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Psychology
A novel theory on how conspiracy theories take shape
A novel theory on how conspiracy theories take shape
In a new book, Dolores Albarracín, Kathleen Hall Jamieson, and colleagues show that two factors—the conservative media and societal fear and anxiety—have driven recent widespread conspiracies, from Pizzagate to those around COVID-19 vaccines.
Mask-wearing and moral values
Mask-wearing and moral values
Tiffany Tieu led a study on the psychology of mask-wearing and its relationship with a person’s moral values, using Penn undergraduates as the subjects.
The philosophy of visual studies
The philosophy of visual studies
Founded 20 years ago, the interdisciplinary major of visual studies creates a bridge for students to combine interests, including philosophy, art history, architecture, fine arts, and psychology.
Hospitalizations for eating disorder increased during pandemic
Hospitalizations for eating disorder increased during pandemic
Researchers can’t yet pinpoint definitive reasons, though they surmise it was a combination of factors, including stress, an outsized focus on weight gain and personal appearance, and maybe even symptoms of COVID-19 itself.
Parental praise associated with longer toddler toothbrushing, a barometer of persistence
Parental praise associated with longer toddler toothbrushing, a barometer of persistence
Using a first-of-its-kind video-based study, Penn and Yale developmental psychologists found that how parents talk to their 3-year-old during toothbrushing matters to the child’s behavior.
A self-help guide to treating IBD
A self-help guide to treating IBD
In her new book, clinical psychologist Melissa Hunt offers a cognitive behavioral therapy approach to helping people with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis improve their quality of life.
‘The passionate pursuit of social justice’
‘The passionate pursuit of social justice’
The School of Social Policy & Practice addresses social inequities through research.
Sports psychologist talks athletes and mental health
Sports psychologist talks athletes and mental health
Andrea Wieland, the associate athletic director for sports performance at Penn Athletics, discusses athletes and mental health, Simone Biles, Ben Simmons, the yips, and the importance of seeing athletes as whole people.
Mapping words to color
Mapping words to color
Researchers led by postdoc Colin Twomey and professor Joshua Plotkin developed an algorithm that can infer the communicative needs different linguistic communities place on colors.
Remote learning affected high schoolers’ social, emotional health
Remote learning affected high schoolers’ social, emotional health
Research from Angela Duckworth and colleagues found that teenagers who attended school virtually fared worse than classmates who went in person, results that held even when accounting for variables like gender, race, and socioeconomic status.
In the News
Men’s Health
These two personality traits make you instantly more attractive, say studies of over 4,000 people
A study by postdoc Natalia Kononov of the Wharton School suggests that kindness and helpfulness can make someone more attractive, regardless of the situation or relationship.
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Vogue
Give ‘lemonading’ a shot if you’re going through a tough time right now
Nora Brier of the Perelman School of Medicine says that spending time talking to others can help people get out of their own head and bring them back to a neutral state.
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Self
Life got you down? Experts suggest ‘lemonading’
Nora Brier of the Perelman School of Medicine recommends acting opposite to emotions of sadness when those feelings have been present for a long time.
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Huffington Post
Experts reveal the one hack that will help you finally tackle your to-do list
According to research from the College of Liberal and Professional Studies at the School of Arts & Sciences, scheduling time blocks with breaks to complete different tasks can help achieve the goals of a to-do list.
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ARS Technica
When does your brain think something is worth the wait?
Research by Joe Kable of the School of Arts & Sciences and colleagues finds that subjects with damage to certain regions of the prefrontal cortex are less likely to wait things out.
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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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