Tag Psychology
Study: No race or gender bias seen in initial NIH grant reviews
“Absence of bias here does not mean there is no bias in the entire review process,” says psychology professor Patricia Devine.
Black youths less protected from antisocial behaviors than white peers
New research assesses the developmental trajectories of antisocial behaviors in both black and white youths.
For student commencement speaker, years of writing and performing lead to Kohl Center stage
Jamie Dawson, a seasoned spoken word artist and member of the First Wave program, has been chosen as the student speaker for winter commencement.
New Faculty Focus: Simon Goldberg
"My work focuses broadly on finding ways to promote wellbeing and reduce suffering, which certainly relates to the health and wellbeing of residents of Wisconsin."
Kids connect with robot reading partners
Researchers have built a robot to serve as a reading buddy to middle school kids. Its new friends grew more excited about books and more attached to the robot over two weeks of reading together.
A video game can change the brain, may improve empathy in middle schoolers
In the experimental game, a robot crash lands on an alien planet. In order to rebuild the spaceship, players must, as the robot, build rapport with the aliens by deciphering their emotions.
Away with words: Emoji help brands communicate with customers
A UW–Madison professor's research examines how emoji are used to convey meaning and emotion in written communications, especially on social media. Her favorite? The eye roll.
Meditation can help during crisis and everyday lives, UW–Madison expert says
Meditation was used to calm the 12 boys trapped in a cave in Thailand before their rescue. A UW–Madison expert says it can help you in your daily life too.
How talking more can make you better at listening — to foreign languages
The typical foreign language class spends much of its time listening to fluent speakers, but new UW research shows that the students should spend more time talking.
Here is how a cat can hinder children learning new words
A new study found that familiar objects more interesting to children reduced their ability to learn new words associated with novel objects.
When communicating with color, balance can be a path to accuracy
UW-Madison Researchers found that the best colors to use for waste bins are shades of white for paper, red for plastic, pale blue-green for glass, dark grey for metal, dark green for compost, and black for trash.
They grin, you bear it. Research reveals physical impact of a smile.
New research shows that smiles meant to convey dominance trigger a physical spike in stress hormones in their targets, while smiles intended as a reward appear to physically buffer recipients against stress.
To sleep, perchance to forget
The debate in sleep science has gone on for a generation. People and other animals sicken and die if they are deprived of sleep, but why is sleep so essential?
New approaches in neuroscience show it’s not all in your head
“How we experience the world affects us in more ways than we previously thought,” says Richard Davidson, a professor of psychology and psychiatry at UW–Madison and director of the Center for Healthy Minds.
Gambling against the odds on life’s risks more common after childhood stress
Trouble reading the signs that a loss or punishment is looming can lead to situations that risk avoidable problems.
Virtual reality users must learn to use what they see
The study found that when most people put on a virtual reality headset, they still treat what they see like it’s happening on any run-of-the-mill TV screen.
Davidson elected to National Academy of Medicine
The director of the Center for Healthy Minds has authored more than 375 papers exploring the neural bases of emotion, and interventions that may be helpful for promoting well-being, kindness, compassion and empathy.
Healthy competition makes habit of sustainability
A new analysis shows lasting reductions in electricity use among hundreds of players of the Cool Choices game, which uses friendly competition to get energy-saving habits to sink in.
To pick a great gift, it’s better to give AND receive
A new study shows that gift recipients are happier with a present when the giver got themselves the same thing — a phenomenon researchers call "companionizing."
Researchers crack the smile, describing 3 types by muscle movement
The smile may be the most common and flexible expression, used to reveal some emotions, cover others and manage social interactions. But how do we tell one kind of smile from another?