1. CHAPTER 15: Applying Psychology Essentials of Psychology, by Saul Kassin ©2004 Prentice Hall Publishing

2. Applying Psychology Stress and Health Psychology and the Law Psychology in the Workplace Kassin, Essentials of Psychology - ©2004 Prentice Hall Publishing

3. Applying Psychology Stress and Health The Stress Response The Physiological Effects of Stress Coping with Stress Kassin, Essentials of Psychology - ©2004 Prentice Hall Publishing

4. Stress and Health Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) – A new subfield of psychology that examines the interactions among psychological factors, the nervous system, and the immune system Health Psychology – The study of the links between psychological factors and physical health and illness Kassin, Essentials of Psychology - ©2004 Prentice Hall Publishing

5. Stress and Health Leading Causes of Death, 1900-2000 Since 1900, heart disease, cancer, and strokes have replaced infectious diseases as the major causes of death. Behavioral factors contribute to each of these leading causes of death. Kassin, Essentials of Psychology - ©2004 Prentice Hall Publishing

6. Stress and Health Stress: An aversive state of arousal triggered by the perception that an event threatens the ability to cope effectively. Although stressful events have effects on the body, the way people cope can promote health or illness. Stress and Coping Kassin, Essentials of Psychology - ©2004 Prentice Hall Publishing

7. Stress and Health The Stress Response Sources of stress fall into three major categories: catastrophes, major life events, and daily hassles. –Catastrophic stressors can lead to Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) An anxiety disorder triggered by an extremely stressful event, such as combat. –However, the buildup of daily hassles contributes more to illness than does major life events. Kassin, Essentials of Psychology - ©2004 Prentice Hall Publishing

8. Stress and Health The Physiological Effects of Stress A three- stage process by which the body responds to stress General Adaptation Syndrome Kassin, Essentials of Psychology - ©2004 Prentice Hall Publishing

9. Stress and Health The Physiological Effects of Stress Type A Personality –Characterized by an impatient, hard-driving, and hostile pattern of behavior Type B Personality –Characterized by an easygoing, relaxed pattern of behavior People with Type A personality are more prone to coronary heart disease (CHD). The Effects of Stress on the Heart Kassin, Essentials of Psychology - ©2004 Prentice Hall Publishing

10. Stress and Health The Physiological Effects of Stress Immune System –A biological surveillance system that detects and destroys “nonself” substances that invade the body Lymphocytes –Specialized white blood cells that secrete chemical antibodies and facilitate the immune response Kassin, Essentials of Psychology - ©2004 Prentice Hall Publishing

11. Stress and Health The Physiological Effects of Stress Pathways From Stress to Illness Negative emotional states (stress) can lead to unhealthy behaviors and trigger the release of hormones that suppress immune system activity. Kassin, Essentials of Psychology - ©2004 Prentice Hall Publishing

12. Stress and Health The Physiological Effects of Stress Volunteers were interviewed about life stressors, then infected with a cold virus. As length of stress increased, so did the likelihood of catching the cold. Stress impairs immune system functioning and increases vulnerability to illness. The Links Between Stress and Illness Kassin, Essentials of Psychology - ©2004 Prentice Hall Publishing

13. Stress and Health Coping with Stress Two general types of coping strategies – Problem-focused coping, which is designed to reduce stress by dealing with the problem – Emotion-focused coping, in which one tries to manage the negative emotions Thought Suppression – Can be maladaptive – Distraction works better Kassin, Essentials of Psychology - ©2004 Prentice Hall Publishing

14. Stress and Health Coping with Stress A group of heart attack patients were taught to relax their pace. A control group received standard medical care. After three years, relaxation-trained patients suffered 50% fewer second heart attacks compared to the control group. Relaxation Kassin, Essentials of Psychology - ©2004 Prentice Hall Publishing

15. Stress and Health Coping with Stress In Finland, middle- age men were rated for hopelessness. Six years later, higher ratings of hopelessness predicted risk of overall death, cancer, and heart attack. Hopelessness and the Risk of Death Kassin, Essentials of Psychology - ©2004 Prentice Hall Publishing

16. Stress and Health Coping with Stress Much evidence shows that social support has therapeutic effects. –Women with breast cancer who joined support groups lived an average of eighteen months longer than women who did not join these groups. –Across gender, age, income level, and ethnicity, social support lowers mortality rates. Kassin, Essentials of Psychology - ©2004 Prentice Hall Publishing

17. Stress and Health Placebo Effect –A placebo is any medical intervention designed to improved one’s condition merely via the power of suggestion. –Placebos have been used to treat allergies, headaches, insomnia, constipation, skin rashes, upset stomachs, chronic pain, and other ailments. Kassin, Essentials of Psychology - ©2004 Prentice Hall Publishing

18. Applying Psychology Psychology In The Law Jury Decision-Making Eyewitness Testimony Confession Evidence Kassin, Essentials of Psychology - ©2004 Prentice Hall Publishing

19. Psychology in the Law Jury Decision-Making Trials consist of three stages. –First, jurors are selected. –Next, lawyers present evidence. –Then, the jury deliberates until they reach a verdict. Psychologists have examined many possible sources of bias in this process. Kassin, Essentials of Psychology - ©2004 Prentice Hall Publishing

