Psychology

A young child at a table with an adult, playing a game with blue plastic cups.

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.

Michele W. Berger ・

Two people face each other, smiling widely and looking into each other's eyes.

No evidence that testosterone reduces cognitive empathy

In the largest study of its kind, researchers found that testosterone administration did not affect cognitive empathy, a measure of the ability to recognize another’s feelings and motivations. The finding calls into question the theory that the symptoms of autism are caused by a hyper-masculinized brain.

Katherine Unger Baillie ・

Four people in brightly colored clothing standing in a white hallway.

Using a matching game to study the language of conversations

Penn undergrads Lilian Zhang and Kassidy Houston, and University of Chicago student Benjamin Stallworth, interned in the lab of cognitive psychologist Delphine Dahan doing work to better understand what subconsciously happens when people converse.

Michele W. Berger ・

Person sitting at a table with blurry people in front and a screen hanging on the wall behind, which reads, "Experiential effects on brain development."

Five insights into how the brain works

As the Center for Neuroscience & Society celebrates 10 years, founding director Martha Farah reflects on the array of research from its faculty, on subjects from brain games to aggression.

Michele W. Berger ・

A person sitting in front of a computer and a machine that tests vision.

When a fix for one vision problem causes another

Aging diminishes the ability of the eyes to focus up close. New Penn research reports that monovision, a common prescription lens correction to mitigate this issue, can cause dramatic misperceptions of depth and 3D direction for objects in motion.

Michele W. Berger ・



In the News


CNBC

Jeff Bezos’ simple 3-step strategy for Amazon’s success can help you become a ‘big leader’ too

Adam Grant of the Wharton School says that the more a leader focuses on doing something to benefit others, the more likely they are to produce something that’s also going to achieve success for themselves.

FULL STORY →

PBS NewsHour

‘Brains and Beauty’ exhibit explores how the mind processes art and aesthetic experiences

Anjan Chatterjee of the Perelman School of Medicine says that the aesthetic triad is a mental system for engaging with an artwork.

FULL STORY →

The Washington Post

Is it anxiety or something else? What women should know

Lily Brown of the Perelman School of Medicine says that rates of anxiety disorders skyrocket around the time of first menstruation in puberty.

FULL STORY →

The New York Times

If you’re sure how the next four years will play out, I promise: You’re wrong

In an opinion essay, Adam Grant of the Wharton School says that acknowledging that the future is unknowable and unpredictable can bring some comfort when it feels like the world is shattered.

FULL STORY →

Psychology Today

The quiet leaders: How shy CEOs succeed

Adam Grant of the Wharton School says that introverts tend to be less threatened by others’ ideas, collecting many of them before determining a vision.

FULL STORY →

Barron’s

How to make the most of your network: A blueprint for female advisors

“Give and Take,” a book by Adam Grant of the Wharton School, addresses the research, activities, and successes of “givers,” people who prioritize others’ needs without offering anything in return.

FULL STORY →