock Reading Mastery Tests is newly revised The WRMT™-III (Woodcock Reading Mastery Tests, Third Edition) offers the latest revision of the WRMT, continuing the tradition for assessment of reading readiness and reading achievement. This significant revision retains the format and structure of the WRMT-R/NU, while expanding the test’s content to provide even greater diagnostic power. For use with individuals ages 4:6–79:11, the WRMT-III features: ● ● ● ● order today! To place your order, call 800.627.7271. 800.627.7271 | ● Four new tests to improve diagnostic capability: Phonological Awareness, Rapid Automatic Naming, Listening Comprehension, Oral Reading Fluency Simplified administration and scoring Expanded error analysis All new photorealistic stimulus art Updated norms | PsychCorp.com Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. or its affiliate(s). All rights reserved. WRMT, Pearson, design for Psi, and PsychCorp are trademarks, in the U.S. and/or other countries, of Pearson Education, Inc. or its affiliate(s). 5483 10/11 A6S OCTOBER 2011 • MONITOR ON PSYCHOLOGY 43 http://www.PsychCorp.com http://www.PsychCorp.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Monitor on Psychology - October 2011

Monitor on Psychology - October 2011
President’s Column
Subtle and stunning slights
Contents
From the CEO
Live science on the showroom floor
Zimbardo re-examines his landmark study
Ready, set, mentor
Attention students and ECPs: Self-care is an ‘ethical imperative’
Suicide risk is high among war veterans in college, study finds
Psychotherapy is effective and here’s why
From toilet to tap: getting people to drink recycled water
What’s ahead for psychology practice?
A push for more accountability is changing the accreditation process
Peer, parental support prove key to fighting childhood obesity
Popular media’s message to girls
Bullying may contribute to lower test scores
A consequence of cuckoldry: More (and better) sex?
Manatees’ exquisite sense of touch may lead them into dangerous waters
Building a better tomato
How will China’s only children care for their aging parents?
‘Spice’ and ‘K2’: New drugs of abuse now on the market
Many suspects don’t understand their right to remain silent
In Brief
Boosting minority achievement
Where’s the progress?
And social justice for all
Helping new Americans find their way
Segregation’s ongoing legacy
A new way to combat prejudice
Retraining the biased brain
Suppressing the ‘white bears’
How to eat better — mindlessly
Protect your aging brain
Must babies always breed marital discontent?
Outing addiction
Flourish 2051
The danger of stimulants
Keys to making integrated care work
Is technology ruining our kids?
Facebook: Friend or foe?
The promise of Web 3.0
NIMH invests in IT enhanced interventions
Science Directions
Science Directions
PsycAdvocates work to safeguard key programs
The psychology of spending cuts
APA’s strategic plan goes live
Visionary leaders
Bravo!
Vote on bylaws amendments

Monitor on Psychology - October 2011

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