Psychology | Penn Today

Why the holidays stress us out so much—and how to cope

Lily Brown of the Perelman School of Medicine discussed strategies for minimizing holiday stress. Brown recommended budgeting to counter overspending, self-care to help time-management, keeping cool to handle family conflicts, and staying present to avoid overidealizing the season.

A black man and a white woman shaking hands

In negotiations, one strategy leads to better economic gains, but worse relationships

Behavioral scientist Nazli Bhatia found that aggressive but retracted offers known as ‘phantom anchors’ can improve outcomes—but only when employed with finesse.

Died of a broken heart? The science behind close couple deaths

David Casarett of the Perelman School of Medicine spoke about the phenomenon of spouses dying shortly after one another. Casarett said social and cultural factors may play a role, as in cases when “the surviving spouses stop taking care of themselves. Sometimes they become depressed.”

line drawing of two heads and lightbulbs implying intelligence

Bigger brains are smarter, but not by much

Using a large dataset and controlling for a variety of factors, including sex, age, height, socioeconomic status, and genetic ancestry, Gideon Nave of the Wharton School and Philipp Koellinger of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam found that people with larger brains rated higher on measures of intelligence, but only accounts for two percent of the variation in smarts.

Four days of intensive therapy can reverse OCD for years

Martin Franklin of Penn Medicine and the School of Arts and Sciences commented on a new method for treating OCD. While Franklin was “very impressed” with the results, he noted that the researchers’ analysis lacked a control group.

What to do if mental illness runs in your family, like Bruce Springsteen’s

The Perelman School of Medicine’s Christian Kohler offered guidance to those at risk of developing schizophrenia. “You might not notice the symptoms, but family members may be able to pick up on it,” said Kohler.

Cutting social media time can lessen depression and loneliness

Melissa Hunt of the School of Arts and Sciences shared her research on social media and wellness. “The extent to which young people are using social media can interfere with time spent on activities that can more genuinely foster self-esteem, like getting your work done, or true intimacy, like hanging out with your friends in the real world,” said Hunt.

Coren Apicella and Corey Cusimano standing to the side as Geoff Goodwin speaks at a podium.

Social scientists trade academic silos for shared work space

Faculty and grad students in the new Social and Behavioral Sciences Initiative have access to two state-of-the-art labs, grants, and a collaborative environment aimed at creating a vibrant research community.

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.

Virtual reality is more than a game at local hospitals

The Abramson Cancer Center at the Perelman School of Medicine has partnered with a local production group to create a meditative VR program designed to encourage mindfulness and manage stress in patients. The technology “relaxes even the most anxious of minds,” said Fern Nibauer-Cohen.

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