Category: Psychology
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Ivan de Araujo – Yale University – Craving Calories
Are humans hard-wired to crave sweet treats? Dr. Ivan de Araujo, an associate professor of psychiatry at the Yale University School of Medicine, is analyzing the relationship our brain chemistry shares with the sugary snacks everyone loves. A natural of São Paulo, Brazil, Ivan de Araújo attended the University of Brasilia, from where he received his BA (Philosophy) and MA…
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Pamela Keel, FSU – Facebook and Eating Disorders
A lot is being written about the psychological effects of social media. Dr. Pamela Keel, a Florida State University psychologist, focuses her research on the association between Facebook and a higher propensity for developing an eating disorder. Pamela K. Keel, Ph.D., is Professor of Psychology and Director of the Eating Behaviors Research Clinic at Florida…
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David Pincus, Chapman University – Fractal Psychological Processes
Fractals are naturally occurring patterns that replicate in a self-similar manner. But, as Chapman University psychologist David Pincus explains, understanding fractal patterns can tell us about our psychology. Dr. David Pincus obtained his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at Marquette University in Milwaukee Wisconsin. His internship and post-doctoral clinical training was completed in community mental health…
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Jason Moser, MSU – The Psychology of Optimism
Some people are inherently pessimistic. Others tend to focus on the positive and maintain a sunny optimism. Jason Moser, a Michigan State University psychologist, is digging into the science of this aspect of human nature. Jason Moser is an assistant professor of psychology at Michigan State University where he runs the Clinical Psychophysiology Lab. He…
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Jodie Plumert, University of Iowa – Understanding Safety
How a child learns about the concept of safety depends greatly on the conversations they have with their parents. Jodie Plumert, professor and chair in the Department of Psychology at the University of Iowa, conducted an experiment in order to understand how safety and danger are perceived. Jodie M. Plumert is Professor and Chair in…
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Josep Marco-Pallarés, University of Barcelona – Musical Anhedonia
Music is generally regarded as one of the most pleasurable stimuli we, as humans, experience. Music’s history dates back to the days of cave-dwelling peoples and today, there are innumerable varieties of genres suited to personal tastes. With all that considered, there are some people who simply do not respond to music. Josep Marco-Pallarés, a…
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Anne Warlaumont, UC Merced – Positive Feedback Loop
Studying the communicative relationship that parents share with their children is a great way to understand how kids learn to interact. Anne Warlaumont, a cognitive scientist at the University of California, Merced, is studying positive feedback loops, or the way successful interaction catalyzes future successful interaction in children. Anne Warlaumont is an assistant professor of…
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Keith Johnson, Oakton Community College – Microaggression
Racism isn’t always an overt display of prejudiced behavior or language. Microaggression is a term coined by Chester Middlebrook Pierce and it describes small acts and subtle behavior between people of different races that could potentially be interpreted as racially biased. Dr. Keith Johnson, a sociologist at Oakton Community College in Des Plaines, Illinois, is…
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Jane Costello, Duke University – Sharing the Wealth
Does profit sharing improve the community at large? In today’s Academic Minute, Jane Costello, a professor at Duke University’s Insitute for Brain Sciences, profiles an experiment involving just that. In 1994, a tribe of Cherokee Indians opened a casino and shared the profits directly with the community. Jane Costello is professor of medical psychology in…
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Matt Lapierre, UNC Wilmington – Marketing to Kids
There’s a wide array of kid’s products and videos claiming to be educational. Matt Lapierre, assistant professor of communications at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, examines the effectiveness of marketing in spite of the lack of observable results. Matt Lapierre is an assistant professor of communication studies at the University of North Carolina Wilmington.…