Research

Professor David Klonsky receives 2017 UBC Killam Research Fellowship

Professor David Klonsky receives 2017 UBC Killam Research Fellowship

Dr. David Klonsky is among UBC researchers who have received 2017 Faculty Research Awards. The Killam Research Fellowships support exceptional scholars in pursuing full-time research during a recognized study leave. Dr. Klonsky, a professor in the Department of Psychology, focuses on understanding and preventing suicide and self-harm. This fellowship allows him to continue his work to advance and […]

Daniel M. Wegner Theoretical Innovation Prize awarded to Ara Norenzayan and colleagues

Daniel M. Wegner Theoretical Innovation Prize awarded to Ara Norenzayan and colleagues

Ara Norenzayan and colleagues have received the Daniel M. Wegner Theoretical Innovation Prize for their paper “The Cultural Evolution of Prosocial Religions“, a theory of the origins and rise of prosocial religions and the cultural evolution of these religious beliefs. Awarded by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP), the prize recognizes an article […]

UBC psychology researchers awarded CIHR project grants

UBC psychology researchers awarded CIHR project grants

Psychology researchers are among the 59 UBC researchers who have been awarded more than $42m from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) through the latest Project Grant competition. A total of $372m was awarded nationally to support Canadian researchers to study the full spectrum of health issues affecting the lives of Canadians. The psychology researchers receiving […]

Turning trash into treasure: Surplus lab equipment gets a new lease on life

Discarded and surplus laboratory equipment, furniture and supplies from the Department of Psychology have found new lives locally—and in Africa. When the department’s behavioural neuroscience laboratories relocated to the Djavad Mowafagian Centre for Brain Health and UBC Hospital’s Koerner Pavilion, many items not suitable for reuse in the new labs were left behind. Lucille Hoover, a […]

Stressed out? Try smelling your partner’s shirt

Stressed out? Try smelling your partner’s shirt

The scent of a romantic partner can help lower stress levels, new research from UBC’s department of psychology has found. The study, published this week in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, found women feel calmer after being exposed to their male partner’s scent. Conversely, being exposed to a stranger’s scent had the opposite effect […]

Dr. Joelle LeMoult named ‘rising star’ by Association for Psychological Science

Dr. Joelle LeMoult named ‘rising star’ by Association for Psychological Science

Dr. Joelle LeMoult was named a 2017 Rising Star by the Association for Psychological Science (APS). The Rising Star designation recognizes outstanding psychological scientists in the earliest stages of their research career post-PhD whose innovative work has already advanced the field and signals great potential for their continued contributions. LeMoult, who is director of the […]

Professor Janet Werker awarded Officer, Order of Canada

Professor Janet Werker awarded Officer, Order of Canada

Dr. Janet Werker, a psychology professor in the department of psychology at UBC, was named Officer of the Order of Canada. This is one of 125 new appointments announced today by Her Excellency the Right Honourable Julie Payette. “I’m deeply honoured to receive this recognition from my adopted country and I’m particularly moved that it […]

Investigating the psychological claims in our media world

Psychological claims are frequently used in the media, from bold statements around the psychology of medication use—to nonchalant references to personality types. But how much are these claims and statements backed by science? This is the big question guiding the course PSYC216: Questioning Psychological Science in the Media. At its core, the course cross-examines the […]

New UBC Psychology study finds extroverts better at modern video games

New UBC Psychology study finds extroverts better at modern video games

Video games may have a reputation for attracting introverts, but when it comes to augmented reality games like Pokémon Go, extroverts tend to be better players. That’s the key finding of a new University of British Columbia psychology study, the first to look at the impact of players’ personalities, social competence and social anxiety when playing […]

Kyle Gooderham receives 2017 Demetri Papageorgis Teaching Assistant Award

Kyle Gooderham receives 2017 Demetri Papageorgis Teaching Assistant Award

Congratulations to Kyle Gooderham for receiving the 2017 Demetri Papageorgis Teaching Assistant Award for TA Excellence! This award recognizes teaching assistants who make outstanding contributions to student education in our Psychology department. Kyle is a MA Candidate in the Department of Psychology. In the Fall semester, Kyle TA’d PSYC 101 “Introduction to Biological and Cognitive […]