Psychology | Penn Today

Lotto Tickets Are Nice, Boss, But Can I Have My Bonus?

In a book co-authored by Dan Hunter, Kevin Werbach of the Wharton School wrote that employees who participate in gamified motivational practices not only worked harder but described the games as “enjoyable and even addicting.” Other scholars, however, have warned of the consequences of substituting these incentives for traditional cash bonuses.

Study: ‘Baby Talk’ Is the Best Way to Communicate With Your Dog

Carlo Siracusa of the School of Veterinary Medicine confirms the results of a study on human-to-dog communication and recommended talking to, being happy around, and offering “clear directions” to one’s dogs to boost connection.

This Simple Mental Diagram Can Help You Discover Your Ultimate Goal in Life

Angela Duckworth of the School of Arts and Sciences proposes organizing one’s goals hierarchically as a method for realigning priorities.

Study Finds False Stories Travel Way Faster Than the Truth

Kathleen Hall Jamieson of the Annenberg Public Policy Center questions a study’s methods for measuring truth in news stories, and suggests rebranding “false” stories as “viral deception” to emphasize the severity of potential harm.

twisting tree limbs inside the shape of a head

Why Individualized Care Will Become the Gold Standard for Depression Patients

A personalized approach to care is effective, yet the ability to discern and provide the best option for a particular individual remains a challenge.

What UFO ‘Encounters’ Can Tell Us About Fake News and Climate Change Denial

School of Arts and Sciences doctoral candidate Kate Dorsch’s research on the tensions between UFO witnesses and scientists speaks to contemporary challenges to confirmation biases.

Racially-charged Situations Topic at Black History Month Event

Howard Stevenson of the Graduate School of Education gave a lecture on racial literacy and outlined steps for coping with racially charged conversations and situations.

To accept evolution, start with understanding

Prevailing theories about evolution state that belief in the concept is tied only to a person’s politics, religion or both. But according to new research, whether Americans accept or reject the subject also depends on how well they understand it.

The complicated relationship between humans and endangered sea lions in the Galápagos

On San Cristóbal Island, mammals and people share the land they live on and the fish they eat. To ease the tension, researchers sought the public’s input on and participation in a new kind of community science project.

LGBQ adolescents at much greater risk of suicide than heterosexual counterparts

Specifically, 40 percent of sexual-minority adolescents seriously considered suicide compared to 15 percent of their heterosexual counterparts, and nearly a quarter attempted suicide compared to approximately 6 percent of those in the sexual majority.

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