Psychology

Lily Brown of the Perelman School of Medicine spoke about how people can cope with catastrophic events like storms and floods. “I think an important first step is to give yourself space to feel what you need to feel. Because often, in the aftermath of a tragedy, we put our heads down and sort of, you know, grit our teeth, and do whatever we can to survive. And that’s appropriate in the immediate aftermath of a stressor or a trauma like this,” she said.

Research by Marissa Sharif of the Wharton School and colleagues found that leisure time is only psychologically beneficial to a certain extent. “The sweet spot is a moderate amount of free time,” she said. “We found that having too much time was associated with lower subjective wellbeing due to a lacking sense of productivity and purpose.”

A new book by Edward Brodkin of the Perelman School of Medicine and therapist Ashley Pallathra explores how strong communication skills can bring people together. The authors offered tips for navigating the social aspects of returning to in-person work.

Damon Centola of the Annenberg School for Communication authored a 2016 study that found competition can motivate behavioral change.

Jeremy Tyler of the Perelman School of Medicine spoke about the pressure faced by Olympic athletes. “Imagine going into the most important moment of your present lifetime, the world watching, having the knowledge that everyone expects you to live up to your reputation of being the best … and you’ve got go into it completely alone, without any social or emotional support,” he said. “I can’t think of a higher pressure or more daunting task to go through.”

PIK Professor Dolores Albarracín spoke about how conspiracy theories persist, even when countered with facts. “The belief contains a device that protects it,” she said. “Nothing can invalidate the conspiracy theory. Trying to refute the theory proves the theory and signals you as a conspirator.”

Katy Milkman of the Wharton School spoke about taking a strategic approach to changing behaviors. “If you haven’t built a system that makes it fun to do whatever it is that’s good for you, you won’t persist. And persistence is what makes us successful when it comes to change,” she said.