New in the APS Observer: Nathan on the Stability of Psychopathy, David on the Stability of Intelligence?

david_myers
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‎07-19-2016 08:17 AM

Originally posted on October 7, 2014.

The October APS Observer is out with an essay by Nathan, “Once a Psychopath, Always a Psychopath?” on people who “commit horrific crimes, experience little guilt or remorse, and then commit similar crimes again.” What is their potential for change, and how can we teach students about them?

In the same issue, I offer “The Story of My Life and Yours: Stability and Change.” It’s a celebration of what I regard as one of the great studies in the history of psychological science...Ian Deary and colleagues’ discovery of the intelligence scores of virtually all Scottish 11-year-olds in 1932, and then their retesting of samples of that population up to age 90.  The bottom line:  our lives are defined by a remarkable stability that feeds our identity, and also by a potential for change that enables us to grow and to hope for a brighter future.

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David Myers has spent his entire teaching career at Hope College, Michigan, where he has been voted “outstanding professor” and has been selected by students to deliver the commencement address. His award-winning research and writings have appeared in over three dozen scientific periodicals and numerous publications for the general public. He also has authored five general audience books, including The Pursuit of Happiness and Intuition: Its Powers and Perils. David Myers has chaired his city's Human Relations Commission, helped found a thriving assistance center for families in poverty, and spoken to hundreds of college and community groups. Drawing on his experience, he also has written articles and a book (A Quiet World) about hearing loss, and he is advocating a transformation in American assistive listening technology (see www.hearingloop.org).