Careers in Psychology Course: Prevalence, Structure, and Timing

Despite the multiple benefits of the careers in psychology course, it is not universally offered in undergraduate programs. Teachers who wish to design such a course may wonder about its typical number of credits, when students should take the course, and how much it uses a common curriculum across sections. The 2018 Undergraduate Study in Psychology gathered data on these questions in a nationally representative sample of undergraduate programs at associate ( n = 60) and baccalaureate ( n = 180) institutions. In 2017–2018, 39% of baccalaureate programs and 12% of associate programs offered the course. Discussion centers on department-specific adaptations of the career course, its curricular alternatives, and future research. The authors also issue a call for action to more widely implement the career course nationally.

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A Strong Graded Relationship between Level of Obesity and COPD: Findings from a National Population-Based Study of Lifelong Nonsmokers

Journal of Obesity ◽

10.1155/2018/6149263 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 2018 ◽

pp. 1-9 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Esme Fuller-Thomson ◽

Kaitlyn E. N. Howden ◽

Lilia R. Fuller-Thomson ◽

Senyo Agbeyaka

Keyword(s):

Risk Factor ◽

Representative Sample ◽

Future Research ◽

Chronic Obstructive ◽

Healthy Weight ◽

Research Attention ◽

Nationally Representative ◽

Never Smokers ◽

The Impact ◽

Hispanic White

Factors associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) among never-smokers have received little research attention. One potential risk factor for COPD is obesity, which is of particular importance in light of the global obesity epidemic. The objective of this study was to investigate the association between COPD and levels of obesity in a nationally representative sample of non-Hispanic white never-smokers. Data were drawn from the 2012 Center for Disease Control’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). Pearson’s chi-square tests and logistic regression analyses were conducted in a large nationally representative sample of non-Hispanic white respondents aged 50 and over (76,004 women; 37,618 men) who reported that they had never smoked. A dose-response relationship was observed for both men and women: the prevalence of COPD increased from 2.5% in men and 3.5% in women who were of a healthy weight (BMI < 25) to 7.6% in men and 13.4% in women who had a BMI of 40 or higher. Even after adjusting for 7 potential confounds (e.g., age, education, and income), the odds of COPD were 3.21 higher for men (95% CI = 2.46, 4.20) and 4.00 higher for women with class III obesity (95% CI = 3.52, 4.55) in comparison with those of healthy weight. Regular screening for COPD is warranted in never-smoking obese patients who are aged 50 and over. Future research is needed to investigate plausible mechanisms for this association, including (1) the role of chronic inflammation associated with obesity and (2) the impact of central obesity on respiratory system mechanics.

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Sleep health in U.S. adults before and during the COVID-19 pandemic

10.31234/osf.io/bzqhd ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Garrett Hisler ◽

Jean Twenge

Keyword(s):

Sleep Duration ◽

Representative Sample ◽

The United States ◽

Future Research ◽

Racial Groups ◽

Sleep Health ◽

The Past ◽

Falling Asleep ◽

Interview Survey ◽

Nationally Representative

Understanding how health has changed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic is critical to reducing and recovering from the pandemic. This study focused on how sleep health in the United States may have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Sleep duration and number of days in the past week with difficulty falling asleep, difficulty staying asleep, and not feeling rested in a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults collected before the COVID-19 outbreak (2018 National Health Interview Survey, n = 19,433) was compared to the same measures in a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults collected during the COVID-19 outbreak (2020 Luc.id, n = 2,059). Sleep duration was slightly shorter in 2020 than 2018 (d = -.05). Moreover, the prevalence of insufficient sleep duration (RR = 1.20) and the number of days with difficulty falling asleep (d = .54), difficulty staying asleep (d =.36), and not feeling rested (d = .14) was greater in 2020 than 2018. Twice as many people in 2020 reported experiencing at least one night of difficulty falling asleep (RR = 1.95) or staying asleep (RR = 1.75). Adults younger than 60 and those who belonged to an Asian racial group had larger differences than other age and racial groups between 2018 and 2020. Thus, sleep health in U.S. adults was worse in 2020 than in 2018, particularly in younger and Asian adults. Findings highlight sleep as target in future research and interventions seeking to understand and reduce the effects of the spread of COVID-19.

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Introduction to Psychology

Teaching of Psychology ◽

10.1177/0098628318779257 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 45 (3) ◽

pp. 213-219 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Rory A. Pfund ◽

John C. Norcross ◽

Robin Hailstorks ◽

Karen E. Stamm ◽

Peggy Christidis

Keyword(s):

General Education ◽

Department Chairs ◽

American Psychological Association ◽

Introductory Psychology ◽

Psychology Programs ◽

Introductory Course ◽

Undergraduate Study ◽

Nationally Representative ◽

Psychology Course ◽

Written Assignments

A robust literature has explored multiple facets of the introductory psychology course, but few studies have examined its purposes, student learning outcomes (SLOs), and assessment practices. The second iteration of the Undergraduate Study in Psychology gathered data on these facets in a nationally representative sample of associate ( n = 62) and baccalaureate psychology programs ( n = 161). Most department chairs indicated that their intro course served as both an introduction to the major and a general education function. Approximately one third of programs incorporated the American Psychological Association Guidelines for the Undergraduate Psychology Major 2.0 in their entirety or with minor changes to develop their SLOs for the introductory course. Written assignments and professor-developed quizzes/exams were the most frequently used assessment methods. Discussion centers on how these results may be used by teachers of introductory psychology.

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Sextortion Among Adolescents: Results From a National Survey of U.S. Youth

Sexual Abuse ◽

10.1177/1079063218800469 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 32 (1) ◽

pp. 30-54 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Justin W. Patchin ◽

Sameer Hinduja

Keyword(s):

High School ◽

High School Students ◽

National Survey ◽

Public Interest ◽

Representative Sample ◽

Future Research ◽

School Students ◽

Nationally Representative ◽

Preventive Role

Sextortion is the threatened dissemination of explicit, intimate, or embarrassing images of a sexual nature without consent, usually for the purpose of procuring additional images, sexual acts, money, or something else. Despite increased public interest in this behavior, it has yet to be empirically examined among adolescents. The current study fills this gap by exploring the prevalence of sextortion behaviors among a nationally representative sample of 5,568 U.S. middle and high school students. Approximately 5% of students reported that they had been the victim of sextortion, while about 3% admitted to threatening others who had shared an image with them in confidence. Males and nonheterosexual youth were more likely to be targeted, and males were more likely to target others. Moreover, youth who threatened others with sextortion were more likely to have been victims themselves. Implications for future research, as well as the preventive role that youth-serving professionals can play, are discussed.

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