ICYMI: UBC Psychology Prof. Andrew Baron cautions against gender-specific toys
In this Q and A, UBC developmental psychologist Andrew Baron discusses the pitfalls of gender-specific toys and offers advice on the toys and activities that can spark the imagination. What kinds of toys should parents avoid giving children? Parents, friends and relatives can inadvertently give toys that reinforce gender stereotypes about play, and what types […]
Season's Greetings from the Department of Psychology at UBC
Wishing our students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends a joyful holiday season and the very best in 2015! UBC Psychology holiday hours: Our administration office will be closed December 25, 2014 through January 1, 2015, with limited service December 22-24 and January 2. Our advising office will be closed December 19, 2014 through January […]
Apply to lead a Student Directed Seminar: January 9, 2015
Interested in leading a Student Directed Seminar (SDS) in the 2015/16 academic year? SDS’s allow senior undergraduate students to either participate in or initiate and coordinate small, collaborative, group learning experiences. Examples of previous courses include topics on ADHD and Alzheimers. Learn more. About You’ll have the chance to create a 400-level seminar with the […]
A research rebuttal: mind-wandering over matter
Kieran Fox and Kalina Christoff, cognitive neuroscientists in UBC’s Department of Psychology, have recently published a paper ‘Is thinking really aversive? A commentary on Wilson et al.’s Just think: the challenges of the disengaged mind‘ in the journal Frontiers. This opinion piece is a response to a controversial study published in the journal Science. The […]
Gift giving 101: a holiday Q & A with prof. Elizabeth Dunn
Christmas. A time of giving. But what exactly should you give? UBC Psychology professor and happiness expert Elizabeth Dunn offers some advice on the holiday ritual of gift giving. What are the psychological benefits of giving – for the giver and the receiver? Is it better to give than to receive? It’s important to remember […]
UBC Psychology study in Altmetric's Top 100 for 2014
The study ‘Trolls just want to have fun’ is co-authored by UBC Psychology professor Del Paulhus and is featured in Altmetric’s Top 100 research papers for 2014. The study’s first author, Erin Buckels, was a UBC Psychology MA student at the time, and the second author, Paul Trapnell, is a former PhD student. The researchers […]
Checking your email less can help reduce stress: New study by PhD candidate Kostadin Kushlev
Check less to reduce email stress Is your inbox burning you out? Then take heart – research from UBC’s Department of Psychology suggests that easing up on email checking can help reduce psychological stress. Some of the study’s 124 adults — including students, financial analysts medical professionals and others — were instructed to limit checking […]
Psychology Prof Elizabeth Dunn shares her research at TEDxColoradoSprings
On October 11, 2014, UBC Psychology professor Elizabeth Dunn presented her research at TEDxColoradoSprings, produced independently of the TED Conferences. Dr. Dunn is the author of Happy Money: The Science of Smarter Spending, co-authored with Mike Norton at Harvard Business School. Dr. Dunn conducts original research on self-knowledge and happiness, with a current focus on […]
Eric Eich to deliver Frederick Howell Lewis Distinguished Lecture in 2015
UBC Psychology professor Eric Eich will deliver the 2015 Frederick Howell Lewis Distinguished Lecture at the next American Psychological Association (APA) meeting in Toronto. The lecture is on “Building a Better Psychological Science” and it is sponsored by Psi Chi, in association with APA. Previous Howell Lewis Lecturers include John Cacioppo, Elizabeth Loftus, Steven Pinker, […]
Psychology, Food and Friendship: Faculty Q & A
Professors Frances Chen, Jiaying Zhao and Rebecca Todd are scientists in the Department of Psychology at UBC. In this Q & A they reflect on their research, their ideas, their mutual love of food and the friendship they have formed in their first year at UBC. Q: How did you get started in your career […]