News Over the Year
I am Multiracial
According to new research from Jacqueline Chen and Jasmine Norman, questions such
as “What are you?” and other experiences of discrimination are related to mixed race
people’s identification as multiracial.
Research Shows Women Tend to Dress More Conservatively
Danielle DelPriore had 120 heterosexual women read a short story about a young woman who is preparing for a job interview with a male manager. Half of the participants read a version of the story in which the woman, Melissa, wore makeup to her interview. The other half read one in which Melissa didn’t wear any makeup.
Living Close to Parks is Linked to Happiness
Research suggests nature itself can be mentally restorative by reducing stress and enabling people to regain concentration. Going into nature changes how the brain works, with the parts associated with being mindful and in a meditative state becoming more active, explained David Strayer.
Using Technology to Help People with Eating Disorders
Jonathan Butner, leads the analysis team and models the data to see if they can identify stable, low-risk, and high-risk patterns that signal impending binge or purge episodes.
Most Americans are lonely, and our workplace culture may not be helping
Pervasive loneliness "has widespread effects," says Bert Uchino. It's strongly linked to mental health issues such as anxiety and depression. It's an urgent time for the study of loneliness, Uchino adds.
Waterboarding and electric shock await visitors at 'Extreme Haunts'
Anu Asnaani explained, "People react to horror on a spectrum. There are folks who avoid it at all costs. There are those who run towards it, and for them getting scared delivers a kind of high."
The Dilemma of Desire Celebrates Pleasure and Liberation
Lisa Diamond provided additional context on the history of bodies, shame, and sexual gratification, pushing her students to ask questions.
Humans of the U: Paul White
"Go out and look at sources of information that you may not agree with. We are here to learn how to think critically. And we’re here to try to be better people in our society." Paul White, associate professor, psychology department.
LDS Church says proposed ‘conversion’ ban would silence therapists, but its motives
are under fire
Lisa Diamond stated, "It’s really hard for me to believe that amendments such as these would not be interpreted by some clinicians as license to continue pushing their particular version of health and well-being on vulnerable youth."
Reducing melanoma in the lives of those at risk
Lisa Aspinwall went on UPR to further explore how to get people who are at risk of skin cancer to stay out of the sun.
Car makers wager on bigger screens to lure buyers
Already, drivers are struggling to stay focused with an influx of new technology coming into the car and large displays only add to the cognitive load, said David Strayer, who studies in-car technology. He explained, “As the screens get bigger, they also tend to inherit more functions and features.”
Human connection bolsters the immune system
One of the most important things kindness can do is ease our reaction to stress. Bert Uchino wrote, "simply having potential access to support is sufficient to foster adaptation to stress.”
Risks babies face when mothers use opioids
For children older than age two, studies showed those with prenatal exposure to methadone had higher fear, aggression and anxiety, and lower attention — but again, Conradt said, it wasn’t clear whether those problems were caused by opioid exposure or the environment the kids were growing up in.