UBC Psychology graduate Ryan Tomm is making science cool with Aboriginal teens
Understanding the brain Growing up, Ryan Tomm didn’t know he would be a scientist one day. It was a series of decisions that led him on his eventual path to study and do research at UBC. His research explores the effects of aging on decision-making, executive functions and cognitive flexibility. “I was a First Nations […]
UBC Psychology professor Janet Werker's Psychology Today interview is an essential read
In a recent Psychology Today interview with François Grosjean, Dr. Janet Werker discusses her research on the ways in which bilingual infants are able to separate and discriminate between different languages. She says, “bilingual infants are able to use the existence of different kinds of phonemes to help situate the speech they are hearing within […]
Supportive families and schools critical in protecting transgender youth health
A new national study shows that while Canada’s transgender youth face significant physical and mental health issues, strong family, school and community connections are helping many of them navigate these challenges. The study is the first and largest of its kind in Canada, with 923 individuals participating between the ages 14-25. Among the study’s contributors […]
New research by UBC Psychology professor Rebecca Todd
Your genes may influence how sensitive you are to emotional information, according to new research by a UBC neuroscientist and psychology professor Rebecca Todd. The study, recently published in The Journal of Neuroscience, found that carriers of a certain genetic variation perceived positive and negative images more vividly, and had heightened activity in certain brain […]
Faculty Q and A: Professor Delroy Paulhus on the dark side of our personalities
UBC Psychology professor Delroy Paulhus first introduced the concept of the ‘Dark Triad’ in 2002. They are a family of socially aversive personality traits that includes Machiavellianism (strategic manipulation), narcissism (excessive self-love), and psychopathy (impulsive thrill-seeking). Together, these traits capture the sinister side of otherwise normal individuals. Along with Dan Jones, Dr. Paulhus created the […]
UBC Psychology faculty receive 2015 Dean of Arts Faculty Research Award and Killam Teaching Prize
Join us in congratulating prof. Liisa Galea, recipient of the 2015 Dean of Arts Faculty Research Award. This award allows research faculty one semester to concentrate entirely on research without teaching or administrative duties. This research can be associated with starting a new research program, conducting intensive research, or completing an existing project. Liisa Galea is […]
‘Chemo brain’ is real: New study co-authored by UBC Psychology and UBC Medicine scientists
UBC research shows that chemotherapy can lead to excessive mind wandering and an inability to concentrate. Dubbed ‘chemo-brain,’ the negative cognitive effects of the cancer treatment have long been suspected, but the UBC study is the first to explain why patients have difficulty paying attention. Breast cancer survivors were asked to complete a set of […]
Just in time for Earth Day: New UBC Psychology environmental behaviour research
Thinking “time is money” can be a barrier for people to act in environmentally friendly ways, even for tasks like recycling that take mere seconds, according to research by UBC Psychology’s Ashley Whillans and Elizabeth Dunn As Earth Day approaches on April 22, this dynamic has led to an unsettling outcome. “Putting a price tag […]
Q&A with PhD candidate Alyssa Croft: Why more men should take on female-dominated roles
Did you know that more women volunteer than men? Or that more women work in so-called communal roles – jobs that are more focused on caring for others – than their male counterparts? Nowadays, we don’t think twice about seeing a female police officer, but a male hairdresser’s sexuality is often called into question. UBC […]
UBC Psychology professors among UBC's Canada Research Chair renewals
On April 10, 2015, UBC research received $23.2 million in support of 23 Canada Research Chairs working in medicine, psychology, engineering, biology and more. Please join us in congratulating UBC Psychology professors Toni Schmader and Janet Werker, whose Canada Research Chair appointments were renewed. Dr. Toni Schmader, Canada Research Chair in Social Psychology, seeks to understand how […]