Money matters to happiness—perhaps more than previously thought
Research from Wharton’s Matthew Killingsworth shows that contrary to previous influential work, there’s no dollar-value plateau at which money’s importance lessens. One potential reason: Higher earners feel an increased sense of control over life.
Why the pandemic introduces language that is ‘hard to explain’
Linguist Andrea Beltrama discusses new words and phrases that have entered the language during the current health crisis, and the “massive” impact the pandemic has had on language.
Brannon lab manager Nuwar Ahmed (in red) plays the cup game with a young participant. The object is to “feed” the dino a fish hidden under a different cup each round. The researchers then watch to see how many tries it takes the children to find the fish. (Photo: Brooke Sietinsons)
Minds in the wild
As part of a MindCORE effort to bring research into the community, behavioral psychologist Elizabeth Brannon and her team spent the summer conducting two studies at the Academy of Natural Sciences to better understand how children learn.
Penn neuroscientist Zab Johnson (standing, second from right) led an exercise during which the mindCORE students studied a single painting for an hour. The idea, she explains, is to “slow down and really take a good look.”
One hour, one painting: A Barnes visit reveals clues about how the brain processes visual cues
The exercise is one part of a two-week mindCORE summer workshop aimed at underrepresented undergrads across the country. This year’s program focused on language science and technology, and minds in the world.
Colin Twomey studies how groups, both human and animal, make collective decisions. His research covers a variety of topics, including fish behavior and human color perception.
How do individual decisions affect group decisions?
Postdoctoral fellow Colin Twomey looks to fish behavior to explore the dynamic between individual and group decision-making.
Penn psychologists Coren Apicella and Geoffrey Goodwin (at podium) co-direct the new Social and Behavioral Sciences Initiative, part of mindCORE. Corey Cusimano (center), a grad student in Goodwin’s lab, will also participate. Cusimano studies the ways in which people hold others responsible for their attitudes. (Photo: Yevgeniy Olkhov)
Social scientists trade academic silos for shared work space
Faculty and grad students in the new Social and Behavioral Sciences Initiative have access to two state-of-the-art labs, grants, and a collaborative environment aimed at creating a vibrant research community.
