Photo by Jorge Quinteros

New and emerging media have changed the way we get information (e.g. Google), share information (e.g. Twitter, blogs), and interact with each other (e.g. Facebook). It's clear that these technologies represent a revolution in the way we learn and communicate.

However, psychology as a profession has been slow to adopt these technologies. This is probably due to gaps in technology literacy, a fear of new ethical challenges, and a scarcity in recommendations for using these technologies.

In this 3-part article, I will outline simple steps psychologists can take to adopt new media technologies. Part 1, The Times Are Changing, summaries what new media are and why they are important. Part 2, Be Like Gaga, describes how to develop an online identity. Part 3, The Sword of Gryffindor, details the ethical implications of new media and recommended strategies for their effective use.

Opening Session of the Conference

Attendees discussed the future of psychological practice, participated in leadership training, and advocated for professional psychology on Capitol Hill. Below are highlights from the conference.

However, for the past few years I’ve felt stuck. My photos began to look the same. The composition was fine, but I didn't feel an emotional connection to my work. I realized that I needed to make big changes in my life in order to grow as a photographer.

One of my friends suggested I embark on a Project 365. The goal of the project is to create 1 photo every day for a year. Not only does this project challenge you to experiment with photography, it also helps you to become more aware of yourself and your surroundings.

Highlights from my Project 365

On February 1st, 2010, I started my own Project 365. What follows is an overview of how I used 8 strategies from cognitive behavior therapy to successfully take 365 photographs.]]>Update From the Fall 2010 APAGS Committee Meetinghttp://www.alimattu.com/blog/2010/10/25/update-from-the-fall-2010-apags-committee-meeting.htmlAli Mattu2010-10-25T17:51:23ZAPAGSFrom October 21st through October 24, the APAGS Committee met in Washington, D.C. to discuss issues affecting psychology graduate students and to develop resources to meet the needs of our diverse constituency. This meeting represented one of the largest in APAGS’ history. In addition to APAGS staff, 9 elected committee members, 5 appointed subcommittee chairs, 3 appointed liaisons, and 5 invited delegates were in attendance. Collectively, these 22 graduate student leaders represented a wide variety of psychology subfields, training programs, and geographic locations.

The APAGS Committee approved the development of several initiatives that highlight the key goals of our organization – to serve the needs of all psychology graduate students, promote diversity in psychology, nurture the professional development of graduate students, and advance the effective use of technology in psychology.

Below you can find summaries of these new initiatives.  

I often tell my colleagues that trichotillomania (hair pulling disorder) represents the wild west of psychological disorders. Unfortunately, it remains one of the least researched and most misunderstood disorders in the DSM. Additionally, there is a lot of pseudoscience, snake oil, and plain old quackery on the internet about the best way to treat it.

In this article, I will highlight what we do know about scientifically supported treatments for trichotillomania. As a disclaimer, this is only an introduction to treating trichotillomania and is not intended to formally train clinicians. Lastly, I will not be reviewing medical treatments for trichotillomania (you can learn more about those here).

Historical Treatments

Photo by Gregory Parker

The first scientifically based treatment for trichotillomania was Habit Reversal Training (HRT) (Azrin, Nunn, & Frantz, 1980; Duke, Keeley, Geffken, & Storch, 2010). During HRT, individuals become more aware of their hair pulling behavior and practice interrupting the behavior by engaging in incompatible behaviors. For example, people who use their hands to pull from their scalp might practice reaching down towards one’s knees. While HRT has been effective in the treatment of tics and Tourette’s Disorder, it doesn’t work for everyone who has trichotillomania and also has a high rate of relapse. Why? As I described in a previous article, trichotillomania is a very heterogeneous disorder and affects each person differently. A “one size fits all” treatment just won’t work for trichotillomania.

APA Members Advocating for GPE on Capitol HillRight now, the Senate has approved $3 million in appropriations for GPE while the House is planning to approve $7 million. We need you to contact your Senators and Representatives and ask them to support the House level $7 million funding when this goes into conference committee.

With $7 million, GPE will expand to provide additional services to three specific underserved populations – veterans (and their families), the unemployed, and older adults. Each of these populations is struggling with PTSD, depression, and an alarming epidemic of suicidality. These mental illnesses are serious, but treatable. Psychologists can make a difference here. We are the only health-care professionals uniquely trained to assess, diagnose, treat, and prevent mental illness. Supporting GPE will not only save lives, but it will save money. For a modest amount of funding, Congress will support the education of psychologists and will provide healthcare services for those who have nowhere else to go.

1. Learning about yourself.
2. Learning about different cultures.
3. Interacting with diverse groups.
4. Attending diversity-focused conferences.
5. Lobbying your department.

I found this except particularly helpful:

Get started by exploring your own historical roots, beliefs and values, says Robert C. Weigl, PhD, a psychologist at the Franklin Center in Alexandria, Va., who described a protocol for such self-reflection in a 2009 paper in the International Journal of Intercultural Relations (Vol. 33, No. 4). The eight-step process includes such exercises as describing your ancestors and their experiences, thinking about how your family functions as a group, and characterizing your most representative style of thought as emotional or rational, "me-centered" or "we-centered," and the like. Self-assessment makes participants realize the pervasive role culture plays in their lives, says Weigl. It also makes people aware of their own biases while sparking open-minded curiosity about other cultures.

Read the full article for more details, including the story behind my biggest mistake as a trainee.

Photo by FotoRita

While estimates vary, about 1 in 50 or 2% of the general population has trichotillomania. This makes the disorder more common than Schizophrenia and Bipolar Depression. Unlike anxiety disorders (e.g. panic disorder, social anxiety, PTSD) where the main symptoms are stress and fear, trichotillomania has a far more complex and heterogeneous set of symptoms.

When trichotillomania first develops (often around puberty), most individuals don’t even realize they are pulling their hair. It happens automatically and without any conscious effort. Unlike anxiety disorders where fear becomes associated with specific situations, researchers believe that it is a complex integration of biology (genetics, hormones, neuroanatomy), psychology (emotional regulation), and environment that drives an individual to pull their hair. While some do pull their hair to lower anxiety, many also pull out of boredom, sadness, anger, frustration, loneliness, or excitement. There is also a different type of hair pulling called focused pulling. During focused pulling, individuals are consciously taking time out of their day to sit and pull their hair until a certain goal is reached (e.g. pulling out all grey hairs or creating symmetry in the hairline). This type of pulling is often relaxing and makes the person feel good when they have accomplished their goal.