20. Psychology in the Law Jury Decision-Making Pretrial Publicity –Pretrial publicity has a significant effect on a jury’s decisions. It is harmful because they are exposed to it before the evidence is presented to them. –First impressions bias the decisions they make. Inadmissible Evidence –Despite a judge’s warning to disregard evidence because it is inflammatory, unreliable, or illegally obtained, jurors will use evidence they find relevant. Kassin, Essentials of Psychology - ©2004 Prentice Hall Publishing

21. Psychology in the Law Eyewitness Testimony Over one hundred convicted felons serving time in prison were proved innocent by DNA tests. –More than 80% of these cases contained one or more mistaken eyewitness identifications. Kassin, Essentials of Psychology - ©2004 Prentice Hall Publishing

22. Psychology in the Law Eyewitness Testimony What factors can make eyewitness testimony unreliable? –Obviously poor vision and/or viewing conditions, brief exposure, and obstruction can reduce the accuracy of eyewitness testimony. –In addition, people have difficulty recognizing members of a race other than their own and the presence of a weapon attracts attention away from what the perpetrator looks like. Kassin, Essentials of Psychology - ©2004 Prentice Hall Publishing

23. Psychology in the Law Eyewitness Testimony How does the memory process interfere with accurate eyewitness testimony? –Memories can be reconstructed due to the influence of post-event information. In a classic study, participants viewed the same accident but gave different speed estimates depending on if they were asked: “About how fast were the cars going when they hit each other?” versus “About how fast were the cars going when they smashed each other?” Kassin, Essentials of Psychology - ©2004 Prentice Hall Publishing

24. Psychology in the Law Eyewitness Testimony What Influences Lineup Identification? –Recommendations to make eyewitness testimony more accurate are: Police should use open-ended questions and avoid leading questions when interviewing witnesses. The suspect should not be distinctive from the others in the lineup. The witness should be informed that the perpetrator may or may not be in the lineup. Kassin, Essentials of Psychology - ©2004 Prentice Hall Publishing

25. Psychology in the Law Eyewitness Testimony Are Child Witnesses Competent to Testify? –Research indicates that repetition, misinformation, leading questions, and outside sources of information can bias a child’s memory. Preschoolers are the most vulnerable to these effects. Psychologists offer interviewing guidelines to decrease bias and sometimes testify as expert witnesses regarding the reliability of child testimony. Kassin, Essentials of Psychology - ©2004 Prentice Hall Publishing

26. Psychology in the Law Confession Evidence Police Interrogations –People can confess to a crime that they did not commit. The risk of this increases when a suspect lacks a clear memory of the event and when false evidence is presented. Kassin, Essentials of Psychology - ©2004 Prentice Hall Publishing

27. Psychology in the Law Confession Evidence Polygraph –Records multiple channels of autonomic arousal and is often used as a lie-detector test. –Arousal in response to crime-relevant questions is compared to arousal in response to control questions. Kassin, Essentials of Psychology - ©2004 Prentice Hall Publishing

28. Psychology in the Law Confession Evidence In this depiction of the physiological responses of a crime suspect judged guilty, heart rate and perspiration increased more in response to a crime-relevant question than to a control question. However, scientific opinion is split regarding whether the polygraph works. –Truthful people do fail the test. –People can pass the test by faking. Lie-Detector Test Kassin, Essentials of Psychology - ©2004 Prentice Hall Publishing

29. Applying Psychology Psychology In The Workplace The Hawthorne Effect Leadership Motivation At Work Kassin, Essentials of Psychology - ©2004 Prentice Hall Publishing

30. Psychology in the Workplace The Hawthorne Effect The study of motivation in the workplace led to the discovery of the Hawthorne effect. –The finding that workers who were put in a special experimental room became more productive regardless of what changes were made Kassin, Essentials of Psychology - ©2004 Prentice Hall Publishing

31. Psychology in the Workplace Leadership There are different ways to study leadership. –One approach examines traits associated with strong leaders. –Another perspective argues that leadership ability depends on time, place, and circumstances. –Transformational leaders are characterized by charisma, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration of others. Kassin, Essentials of Psychology - ©2004 Prentice Hall Publishing

32. Psychology in the Workplace Motivation at Work Intrinsic Motivation –An inner drive that motivates people in the absence of external reward or punishment Extrinsic Motivation –The desire to engage in an activity for money, recognition, or other tangible benefits Kassin, Essentials of Psychology - ©2004 Prentice Hall Publishing

33. Psychology in the Workplace Motivation at Work Research has found that when people are externally rewarded for an activity that they already enjoy, they sometimes lose interest in it. –College students worked on fun puzzles during three one-hour sessions. –During the second session, some participants were paid to work on the puzzles and others were not. –Time spent on puzzles during breaks between the sessions was recorded. –Those paid in the second session showed less interest in the puzzles during the breaks, when no pay was available. Kassin, Essentials of Psychology - ©2004 Prentice Hall Publishing

34. Psychology in the Workplace Motivation at Work Insurance workers were moved temporarily to new offices. Those sent to higher- status offices showed increased performance. Those sent to lower- status offices showed decreased performance. Equity Motivation Kassin, Essentials of Psychology - ©2004 Prentice Hall Publishing

35. Psychology in the Workplace Motivation at Work Equity Theory –People want the ratio between input and outcome to be roughly the same for themselves as for others Kassin, Essentials of Psychology - ©2004 Prentice Hall Publishing