Psychology | Penn Today

Here is the science of why you doomscroll

Emily Falk of the Annenberg School for Communication writes that, “by making choices based on your goals and values, you’ll influence not just yourself but also those around you.”

Two medical personnel looking at an fMRI image on a computer.

A new understanding of brain activity when we ‘read the minds’ of others

Penn psychologists Anna Jenkins and Dilara Berkay show the role of uncertainty in engagement of the dorsal medial prefrontal cortex. Their findings pave the way for a broader understanding of autism and social anxiety.

3 min. read

To make better choices, understand how your brain processes values

In a Q&A, Emily Falk of the Annenberg School for Communication discusses how the brain sifts through options and how reflecting on priorities can help align behaviors with long-term aims.

Tackling brain conditions, says psychology professor Nicole Rust, requires thinking about the brain not as a domino chain but as a complex dynamical system with feedback loops.

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Q&A

‘Elusive Cures: Why Neuroscience Hasn’t Solved Brain Disorders—and How We Can Change That’

The first book from psychology professor Nicole Rust of the School of Arts & Sciences dives into why research on conditions like Alzheimer’s and depression hasn’t translated more effectively into better treatments.

5 min. read

Harvard-trained educator: Kids who learn how to use AI will become smarter adults—if they avoid this No. 1 mistake

In her commencement speech to the Graduate School of Education, Angela Duckworth of the School of Arts & Sciences discusses the value of AI.

Exploring the ‘liking gap’ and what it means socially

Erica Boothby of the Wharton School discusses how to overcome the “liking gap,” the misconception people have that they aren’t liked by others.

Five small habits sports psychologists wish everyone did

Elizabeth Nobis of Penn Athletics recommends small habits and mental tools to help reset a person’s attitude.

The default-parent problem

Katy Milkman of the Wharton School says that many people jump to stereotypical conclusions about the mother as the caregiver.

What behavioral strategies motivate environmental action?

A collaborative study from researchers affiliated with the Annenberg School for Communication, Annenberg Public Policy Center, and School of Arts & Sciences tested 17 strategies in an “intervention tournament.”

4 min. read

How nearly a century of happiness research led to one big finding

Martin Seligman of the School of Arts & Sciences is cited for his work encouraging psychologists “to make the lives of all people more fulfilling and productive.”

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