Psychology

Social media use increases depression and loneliness

Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram may not be great for personal well-being. For the first time, an experimental study shows a causal link between time spent on these social media and increased depression and loneliness.

Michele W. Berger

New scholars named to promote research into the influence of gender on health

Melanie Kornides of the School of Nursing, Jennifer Lewey of the Perelman School of Medicine, and C. Alix Timko of Medicine and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia are pursuing research that examines the role of sex and gender on health, supported by the Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women’s Health program.

Katherine Unger Baillie

How parenting affects antisocial behaviors in children

In a recent study of the parental caregiving environment, psychologist Rebecca Waller found that within identical twin pairs, the child who experienced harsher behavior and less parental warmth was at a greater risk for developing antisocial behaviors.

Michele W. Berger

How do stereotypes affect what people think is fair?

Stereotypes systematically affect what people think is fair, according to new research from psychologist Anna Jenkins. The findings make it possible to predict how people will treat members of different social groups.

Michele W. Berger

Exploring the human propensity to cooperate

Working with a nomadic group in Tanzania, one of the last remaining nomadic hunter-gatherer populations, Penn psychologists show that cooperation is flexible, not fixed.

Michele W. Berger

A neural link between altruism and empathy toward strangers

Studying the brain activity of people who have donated a kidney to a stranger, psychologist Kristin Brethel-Haurwitz found a clear link between real-world altruism and empathy, particularly in regard to the pain and fear of strangers.

Michele W. Berger

A squirmy, slimy, crunchy new potential staple of the American diet

Psychologist Paul Rozin discusses how it’s possible to get past the ick factor of eating bugs (the key is exposure), and how the insects actually taste. It’s all part of his research focusing on the emotion of disgust as it relates to food.

Michele W. Berger

Testing the reproducibility of social science research

A team co-led by Gideon Nave of the Wharton School replicated 21 high-profile social science studies and found discrepancies with the original research. Researchers betting in prediction markets, however, were quite accurate at predicting which findings would replicate and which would not.

Katherine Unger Baillie

Study finds most teens avoid rash, impulsive behavior

A new study found that the majority of teenagers avoid the kind of impulsive behavior commonly associated with “typical teenagers,” citing that imbalance models in brain development is evident in only a subset of teens.

Penn Today Staff



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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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