Michael Muthukrishna receives 2016 CGS/ProQuest Dissertation Award
Michael Muthukrishna, a former UBC Psychology PhD student, has been selected as the winner of the prestigious 2016 CGS/ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Award in the Social Sciences, for his dissertation, The Cultural Brain Hypothesis and the Transmission and Evolution of Culture. In his dissertation, Muthukrishna discusses theories to explain the evolution of the human brain and human social networks. […]
Dr. Kiley Hamlin among UBC’s Canada Research Chair renewals
On December 2nd, 2016, UBC received a $11.5 million boost in federal funding to support researchers who “improve our scientific understanding and strengthen Canada’s reputation for research excellence.” Please join us in congratulating Dr. Kiley Hamlin, whose Canada Research Chair appointment was renewed. Dr. Kiley Hamlin, Canada Research Chair of Developmental Psychology, focuses her research on the role […]
Dr. Peter Suedfeld awarded Canadian Honours Polar Medal
We would like to congratulate Professor Emeritus Dr. Peter Suedfeld, who was awarded the Canadian Honours Polar Medal. The Polar Medal celebrates Canada’s northern heritage and recognizes those who have contributed to or endeavoured to promote a greater understanding of Canada’s northern communities and its people. Dr. Suedfeld has conducted field research in both polar regions. His research focuses on understanding […]
Language Science Talks: SSHRC Gold Medal Speaker Series announced
UBC Language Sciences presents Language Science Talks, a series of talks by leading researchers in the language sciences from around the world. The first five talks are partly sponsored by the SSHRC Gold Medal awarded to Dr. Janet Werker, Canada Research Chair in Psychology at UBC, in recognition of the pioneering discoveries Dr. Werker has […]
Dr. Paul Hewitt's new book "Perfectionism" is now available for pre-order
Grounded in decades of influential research, Dr. Paul Hewitt’s new book Perfectionism: A Relational Approach to Conceptualization, Assessment, and Treatment thoroughly examines perfectionism: how it develops, its underlying mechanisms and psychological costs, and how to target it effectively in psychotherapy. Dr. Hewitt and his co-authors describe how perfectionistic tendencies—rooted in early relational and developmental experiences—make people vulnerable […]
December Lab of the Month: Centre for Gambling Research at UBC
Understanding the psychology of gambling and improving evidence-based gambling policy are key drivers behind the research at the Centre for Gambling Research at UBC. The Centre explores the cognitive, behavioural, clinical and neuroscience aspects of gambling, Since it was established in 2014, the Centre – one of only a handful of gambling research hubs globally – […]
2017 Maclean’s rankings: UBC Psychology ranks first in Canada, again
UBC Psychology is ranked first among Canadian psychology departments for the second year in a row by Maclean’s magazine. Maclean’s ranked the best universities in 10 program areas—including psychology—and UBC Psychology ranks number one in Canada. Psychology is the most popular undergraduate major at UBC, with over 1800 students working toward their BA degree and over 150 studying for their […]
iPad apps teach kids just as well as humans: UBC Psychology study
Young children learn just as well from interactive media as from face-to-face instruction, a new Department of Psychology study has found. UBC Psychology researchers compared how well children learned new facts using an iPad app versus being taught in-person by an instructor. The results of the study, recently published in Frontiers in Psychology, found no statistical […]
New research: Trump’s political success was a triumph of style over substance
Style, not substance, accounts for Donald Trump’s U.S. Republican presidential nomination, according to a psychological analysis from the Department of Psychology. UBC Psychology researchers compared Trump’s speech style and Twitter usage to that of the other top nine Republican contenders. The real-estate mogul and reality star consistently ranked highest in ratings of grandiosity, “I”-statements, informal language, […]
November Lab of the Month: the Centre for Cognitive Development
Why do children learn some things before others? What makes learning easy—and what makes it difficult? And how can we improve children’s ability to universally learn higher cognitive concepts, such as mathematics and science? Dr. Darko Odic, psychology professor and director of the Centre for Cognitive Development, hopes to answer these questions. From investigating how […]