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Psychology

What is Havening? Experts weigh in on Justin Bieber's stress-relieving technique

What is Havening? Experts weigh in on Justin Bieber's stress-relieving technique

Melissa Hunt of the School of Arts and Sciences recommended evidence-based interventions for anxiety. “If someone is suffering enough that their ability to function or get joy out of life is impaired in some way, then cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is by far the best supported form of psychotherapy for anxiety of various types,” she said.

Working on ‘the human side’ of heritable cancers
woman with clasped hands stands in a stairwell with colorful art in the background

Allison Werner-Lin, associate professor in the School of Social Policy and Practice.

Working on ‘the human side’ of heritable cancers

How do you talk about cancer risk? How do you make major life decisions knowing you are likely to develop cancer? Allison Werner-Lin looks at these questions, studying the intersection of genetics and family life.

Kristina García

How to improve company culture? It’s simple, make employees feel like they matter

How to improve company culture? It’s simple, make employees feel like they matter

David Yaden of the School of Arts and Sciences co-led research aimed at clarifying what it means to “matter” in the workplace. Their work found that “achievement was tied more closely than recognition to self-efficacy, which is a central construct in the organizational mattering framework. On the other hand, recognition tracked more closely with manager status, promotions, and raises than did achievement, a nod to the importance of ensuring one’s good work is noticed and appreciated by coworkers.”

Paideia’s spring course offerings highlight wellness, service, and citizenship
A group of students sit on the lawn under a cherry blossom tree on College Green.

Paideia’s spring course offerings highlight wellness, service, and citizenship

The first four courses offered to Penn undergraduates as part of the new Stavros Niarchos Foundation Paideia Program will focus on passion, civility, effective communication, and a deep dive into American Chinatowns.

Kristen de Groot

How does opioid exposure affect brain development in young children?
Two people standing in a building entryway. Windows are on their left, a yellow wall with a portrait are on their right. They're both looking into the camera and smiling.

The new NIH-funded work from researchers Dylan Tisdall of Penn Medicine and Allyson Mackey of the School of Arts and Sciences will work to develop an MRI method geared specifically to three- to five-year-olds and calculate how exposure to opioids can impede neurocognitive development of children in that age range.

How does opioid exposure affect brain development in young children?

That’s the question Allyson Mackey and Dylan Tisdall hope to answer, through a new grant from an NIH initiative focused on addiction research.

Michele W. Berger