Current Directions in Psychological Science

Current Directions in Psychological Science (CDPS) is a peer-reviewed bi-monthly journal featuring reviews by leading experts covering all of scientific psychology and its applications. Current Directions features topics such as language, memory and cognition, development, the neural basis of behavior and emotions, various aspects of psychopathology, and theory of mind. This journal is a member of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

1. Referencia: Erin A. (2015), Challenges in the Study of Individual Differences in Social Behavior; Current Directions in Psychological Science, vol. 24, 4: pp. 285-291.

Challenges in the Study of Individual Differences in Social Behavior

Social relationships are central to human life and are underpinned by the social interactions that constitute them. Both the behavioral sequences and the quality of these interactions vary significantly from individual to individual and conversation to conversation. This makes it difficult to understand the mechanisms that cause individual differences in social behavior and how such differences affect social outcomes. In order to gain insight into this problem, research must involve the study of real social interactions in parallel with experimental laboratory work. The aim of this review is to present three challenges in the study of face-to-face social behavior and to review results that have begun to address the question of how individual differences predict social behavior, which in turn determines social outcomes. Importantly, this review demonstrates that natural social behavior can be used as an outcome variable in experimental settings, making it possible to examine the mechanisms that drive social behavior and individual differences therein.

social interaction                     social skill             individual diferences                research challenges

2. Referencia: Dreisbach, G., Fischer, R. (2015), Conflicts as Aversive Signals for Control Adaptation; Current Directions in Psychological Science, vol. 24, 4: pp. 255-260

Conflicts as Aversive Signals for Control Adaptation

The dynamic adaptation of cognitive control in the face of competition from conflicting response tendencies is one of the hallmarks of flexible human action control. Here, we suggest an alternative framework that places conflict-triggered control adaptation into the broader context of affect regulation. Specifically, we review evidence showing that (a) conflicts are inherently aversive, that (b) aversive stimuli in the absence of conflict also trigger behavioral adjustments, and, finally, that (c) conflict stimuli do trigger processes of affective counter-regulation. Together with recent findings showing that conflict-triggered control adaptation depends on the subjective experience of the conflict, we suggest that it is the subjective aversive conflict experience that originally motivates control adaptations. Such a view offers new perspectives for investigating and understanding intra- and interindividual differences in the regulation of cognitive control by differentiating between the individual sensitivity to experience and the individual ability to utilize the aversive signal.

response conflict    conflict monitoring    aversive singal     cognitive control    affective counter- regulation

3. Finkenauer,C.,Buyukcan-Tetik, A.,Schoemaker, K.,Bartels, M.,Vohs, K.(2015),Out of Control Identifying the Role of Self-Control Strength in Family Violence; Current Directions in Psychological Science, vol. 24, 4: pp. 261-266

Out of Control Identifying the Role of Self-Control Strength in Family Violence

Family violence is common and brings tremendous costs to individuals, relationships, and society. Victims are vulnerable to negative outcomes across a host of dimensions, including cognitive performance, impulse control, emotion regulation, and physical health. Links between family violence and various problems have been established, yet the specific processes underlying these associations are poorly understood, resulting in the stunted development of effective interventions. This article addresses two key questions: How and why does family violence cause these myriad problems? The self-control strength model of family violence provides novel answers. The model integrates components of existing theories, extending them by pinpointing self-control strength as an explanatory and predictive factor, and can serve as a framework for interventions.

family violence       aggression  self-control strength       victimization    self-regulation