A view of human functioning is presented in which functioning is seen as integrating head and heart, emotion and reason, in a process by which people are constantly making sense of their lived emotional experience to form narratives of told experience. Because much of the processing involved in the generation of emotional experience occurs…

Contemporary U.S. culture has a highly individualistic ethos. Nevertheless, exactly how this ethos was historically fostered remains unanalyzed. A new model of dynamic cultural change maintains that sparsely populated, novel environments that impose major threats to survival, such as the Western frontier in the United States during the 18th and…

Psychology can make a significant contribution to limiting the magnitude of climate change by improving understanding of human behaviors that drive climate change and human reactions to climate-related technologies and policies, and by turning that understanding into effective interventions. This article develops a framework for psychological…

Evolutionary psychology has emerged over the past 15 years as a major theoretical perspective, generating an increasing volume of empirical studies and assuming a larger presence within psychological science. At the same time, it has generated critiques and remains controversial among some psychologists. Some of the controversy stems from…

An appreciation of the psychological impacts of global climate change entails recognizing the complexity and multiple meanings associated with climate change; situating impacts within other social, technological, and ecological transitions; and recognizing mediators and moderators of impacts. This article describes three classes of psychological…

Comments on Deep-level diversity and leadership by Kristen M. Klein and Mo Wang. In the special issue on Diversity and Leadership (April 2010), the authors made a strong case for the importance of diversity in workplace leadership, rejected premature declarations that workplace discrimination is obsolete, and called for leadership theories that…

The authors respond to both the general and specific concerns raised in Fischer, Stein, and Heikkinen's commentary on their article (Steinberg, Cauffman, Woolard, Graham, & Banich), in which they drew on studies of adolescent development to justify the American Psychological Association's positions in two Supreme Court cases involving the…

Climate change and degradation of the environment are global problems associated with many other challenges (e.g., population increases, reduction of glaciers, and loss of critical habitats). Psychological science can play a critical role in addressing these problems by fostering a sustainable environment. Multiple strategies for fostering a…

Although lost opportunities and mistaken expectations are unpleasant to think and talk about, these experiences may have a role to play in personality development. Drawing on research using narratives of lost possible selves, the authors review the relations of regrettable experiences to 2 important and independent aspects of maturity, happiness…

Reviews available data documenting modal adults' beliefs, feelings, and actions regarding nuclear war. Examines discrepancies between peoples's beliefs and their relative lack of affective and behavioral response. Reviews data on possible psychological and social sources of those reactions. Contrasts average citizens, antinuclear activists, and…

Theoretical disagreements that were present at the beginnings of systematic child study are reviewed. Some contemporary themes of American child psychology, such as (1) rational scientific inquiry, (2) the importance of mothers, early experience, and personal responsibility, and (3) the belief in the individual and self-contained child, are…

To foster a more in-depth understanding of the psychological processes leading to terrorism, the author conceptualizes the terrorist act as the final step on a narrowing staircase. Although the vast majority of people, even when feeling deprived and unfairly treated, remain on the ground floor, some individuals climb up and are eventually…

Argues that research in personality and social psychology has an important role in the nation's spage program. Holds that psychologists' indifference and the structure of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration have led to underutilization of psychological data in space exploration. Presents suggestions for increasing psychology's role…

Discusses the association of males with the roles of "head of household" and "provider" and the psychological consequences for men of such gender limited roles. Reviews how the integration of women into the work force has led to a realignment of family roles. (GC)

Highlights theory and research that have attempted to relate physical fitness training to improvements on psychological variables among normals, as well as among selected clinical populations. Suggests guidelines for upgrading future research designs. (Author/GC)