Tag Psychology
Learning like humans, machines extend the reach of research
A growing group of University of Wisconsin–Madison researchers is working on ways to use computers to make better use of human brain power.
Deciding for others is more fun than doing it for ourselves, research shows
Making decisions can be tiring, but choosing a course of action for others is less draining and more enjoyable than when we do it…
When inhaling media erodes attention, exhaling provides focus
For people who text while watching TV or listen to music while reading, sharpening their focus may be as simple as breathing.
Media Advisory: Dalai Lama credentials
Members of the media can apply for credentials to cover the event “The World We Make” featuring His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Madison, Wisconsin, at the Overture Center for the Arts March 9, 2016.
14th Dalai Lama to visit Madison for live-streamed event on global well-being
Gathering perspectives to promote global well-being, the Center for Healthy Minds at UW–Madison will host the event March 9.
Brauer: Better diversity training is built on research, not intuition
Markus Brauer is teaching a public workshop Feb. 9 aimed at reducing prejudice and discrimination in the workplace, emphasizing strategies backed by both good intentions and sound science.
Virtual reality makes its best users the most queasy
In a twist of virtual fate, people with the best 3-D vision are also the people most likely to suffer from motion sickness while using virtual reality displays.
Leonard Berkowitz, influential social psychologist, dies at 89
Berkowitz was an emeritus psychology professor whose widely cited research explored influences on aggressive behavior, including the “weapons effect.”
A compassionate approach leads to more help and less punishment
Understanding what motivates people to be altruistic can not only inform our own behaviors, it may also play a role in creating more just societal institutions.
Faster brain waves make shorter gaps in the visual stream
"Blink and you'll miss it" isn't only for eyelids. The human brain also blinks, dropping a few frames of visual information here and there.
$10 million gift expands faculty and research to help youth flourish
Psychological well-being remains one of the most powerful predictors of success and health in life. Yet one in five youth in the United States experience a mental health disorder, a reality that drives research-based solutions at the Center for Investigating Healthy Minds at the Waisman Center and the School of Education at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
The science of stereotyping: Challenging the validity of ‘gaydar’
"Gaydar" - the purported ability to infer whether people are gay or straight based on their appearance - seemed to get a scientific boost from a 2008 study that concluded people could accurately guess someone's sexual orientation based on photographs of their faces.
‘Lazy eye’ may bully the brain into altering its wiring
Colorful and expressive, the eyes are central to the way people interact with each other, as well as take in their surroundings. That makes amblyopia — more commonly known as "lazy eye" — all the more obvious, but the physical manifestation of the most common cause of vision problems among children the world over is actually a brain disorder.
Apes may be closer to speaking than many scientists think
Koko the gorilla is best known for a lifelong study to teach her a silent form of communication, American Sign Language. But some of the simple sounds she has learned may change the perception that humans are the only primates with the capacity for speech.
Researchers pinpoint where the brain unites our eyes’ double vision
If you have two working eyes, you are live streaming two images of the world into your brain. Your brain combines the two to produce a view of the world that appears as though you had a single eye - like the Cyclops from Greek mythology.
Keeping up that positive feeling: the science of savoring emotions
Savoring a beautiful sunset and the positive emotions associated with it can contribute to improved well-being, according to research. But why and how are some people better than others in keeping the feeling alive?
Words jump-start vision, psychologist’s study shows
Cognitive scientists have come to view the brain as a prediction machine, constantly comparing what is happening around us to expectations based on experience - and considering what should happen next.
Deep national history of immigration predicts wide cultural comfort displaying emotion
People who live in countries built on centuries of migration from a wide range of other countries are more emotionally expressive than people in more insular cultures, according to research led by University of Wisconsin–Madison psychology Professor Paula Niedenthal.
Hormone known for mother’s milk also fosters bond between parents
Research has discovered a role for prolactin, the hormone that stimulates milk production in nursing mothers, in the bond between parents.