9/27
Michele W. Berger
Senior Science News Officer
mwberger@upenn.edu
Psychology
What beliefs shape our minds?
What beliefs shape our minds?
Jer Clifton of the Positive Psychology Center developed a framework to study primal world beliefs, our most fundamental sentiments about the world as a whole. Now, he’s ready for everyone to discover what their primal world beliefs are.
In the pursuit of scientific truth, working with adversaries can pay off
In the pursuit of scientific truth, working with adversaries can pay off
The Adversarial Collaboration Project, run by Cory Clark and Philip Tetlock, helps scientists with competing perspectives design joint research that tests both arguments.
Managing mental health amid gun violence
Managing mental health amid gun violence
In 2021, Philadelphia saw a record number of 486 homicides by shooting as well 1,846 non-fatal shootings. According to clinical psychologist Leah Blain, exposure to trauma, including to gun violence, increases the risk of negative health outcomes.
Helping the brain to heal the gut
Helping the brain to heal the gut
In the second edition of her book on irritable bowel syndrome, Penn psychologist Melissa Hunt explores advances made in the past decade. Her aim is to offer accessible, effective, self-help psychological treatment for those who suffer from the disorder.
Incarceration associated with negative mental health risks for Black men
Incarceration associated with negative mental health risks for Black men
A review of literature from the past decade found that for this group in the U.S. such a detention was linked to higher levels of psychological distress, more severe symptoms of PTSD and depression, and more.
Both nature and nurture contribute to signatures of socioeconomic status in the brain
Both nature and nurture contribute to signatures of socioeconomic status in the brain
In the first study of its kind, Penn researchers and an international team of collaborators found that genetics and environmental factors contribute to how socioeconomic status shapes the architecture of the brain.
The past, present, and future of the Positive Humanities
The past, present, and future of the Positive Humanities
A new Oxford Handbook from Penn’s James Pawelski and Louis Tay of Purdue explores this emerging field, which brings together positive psychology, philosophy, the humanities, and the arts.
Social connections influence brain structure of rhesus macaques
Social connections influence brain structure of rhesus macaques
Researchers from Penn, Inserm, and elsewhere observed that the number of grooming partners an individual animal had predicted the size of brain areas associated with social decision-making and empathy.
Perceptions shaped social behavior during the pandemic
Perceptions shaped social behavior during the pandemic
Research from Penn psychologists found that Americans who most feared losing their connections continued interacting with others, paradoxically acting in ways that risked prolonging disease-mitigating social restrictions.
Why are alcohol- and drug-related deaths rising in the U.S. and not elsewhere?
Why are alcohol- and drug-related deaths rising in the U.S. and not elsewhere?
With insights from anthropology and neuroscience, Penn researchers Michael Platt and Peter Sterling find that, in comparison, 16 other wealthy nations offer communal assistance at every life stage, support that protects individuals and families long term.
Media Contact
In the News
PhillyVoice
At Penn museum’s art of smells exhibit, beauty is in the nose of the beholder
Norwegian-born smell researcher and artist Sissel Tolaas will have her first major U.S. exhibition, where interactable installations elicit sensations through smell, on display in the Institute of Contemporary Art through Dec. 30.
FULL STORY →
Los Angeles Times
The fear of public places in the age of COVID: Is it agoraphobia or something else?
Sandy Capaldi of the Perelman School of Medicine defines agoraphobia and explains what distinguishes it from other anxiety disorders in the context of the pandemic.
FULL STORY →
CNBC
I’m still single but this is why I’m quitting dating apps like Tinder and Hinge forever
Russel Ramsay of the Perelman School of Medicine is quoted on the notion of uncertainty as an anxiety generator.
FULL STORY →
The Guardian
Do later school start times make teens happier? California’s about to find out
Phillip Gehrman of the Perelman School of Medicine says that California’s new school start time laws are a good idea from a circadian-rhythms and mental health perspective, though challenges exist for younger students forced to wait for the bus in the dark.
FULL STORY →
Slate.com
Could brain scans bring psychiatry into the 21st century?
Dani Bassett of the School of Engineering and Applied Science and Desmond Oathes of the Perelman School of Medicine are quoted on the contrast between brain imaging and the tried-and-true, low-tech clinical interview.
FULL STORY →
The New York Times
So you wanted to get work done at the office?
Adam Grant of the Wharton School says that letting people work outside the office frees them from group think and micromanagement, allowing them to generate more and better ideas.
FULL STORY →