European Psychologist Moves Forward

We have had a productive year at the editorial offices of the European Psychologist. Since our last editorial (Grob & Lavallee, 2011), outlining the new direction and scope of the journal, we have made a lot of progress in changing direction from mostly empirical articles to nearly exclusively integrative papers. Starting with this first issue of 2013, expect to see reviews and synthesizing articles on cutting-edge topics, current directions in the field, and directions for the broad base of psychologists in both research and practice. European Psychologist is moving into the future as a showcase of relevant and intriguing research from across Europe as well as from further afield.

In the current issue, we present challenging ideas and topics that you may find relevant to your own research, or simply of interest to you or your students. For example, we have an article by researchers from Switzerland and The Netherlands on the use of cell phones in data collection (Kuntsche & Labhart, 2013) that brings us up to speed on how to apply this near-universal technology to research. As social science modernizes, and paper and pencil questionnaires fade toward obsolescence, we are challenged to adapt and change our methods, and to gain many advantages in so doing. Ecological momentary assessment (i.e., sampling behavior in real time and in naturalistic environments) in general, and mobile phone data collection in particular, allows for data collection in real time, can provide many more data points and much more accuracy than standard methods, and can be used to assess unique aspects of human behavior previously unexplored, such as geographic movement within a population. Kuntsche and Labhart outline past and present uses for cell phones, and provide an easy-to-use example of how it might work in practice.

In addition to this new direction, we also have overviews of several different topic areas. Researchers from the UK provide a comprehensive review on resilience, a broad and important topic that spans multiple areas of psychology (Fletcher & Sarkar, 2013). We also have a review from Germany on procrastination, a very highly prevalent behavior, engaged in by the majority of people in academia and about a fourth of the general population, yet consistently unpleasant, counterproductive, and undesirable (Klingsieck, 2013). Klingsieck illuminates this fascinating and (in academia) seemingly ubiquitous phenomenon for us in light of research on personality, motivation, and clinical disorders, and differentiates it from more rational and less negative strategic delay. Colleagues from the UK and Poland elucidate cognitive aspects of subclinical depression that include potentially beneficial attentional processes (von Hecker, Sedek, & Brzezicka, 2013), adding to our knowledge of other beneficial processes associated with depressed mood, such as creativity (Verhaeghen, Joorman, & Khan, 2005). Italian and Dutch colleagues provide an in-depth meta-analysis on the unique patterns of attachment found in the Italian population – the first large-scale culture-specific meta-analysis of attachment specific to Italy (Cassibba, Sette, Bakermans-Kranenburg, & van IJzendoorn, 2013). They found cultural differences indicating that avoidant attachment may be more prevalent in nonclinical Italian samples of infants and mothers, while adult unresolved loss appears to be lower than in the comparison North American population. The authors theorize that this may be due to cultural differences in parenting styles, with this meditational possibility ripe for further research.

In one of our few remaining empirical articles to be published in European Psychologist, Albert, Ferring, and Michels (2013) address intergenerational family values in native and migrant families in Luxembourg. As borders are increasingly permeated, and once homogeneous enclaves within Europe become more heterogeneous and diverse, an understanding of migrants and the culture and values they bring to new countries is critical. This particular study enriches our understanding of the complex processes at work in immigrant families and the acculturation gap between generations in family values related to obligations toward the family.

In the coming months, we will present synthesizing articles on topics addressing educational outcomes, multiculturalism in Europe, environmental conservation, forgiveness, and the impact of violent media on behavior. We are very excited about how the journal is developing, and hope that you will find the articles relevant to your own research and practice as well as fascinating in their own right.

Finally, several new board members and three new associate editors joined us in 2012. The new additions to the editorial board are Louise Arseneault (UK), Iris M. Engelhard (The Netherlands), Judi Mesman (The Netherlands), Sabina Pauen (Germany), Sandro Rubichi (Italy), and Lennart Sjöberg (Sweden; rejoined). Torkil Clemmensen (Denmark) joined the board at the beginning of 2013. Our new associate editors are Rainer Banse (Germany; social, legal and personality psychology), Ulrike Ehlert (Switzerland; clinical and biological psychology), and Giovanni Galfano (Italy; cognitive psychology). We welcome them and greatly appreciate their expertise and time devoted to ensuring the quality of the manuscripts they have reviewed and edited this past year.