SPSSI and Social Psychology in the News

Americans Are Terrible at Estimating Income Inequality. How do we perceive income inequality? (The Atlantic).

Cultural Differences? Researchers Examine Media Impact in Multiple Countries.  SPSSI's Craig Anderson on cross-cultural impacts of prosocial media (Science Daily).

Why Some Communities Police Themselves, While Other Don't.  SPSSI's Michele Gelfand on bystander intervention  (The Atlantic).

The Miracle of "Anchoring." Would raising the minimum wage have an anchoring effect? (Slate).

Is '16 and Pregnant' An Effective Form of Birth Control? Surprising effects of MTV show? (NPR).

Brief Visit to Neighborhood Induces Social Attitudes of That Neighborhood. How a neighborhood can affect one's attitudes (Science Daily).

What Comforts Targets of Prejudice the Most. How does the "It Gets Better" campaign actually work? (Science Daily). 

On the Hill: News from the U.S. Congress

Jan 16, 2014: S. 1936, To improve the response to missing children and victims of child sex trafficking. Referred to Committee. Read more here.

Jan 16, 2014: H.R. 3908, To amend title 1 of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to provide for improvements under the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in the criminal justice system. Referred to Committee. Read more here.

Jan 15, 2014: S. 1933, To impose sanctions with respect to foreign persons responsible for gross violations of internationally recognized human rights, and for other purposes.  Referred to Committee. Read more here.

Jan 15, 2014: S. 1917, To provide for additional enhancements of the sexual assault prevention and response activites of the Armed Forces.  The committees assigned to this bill sent it to the Senate as a whole for consideration.  Read more here.

Jan 14. 2014: S. 1845, Emergency Unemployment Compensation Extension Act. This bill is provisionally dead due to a failed vote for cloture. Read more here. 

Jan 09, 2014: H.R. 3829, To amend chapter 1of title 1, United States Code, with regard to the definition of "marriage" and "spouse" for Federal purposes and to ensure respect for State regulation of marriage.  Referred to Committee.  Read more here.

Jan 09, 2014: S. 1908, To allow reciprocity for the carrying of certain concealed firearms. Referred to Committee.  Read more here.

Hearings:

Event Report: Defending Freedoms: Highlighting the Plight of Prisoners of Conscience around the World, Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission

Further Resources

Fact-Sheets on Same-Sex Adoption, Marriage Equality and Discrimination, and Psychological Outcomes of Children of Same-Sex Parents

SPSSI research summary on the psychological implications of Stand Your Ground laws

SPSSI policy statement on global climate change