People with similar personality types are so likely to cluster in certain areas of the country that a map of the United States can actually be divided into regions with distinct personalities, according to new psychology research from The University of Texas at Austin and the University of Cambridge. The study, co-authored by Samuel Gosling, […]
Department of Psychology
Neuroscientist Takes the Quantified Self, and Own Brain, to the Next Level
Early this Tuesday morning, and every Tuesday morning through November 2013, neuroscientist Russell Poldrack will wake up, take off his headband-like sleep monitor, and tell it to wirelessly send data about his night’s sleep to a database. Then he’ll log in to a survey app on his computer, and provide a subjective report on how […]
UT Austin Psychologist Helps to Map Countries’ Entrepreneurial Spirit
Founders of successful companies tend to exhibit personality traits that make them more socially engaging, creative and able to handle stress than nonentrepreneurs, according to new research from the University of Jena in Germany and The University of Texas at Austin. Jena researchers Martin Obschonka, Eva Schmitt-Rodermund and Rainer K. Silbereisen, along with UT Austin […]
Teaching Teens That Bullies Can Change Reduces Aggression
Teaching teens that people have the potential to change can reduce aggressive reactions in peer conflicts, according to a new psychology study from The University of Texas at Austin. The study, published in the February 2013 issue of Child Development, has important implications for bullying interventions in public schools. “When adolescents believe the world is […]
Picture Perfect
Breakthrough research in image enhancement technology leads to free online tool What began as an effort to better understand how animal and human visual systems work has led to a revolutionary method for enlarging and enhancing photos that is being made available, free of charge, from the Center for Perceptual Systems. Wilson Geisler, center director […]
Trouble in Paradise or Domestic Bliss?
Shared spaces may reveal a surprising amount of information about a couple’s relationship, according to a forthcoming study led by Lindsay Graham, a psychology graduate student at The University of Texas at Austin, in collaboration with Sam Gosling, professor of psychology and author of “Snoop: What Your Stuff Says About You,” and a team of […]
Psychologist Discusses Long-Term Impact of Preschool Education at United Way
Eliot Tucker-Drob, assistant professor of psychology, joined a panel of experts and public policy leaders for a discussion about the long-term effects of high-quality early education at a public event hosted by the United Way for Greater Austin on March 19. The panelists – including two Human Development and Family Sciences professors from The University […]
Home Sweet Home?
Take a look at your bedroom. Is it scattered with laundry? Adorned with photos? Are you only leaving a sliver of space in the closet for your partner’s clothes? These seemingly mundane domestic scenarios may reveal a surprising amount of information about a couple’s relationship, according to a forthcoming study led by Lindsay Graham, a […]
Supernatural Explanations More Accepted as We Age
Reliance on supernatural explanations for major life events, such as death and illness, often increases rather than declines with age, according to a new psychology study from The University of Texas at Austin and published in the June issue of Child Development. “As children assimilate cultural concepts into their intuitive belief systems — from God […]
TOWER Transforms Classrooms
Large-format courses can provide students with rapid feedback and personalization for the ultimate learning experience A new education platform developed at The University of Texas at Austin is helping answer two critical questions about classrooms of the future: What’s the best way to use online technology in higher education? And how can we increase student […]
Pennebaker Honored by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology
James Pennebaker, professor and chair of the Department of Psychology, is the recipient of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology’s (SPSP) Distinguished Scholar Award — the society’s highest honor. Pennebaker showed that writing about personal trauma and other negative life experiences can positively affect physical health and psychological well being in the long term. […]
The Pleasure Principle
New neuroscience research shows cocaine abuse hijacks the brain’s reward system Imagine biting down on a juicy cheeseburger after a long day of yard work, or taking a swig of ice-cold water on a hot summer’s day. That immediate rush of euphoric bliss is the body’s way of saying, “Yes, please!” Like a well-oiled machine, […]
Moving Forward in the Face of Challenge
Higher education has seen its share of challenges over the past half-decade. The global financial crisis that began in 2007 sent tremors across every campus in the country, causing us not only to tighten our belts but to rethink fundamental models of teaching, research and service that have guided our mission for more than a […]
The Skinny on Memory Loss
Psychology researcher Andreana Haley examines the link between dementia and obesity and aims to improve your brain’s health through diet and exercise Step off the scale and let’s have a talk. You’re 30 pounds overweight and at risk for type 2 diabetes, hypertension, stroke, certain types of cancer and coronary heart disease. More than 30 […]
Research Briefs: Spring 2012
College of Liberal Arts: Not Even Past Brings History to the Public The Web has many sites devoted to history, but only one brings together such a diverse group of historians with expertise in every major field and time period. For the past year, Not Even Past has drawn on the expertise of faculty and […]
What Makes People Give?
