ABSTRACT
COVID-19 forced social interactions to move online. Yet researchers have little understanding of the mental health consequences of this shift. Given pandemic-related surges in emotional disorders and problematic drinking, it becomes imperative to understand the cognitive and affective processes involved in virtual interactions and the impact of alcohol in virtual social spaces. Participants (N=246) engaged in an online video call while their gaze behavior was tracked. Prior to the interaction, participants were randomly assigned to receive an alcoholic or control beverage. Participants' affect was repeatedly assessed. Results indicated that a proportionally larger amount of time spent gazing at oneself (vs. one's interaction partner) predicted significantly higher negative affect after the exchange. Further, alcohol independently increased self-directed attention, failing to demonstrate its typically potent social-affective enhancement in this virtual context. Results carry potential implications for understanding factors that increase risk for hazardous drinking and negative affect in our increasingly virtual world.
ABSTRACT
The definitive guide for prospective graduate students in clinical and counseling psychology has now been revised and updated for 2022/2023, with all-new data on more than 300 doctoral programs. This is the book that students rely on for finding the programs that meet their needs and maximizing their chances of getting in. Profiles encapsulate each program's specializations or tracks, admission requirements, acceptance rates, financial aid, research areas, and clinical opportunities. A detailed time line and multiple worksheets help students decide where to apply, build their credentials, develop strong applications, and make an informed final decision. This new edition provides a new chapter on deciding between the master's and the doctoral degree. It presents updates on the diversity-driven and COVID-accelerated movement against using the GRE. The book provides guidance on creating a LinkedIn profile and incorporating it into one's application. It presents a new section on the pros and cons of taking a gap year following college graduation, advices on optimally preparing for preadmission interviews by videoconferencing, data on which departments offer affinity/alliance groups for its ethnic minority and LGBTQ students. The book provides a new section on using online forums during the interview process In addition, throughout the book, it highlights free resources to minimize the cost of applying to graduate school and provides web addresses to ease the admissions process-locating compatible programs, communicating with potential faculty mentors, submitting application forms, and helping faculty send letters of recommendation electronically. In other words, the book removes some of the work and cost of preparing and applying for graduate study in psychology. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
Pandemic management is likely to represent a global reality for years to come, but the roadmap for how to approach pandemic restrictions is as yet unclear. Of the restrictions enacted during COVID-19, among the more controversial surround alcohol. Like many infectious diseases, the principal mode of transmission for COVID-19 is direct respiration of droplets emitted during close social contact, and health officials warn that alcohol consumption may lead to decreased adherence to physical distancing guidelines. Governing bodies have acted to close bars before restaurants and have also specifically restricted alcohol sales, while at the same time those in the nightlife industry have labeled such actions unfounded and discriminatory. Complicating such debates is the lack of evidence on alcohol's effects on physical distance. In the current study we employed a randomized alcohol-administration design paired with computer-vision measures, analyzing over 20,000 proximity readings derived from video to examine the effect of alcohol consumption on physical distance during social interaction. Results indicated that alcohol caused individuals to draw significantly closer to an unfamiliar interaction partner during social exchange, reducing physical proximity at a rate with potentially important implications for public health. In contrast, alcohol had no effect on physical distance with a familiar interaction partner. Findings suggest that alcohol might act to overcome a natural caution people feel towards strangers and thus promote virus transmission between previously unconnected social groups.