If you’re a political junkie like me, or just a casual election-follower, you’ve probably read a few polls that made your jaw drop. Here are some things a skeptical poll consumer should look for before letting their jaw fully drop. Selection Bi …
One in five children in the US suffers from mental illness, but less than 25% of those children actually receive mental health services. That’s absolutely terrifying, especially if you consider all the kids who have other psychological struggles but do …
Have you ever wondered why people tend to blame the victim for the negative circumstances that befall them? Social psychologists have! Melvin Lerner coined the term “belief in a just world” to describe the cognitive bias people have that the world is g …
Twin and adoption studies have consistently demonstrated significant genetic contribution to psychiatric disorders ranging from roughly 30% for major depression to approximately 80% in bipolar disorder. While modern research is far from explaining the …
by Andrew Sanders and Kate Humphreys Making decisions can be a difficult task. How do we choose to get from point A to point B? Does our decision change whether we are running late for an important engagement? Does stress facilitate our decision making …
One of the many reasons I like studying the brain is that its function is so directly tied to all the actions I do every day. As I go through the world it’s easy to forget that my brain is working hard coordinating my muscles and senses, so I like lit …
Benjamin Karney and Thomas Bradbury are a dynamic duo. These UCLA professors study what makes successful marriages last by following 172 married couples over the first 11 years of marriage. For example, they recently found that just professing (and bel …
I’m not a great cook, but I know what I like. Or do I? Research from Brian Wansink and colleagues may challenge our ideas about how we think of food. How do we behave at buffets? Can a clever name really encourage us to eat something ordinary? Will pla …
First published on HuffPost “This is America, where everyone has the right to life, love and the pursuit of fame.” — Ryan Seacrest, American Idol, 2010 In the new millennium, people face messages highlighting the significance of fame everywhere they l …
The New York Times published an opinion piece this weekend titled, Are We Really Monolingual?. The piece mainly focuses on the various issues in how we try to estimate the number of languages a person speaks. The article writes, Since 1980, the United …
Interested in getting involved in research? Here are some tips for getting started in research, which is a great way to learn more about psychology, develop your interests, and gain valuable experience! Opportunities to be involved in research can be e …
“They agreed that computers had, so far, made surprisingly little impact on schools – far less than in other realms of society such as media and medicine and law. For that to change, Gates said, computers and mobile devices would have to focus on deli …
One of the areas of research I’m interested in is exercise. Most of us are aware that exercise benefits our well-being. It helps keeps our heart strong, maintain a healthy weight, and combat stress. However, is exercise so good it works as well as phar …
Co-Authored by Leah D. Smith and David J. Lick “Sperm are cheap and eggs are expensive.” For decades, psychologists have relied on this mantra to explain why women are sexually choosy and men are sexually promiscuous. However, if women are so prudish …
Self-regulation is an extremely important skill to develop. In fact, as I am writing this post, with no outside person or institution forcing me to do, on a vacation day when it is sunny outside, I am demonstrating formidable self-regulation. I belie …
To Review: why do we have multiple interpretations of physical world? As pointed out in Genna’s blog, 3D objects in the real world are represented in 2D format on our retina. Our visual system, then, has to take this 2D signal and build back out of the …
Now all your applications are in and right about now, you’re starting to worry about the next step…INTERVIEWS. No need to panic. The first step is just to take a deep breath. Applying to graduate school in clinical psychology is a long and stressful pr …
At this time of year many of us kick back, anticipating that we will reassert self-control in January with New Year’s resolutions. In November, you may have read the post “It’s the season of eating, should we be concerned?” which discussed binge eating …
Imagine walking into a room filled with people crying. They are all wearing black; makeup running; tissues clutched hard in their hands. Instinctively, you too are overcome by the grief that is flowing through the room, knowing the cause of their miser …
The following post discusses key plot elements of two films currently in theaters – Melancholia and Martha Marcy May Marlene. Although the post purposefully does not give away the ending of the films, be advised that potential spoilers abound.
I find working with older adults to be extraordinarily rewarding. The anecdotes, the advice, the good sense – I love them all, even when they’re unsolicited. Because of all the wonderful things my older participants bring into the lab to share with me, …