Current Directions in Psychological Science Podcast

Chronic pain and substance use disorders (SUDs) are common and debilitating, and they often persist over the longer term. Each represents a significant health problem: It’s estimated that a substantial proportion of the adult population has chronic pain or an SUD, and their co-occurrence is increasing. Research is unraveling the mechanisms of chronic pain and substance use, as well as their co-occurrence; among other things, integrated behavioral treatment options based on acceptance- and mindfulness-based approaches are increasingly being developed and tested; government agencies are devoting more funds and resources to research on chronic pain and SUD; and there have been growing efforts in training, dissemination, and implementation of evidence-based treatments. This conversation explores why it is helpful and important to treat chronic pain and substance use disorders simultaneously rather than separately. Dr. Teresa Treat, Professor of Psychology at University of Iowa, interviews author Katie Witkiewitz, a distinguished professor of psychology at the University of New Mexico and director of the Center on Alcohol, Substance Use, and Addictions.

Shannon Wiltsey Stirman, professor at Stanford University, recentely wrote about key considerations regarding the implementation of mental-health treatments. These include recent findings regarding treatment fidelity, adaptation of treatments, clinical outcomes, and training therapists to provide evidence-based therapies as they were designed to be delivered, ensuring they have the skills and ability to adapt as needed to ensure better fit regardless of where clients receive treatment. To discuss this field and future directions, Dr. Teresa Treat, Professor of Psychology at University of Iowa, interviews Shannon Wiltsey Stirman.

Scientists can now comprehensively scan the genome, testing variation across millions of genetic markers. Large consortia of scientists are analyzing data from millions of individuals. Multivariate methods enable scientists to identify genes involved in “normal” processes rather than specific disorders or traits. These advances can have a widespread effect on medicine and society. However, such rapid progress brings ethical, social, and legal challenges, including the need for increased diversity to ensure that all people benefit from advances in the field. To discuss this research, Dr. Teresa Treat, Professor of Psychology at University of Iowa, interviews Danielle M. Dick, Professor at the Department of Psychiatry and researcher at the Rutgers Addiction Research Center, at Rutgers University.

By definition, personality traits are relatively stable, but recent research has begun to investigate whether individuals can intentionally change their personalities. One intervention that might lead to personality change relies on the use of digital applications to coach people on achieving their desired personality change. Allemand and Flückiger provided a rationale for nonclinical personality-change interventions, noting that personality traits predict several life outcomes, personality change can lead to better health, and many studies have already indicated that personality traits are malleable.  

Robert Goldstone of the Percepts and Concepts Laboratory at Indiana University and editor of the APS journal Current Directions in Psychological Science interviews Mathias Allemand, Professor in the Department of Psychology at University of Zurich in Switzerland.

Studying online behavior can further understanding of misinformation and political psychology. Mosleh and colleagues discuseds the strengths, weaknesses, and ethical constraints of two approaches to studying online behavior: hybrid lab-field experiments and field experiments. In hybrid lab-field studies, researchers can control and randomize participants’ exposure to social-media content in the lab and then, in the field, survey participants’ attitudes and beliefs as well as observe their online behavior. In field experiments, researchers can use the online environment to manipulate social media exposure (e.g., via private messages or public posts) without disclosing their research and then observe the effects of the manipulation on participants’ online behavior.  

Robert Goldstone of the Percepts and Concepts Laboratory at Indiana University and editor of the APS journal Current Directions in Psychological Science interviews Mohsen Mosleh, Lecturer at the University of Exeter Business School, a Fellow at Alan Turing Institute, and a Research Affiliate at MIT Sloan School of Management.