Sound Science, Sound Policy

Pregnancy

Combating Racial Disparities in Maternal and Infant Health

The Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues on August 6, 2024

Research suggests group prenatal care improves maternal and infant health outcomes for Black families, and it may be due to its emphasis on patient education and social support.

Law and Crime

Purdue Pharma, Bankruptcy, and Procedural Justice

The Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues on April 16, 2024

Bankruptcy courts are increasingly the places where high-profile mass torts are resolved. How does procedural justice fit in?

Law and Crime

Responsibility, “Winning,” and Apologies in Civil Settlement

The Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues on December 11, 2023

How do public reactions to the Fox-Dominion settlement align with psychological research about how lay observers understand civil settlement?

Race and Ethnicity

Supreme Court Rulings Are Inconsistent on Racial Justice

The Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues on December 1, 2023

Recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions reflect the conflict between race-conscious and color-blind ideology.

Law and Crime

Fixing the Competence Restoration Process

The Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues on May 19, 2023

State legislatures are failing jail detainees who wait too long for competency restoration by not funding adequate mental health care.

Law and Crime

Legal Reasonable Suspicion Rests on Unreasonable Assumptions

The Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues on March 7, 2023

Does the “high crime area” designation that is used to justify suspicion allow bias to perpetuate policing disparities?

Trauma

What Can We Learn From the Mass Trauma of Dictatorships?

The Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues on February 22, 2023

The psychological impact of living under a repressive regime can span generations.

Decision-Making

Courts Rule on Behavioral Health Coverage Determinations

The Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues on November 22, 2022

Should behavioral health care insurers also be allowed to act as plan administrators?

Bias

Is Justice Blind if We Say It Is?

The Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues on November 21, 2022

A U.S. Supreme Court case raises the issue of whether jurors can determine how influenced they are by potentially biasing characteristics of a defendant.

Deception

Moving Away From Deception When Interrogating Young Suspects

The Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues on November 11, 2022

Lying to get to the truth? Why banning police deception in juvenile interrogations is good science and good practice.

Gender

How Gender Stereotypes Influence Career Interests

The Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues on October 28, 2022

A more nuanced understanding of gender stereotypes may help us better understand gender differences in career interests and provide ways to decrease gender inequality.

Sexual Abuse

Is Jurors’ Sexual Abuse History Relevant in Sexual Abuse Cases?

The Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues on October 26, 2022

Should people with a sexual abuse history be excused from serving as jurors for child sexual abuse trials? Researchers say “no.”

Ethics and Morality

Behavioral Ethics and Corporate Culture

The Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues on July 29, 2022

The psychology of behavioral ethics provides insights into how corporations fail to comply with regulatory rules or ethical standards.

Psychology

The Dobbs Decision Is Deeply Rooted in the Patriarchy

The Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues on July 5, 2022

Abortion is now a state-by-state issue. Why does this spell disaster for individuals capable of giving birth?

Bias

Racism May Be Built Into Some Courtrooms

The Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues on June 22, 2022

Racist tributes in courthouses may communicate tolerance for prejudice, foster bias in jury decision-making, and intimidate non-White jurors and defendants.

Suicide

Crisis Support Lines: What Are We Missing?

The Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues on June 16, 2022

Research gaps suggest that we may be unprepared for the various challenges that might occur with the transition to 988—a mental health crisis line similar to 911.

Career

What Makes a Medical Student Want to Work for Free?

The Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues on April 29, 2022

Personal Perspective: Both identity and expectations predict medical students’ pro bono intentions.

Education

The Pandemic's Toll on English Language Learners

The Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues on September 10, 2021

The pandemic widened the gap between English Language Learners and other students, partly due to lack of access to digital resources.

Health

What Is Implementation Science?

The Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues on January 15, 2021

COVID-19 has led to the disruption of health care services and delivery across various contexts. Implementation science and practice can help.

Pornography

Legal Responses to Nonconsensual Pornography

The Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues on February 24, 2020

Current policies regarding the issue are plagued with a variety of caveats that make prosecution of nonconsensual pornography difficult, suggesting that legal reform has been insufficient.