Here are developments that I expect to help shape 2014 for the field of psychology:
1. The doubt widespread among scientists about the validity of some stunning research findings will lead to increase efforts from journals and scientists to replicate the most important findings of recent years. When different researchers find the same phenomenon in different samples, we will be more justified in believing the results. It would be especially helpful for journals to invite researchers to complete replications with a guarantee of publication no matter what the results. That guarantee would remove motivation for fudging the results. This doubt, by the way, extends to findings in every field of science, not just psychology. Doubt is part of science.
2. Positive psychology will roar on, led by research on mindfulness, emotional intelligence, and new constructs that I cannot predict. Positive psychology, which focuses on how to help humans do better, rather than how to help them overcome problems, has been growing in popularity for many years. Studies showing that mindfulness and emotional intelligence can be increased with training and thereby help produce important improvements in life outcomes have led to great interest in improving positive characteristics. Mindfulness, in particular, will rise in recognition as a valuable part of life for producing positive life outcomes and preventing negative life outcomes. My small contribution to research on mindfulness in 2014: An article I co-authored will be published soon showing promising meta-analytic results for mindfulness as a way to increase telomerase, the enzyme that lengthens telomeres (the caps on chromosomes) after they divide and shrink a bit. Longer telomeres predict longer life, so the evidence (from 4 studies included in the meta-analysis ) showing a causal effect of mindfulness on telomerase activity could be important. The article will be published soon in the journal Psychoneuroendocrinology (10 syllables in there — count them and see).
3. Psychologists will continue to explore connections between psychology and medicine, literature, education, religion, economics, and many other fields. Psychology is an octopus — it reaches here and there, sometimes with surprising results, such as the recent finding that reading passages from literary novels helps increase empathy.
4. Unconscious forces will rise as objects of study. Implicit cognition, a sort of automatic, fast, unconscious force, is already popular as a research target, as is unconscious bias in making judgments of various sort. Findings on unconscious bias will lead to more actions to counter the biases. Much research in the past decade has shown that humans tend to have unconscious biases based on factors such as the sex, race, and age of others. Moves to counter unconscious biases in education could involve keeping students anonymous, when feasible, during grading. I have been publishing research on grading biases based on prior experience with students. Inappropriate unconscious biases on factors such as sex, age, and appearance probably occur in many judgments, such as admissions, hiring, and voting. Awareness of the risk of unconscious bias may be a good starting place for countering biases.
What do you think will be hot in psychology in 2014?
John Malouff, PhD, JD, Assoc Prof of Psychology
They all sound like great developments John and like you, I hope that psychology continues to expand in 2014. I like your analogy of the octopus, because it perfectly explains how much variety I have discovered while studying and researching in psychology.
Positive psychology is my pick for being hot, hot, hot in 2014, as many more people are suffering excessive levels of stress and look to broaden and build their psychological resources to ensure their future resilience and happiness. (The lengthening of those teleomeres is exciting stuff indeed!)
Because life is very much exactly as the old saying goes “s*#t happens…it’s how you deal with that really counts”.
Thanks for all your teaching, advice and friendship John. May 2014 be the best year yet! 🙂
Hi John.
Great to read.
Thank you.
I write this from holiday in NYC.
2014 brings my final year of Psych Science at UNE. And then hopefully I can tap into Honours.
I’m very pleased and interested in furthering my studies in Mindfullness. Apart from my Une studies I have also enrolled in Russ Harris’s course in Sydney in Feb.
It makes sense that this is the way psych is heading.
I would also like to add in some overseas intern work -NYC would be fantastic.
Any help of how or further words of encouragement always appreciated.
Many Thanks and Happy New Year to you John.
Nicole
(Former behavior mod student of yours)
Hi Nicole. Getting experience helping others is a great idea. You could try to volunteer at a suicide hotline, a program that helps homeless individuals, a program for battered/displaced women, a shelter for runaway/displaced teens (e.g., Covenant House if there is one in the Big Apple), or a program for recent immigrants. In some places in the U.S. there are volunteering centers that are aware of all volunteering options. You might be able to arrange WORK300 credit for the experience — that needs to be set up in advance.
Hi SM. I like positive psychology. Right now I am working on the 3rd edition of a book of activities to teach social, emotional, and problem-solving skills. I could use a few students to test new activities for me — usually with a child, teen, or an adult who has some significant mental health problem or who is struggling in some way.
Somehow i get the feeling that the next hot thing in psychology will be growth in the connection between science, research studies and spirituality and the universe.
Hi Carmen. Think if humans ever connect with intelligent life elsewhere in the universe — what a field day for all forms of science, including psychology!
I tend to agree that Positive psychology will be HOT. One only has to look at the number of Life Coaches getting around nowadays, they are not necessarily assisting the client to resolve problems, but rather have a “better” future.
Hi Sharon. Positive Psychology has the right name to be appealing! This field is an excellent counterbalance to the medical model’s emphasis on pathology.
Hi John,
Started to read your blog. Good stuff as always!
Definitely positive psych is the hot topic. I am working at the Dementia Collaborative Research Centre (Assessment and Better Care unit). We are trying to find ways to improve lifestyles and care for those who are older (not just those who have dementia).
So will be keeping a look at your work for some ideas.
I am interested in how emotional intelligence develops, and what age it develops. It is relevant to my research because people with dementia often lose skills, memory etc. from their newest memories backwards. So presumably, all the good positive things that we are into when we are young can help to buffer us against hard times in the future.
Your old student,
Jenny Fletcher ( Jen Fletch)
Hi Jennifer. You are doing interesting work. I would guess that (a) absolute levels of emotional intelligence increase throughout life, with more learning early rather than later and (b) high emotional intelligence aids seniors.
I enjoyed your insightful article, john. It certainly helps me to substantiate some of my thoughts for my recent blog. I agree with your choice of positive psychology, but don’t you think you need to work both sides of the process in order to achieve results. That’s one reason why I use ‘holistic’ in my domain name, covering all aspects of healing and personal development in order to achieve those positive outcomes and fulfillment.
Any thoughts on the matter?
Hi Stan. I am all for helping others develop and overcome problems.