Psychology | Penn Today

Three students engaged in conversation sitting at a desk covered with papers, notebooks, and a computer.

Advice-giving benefits the person sharing guidance

In a Q&A, Wharton postdoc Lauren Eskreis-Winkler discusses new findings that signal it may be time to shift how we think about motivation and achievement.

In defense of mayonnaise

Paul Rozin of the School of Arts and Sciences spoke about why many people hate mayonnaise for its slimy texture, which some believe resembles bodily fluids. “Anything that reminds us that we are animals elicits disgust,” said Rozin.

In Pennsylvania, ‘deaths of despair’ are 50% higher than the national average

Maria Oquendo of the Perelman School of Medicine is quoted on increased suicide rates in Pennsylvania.

What the woods do for stressed students

Gregory T. Eells of Counseling and Psychological Services is quoted on his research on how nature can combat unhealthy stress.

A group of people, some sitting on a bench, some standing, looking at something offscreen, with paintings on yellow walls in the background.

One hour, one painting: A Barnes visit reveals clues about how the brain processes visual cues

The exercise is one part of a two-week mindCORE summer workshop aimed at underrepresented undergrads across the country. This year’s program focused on language science and technology, and minds in the world.

Upgrade your memory with a surgically implanted chip

Michael Kahana of the School of Arts and Sciences discussed his contributions to the development of an implantable prosthetic memory aid. “Just like meteorologists predict the weather by putting sensors in the environment that measure humidity and wind speed and temperature, we put sensors in the brain and measure electrical signals,” Kahana said. If it doesn’t detect enough brain activity, the device then provides a small zap to trigger memory formation.

Nearly half of men hospitalized with physical injuries develop depression or PTSD, study suggests

A new study from the School of Nursing has found that while nearly half of black men treated for injuries in Philadelphia hospitals develop depression or PTSD after being discharged, only 7% of trauma centers screen patients for mental illness. Co-author Therese Richmond said, “we must integrate psychological care into the very essence of trauma care if we are to improve outcomes from serious injuries.”

Will a ‘burnout’ diagnosis help cure what ails the modern worker?

Maria Oquendo of the Perelman School of Medicine wrote about news that the World Health Organization has added burnout as an official medical diagnosis. While some debate the addition’s benefits, Oquendo believes that it’s “an important tool to further research on the seemingly rising modern malady of burnout: a consistent definition.”

‘Screen time’ is over

Johannes Eichstaedt of the School of Arts and Sciences was cited for his research on Facebook usage by people with depression. The study’s subjects appeared to write about themselves on the social media platform more than users without a depression diagnosis. “Suffering generally contracts focus on the self, whereas mental well-being extends focus beyond the self,” said Eichstaedt.

A child wearing an electroencephalogram cap looking at a bright screen, with someone standing nearby.

Names prompt distinct brain activity in preschoolers

A study from Penn and CHOP found that when preschoolers with autism spectrum disorder hear their name, their neural patterns match those of their typically developing peers. The finding held regardless of whether the child’s mom or a stranger called the name.

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