Researchers investigate the science of generosity AMERICANS DONATED NEARLY $300 billion in 2011, surpassing the gross domestic product of all but 33 countries in the world, according to a 2010 report by the Giving USA Foundation. And in 2010, 62.8 million people volunteered almost 8.1 billion hours in the United States, according to the Corporation […]
Dig This
Undergrads who conduct research in the field are more likely to thrive in the classroom For three College of Liberal Arts undergraduates, conducting research with professors provided the skills they needed to succeed and helped them discover just what they wanted to do next. “Undergraduate research gives you an experience that you’d almost never get […]
Timing Is Everything
Putting a new spin on ADHD research, psychologist finds the effects of the disorder may be caused by a glitch in internal timing At 33, Susan can’t sit still. She never could. Pegged by her teachers as the resident “problem child,” she spent most of her afternoons in detention for disrupting class and forgetting her […]
Books: Fall 2011
Greenback Planet: How the Dollar Conquered the World and Threatened Civilization as We Know It By H.W. Brands, professor, Department of History Historian H.W. Brands charts the dollar’s astonishing rise to become the world’s principal currency recounting key episodes in U.S. monetary history, from the Civil War debate over fiat money (greenbacks) to the recent […]
Research Briefs: Fall 2011
The Right to Raise To increase volunteerism and donations, organizations should phrase requests differently to motivate people who already care about the cause, according to research from psychologist Marlone Henderson. For example, if the person already cares about the cause, the request should emphasize how much money is still needed (“We still need $50,000 to […]
Retired Faculty: Spring 2011
More than 30 College of Liberal Arts professors from more than a dozen departments have retired over the past year, after spending decades serving their students and the university community. Retirees include Linguistics Professor Robert King, who was the founding dean of the College of Liberal Arts and served in that post from 1979–1989 and […]
Research Briefs: Spring 2011
Being Poor Can Suppress Children’s Genetic Potentials Growing up poor can suppress a child’s genetic potential to excel cognitively even before the age of 2. A study of 750 sets of twins by Assistant Professor Elliot Tucker-Drob does not suggest that children from wealthier families are genetically superior or smarter. They simply have more opportuni- […]
Meet the Parents
Evolutionary psychologists reveal why parents want their children’s mates to have certain traits Psychologist Carin Perilloux is looking into a crazy little thing called love—and finding out why it’s so complicated when that special someone meets the parents. Good looks, personality, religion and earning potential may all come into play when choosing a serious sweetheart. […]
Spotless Mind?
Psychologist discovers drug-free therapy could alter fear-filled memories For a military veteran with post-traumatic stress disorder the sound of a helicopter or airplane could trigger a flashback of bombing raids. A car backfire or any sudden noise could bring back images of a roadside bomb explosion. Even a calm walk in the woods could conjure […]
For the Greater Good?
Citizens with strong national ties willing to die for countrymen Imagine a runaway trolley hurtling down the tracks toward a handful of people. If it continues on its course, it will kill the group of innocent bystanders. You’re given two options to save the day: throw a switch and kill only one person, or sacrifice your […]