Latest News | Psychology

Oxytocin Turns Up the Volume of Your Social Environment

September 27, 2017

Before you shop for the “cuddle” hormone oxytocin to relieve stress and enhance your social life, read this: A new study from behavioral neuroscientists Natalia Duque-Wilckens and Brian Trainor suggests that, sometimes, blocking the action of oxytocin in the brain may be a better option.

The results are published online in the journal Biological Psychiatry.

Alison Ledgerwood wins the Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP) Service to the Field Award

September 18, 2017

Alison Ledgerwood is receiving the 2017 SPSP Service Award for her extraordinary contributions to the field of personality and social psychology.

Slate article spotlights Bleidorn research

July 31, 2017

Study looks at motherhood and self-esteem.

A study led by Weibke Bleidorn, associate professor of psychology, was featured recently in a Slate Magazine blog "XXfactor: What Women Really Think."

Journal issue focuses on brain plasticity

July 31, 2017

“Current Perspectives on Neuroplasticity in Human Development,” a special issue of the journal Cognitive Development edited by Professor Susan Rivera, is available for free online access until Sept. 29.

The issue is based on a 2015 annual meeting of the Jean Piaget Society in Toronto that examined how experiences and biology interact to shape brain development.

Visual Attention Paper Tops a Google Classics List

June 21, 2017

A paper co-authored by John Henderson, a professor in the Department of Psychology and at the Center for Mind and Brain, tops a Google Scholar list of most-cited articles from 2006 in the field of cognitive science.

Wiebke Bleidorn receives the inaugural Early Career Award from the Association for Research in Personality for 2017.

May 15, 2017

The Association for Research in Personality (ARP) has announced that Wiebke Bleidorn, Associate Professor of Psychology, is the winner of the inaugural ARP Early Career Award. She was recognized for her important contributions to a number of areas within psychology including personality, social, developmental, and cultural psychology. The awards committee noted also her well-deserved international reputation as a creative theorist, a rigorous and innovative methodologist, and a highly productive researcher.

Ross Thompson receives Urie Bronfenbrenner Award for distinguished contributions to developmental science

May 05, 2017

Ross Thomspon receives the APA's Division 7 2018 Urie Bronfenbrenner Award for Lifetime Contribution to Developmental Psychology in the Service of Science and Society. The award recognizes lifetime career contributions to the science of developmental psychology and to the application of developmental psychology to society.

Researchers Receive Grant to Model Human Memory and Learning for Machines

May 02, 2017

A multi-university study led by Professor Charan Ranganath aims to develop a computer model of how the brain forms, stores and retrieves complex memories.

The project — recently awarded a $7.5 million, five-year grant from the U.S. Department of Defense — could lead to an evolutionary leap in the development of artificial intelligence. It could also open new avenues for understanding Alzheimer’s disease, dementia and other memory disorders.

Nolan Zane receives 2017 UC Davis Distinguished Scholarly Public Service Award

April 03, 2017

Nolan Zane has been chosen by the Committee on Public Service as one of the recipients of the 2017 Distinguished Scholarly Public Service Award. This award is presented annually to recognize significant contributions to the world, nation, state and community.

Joanna Scheib's Research Featured in Egghead Blog

February 10, 2017

Scheib's article in Fertility and Sterility receives mention.

Joanna Scheib, associate adjunct professor of psychology, has a new research article in Fertility and Sterility, the leading American journal of reproductive medicine.

Her work is featured in the UC Davis Egghead blog, Feb 9, 2017

Paul Eastwick receives 2017 Janet Taylor Spence Award from APS

February 06, 2017

Paul Eastwick has been selected as a recipient of the 2017 Janet Taylor Spence Award from APS. This award recognizes transformative early career contributions to psychological science.

Gail Goodman selected for two honors

December 20, 2016

University of Oslo and American Psychological Association to recognize Goodman's career contributions.

Gail Goodman, a distinguished professor of psychology, will receive two prestigious honors in 2017 — an honorary doctorate from the University of Oslo in Norway and a senior career award from the American Psychological Association for distinguished contributions to psychology in the public interest.

Research On Scientific Success Expands On Dean Simonton's Findings

November 04, 2016

A new study points to a combination of personality, persistence, intelligence and luck as leading to success. Scientists say those same forces are at play at all levels of a discipline — from student to longtime professional.

The findings appear in the journal Science.

Wiebke Bleidorn Wins EAPP Early Achievement Award

July 14, 2016

The European Association of Personality Psychology has awarded Associate Profressor Wiebke Bleidorn with the 2016 Early Achievement Award.

This award is given to a young psychologist whose extraordinary early achievements in personality psychology have already made a significant impact in the field.

Ross Thompson Begins Term as President of the Board of Directors of Zero to Three

July 14, 2016

This year Ross Thompson, a distinguished professor of psychology, has begun a three-year term as president of the board of directors of Zero to Three.

The national nonprofit is devoted to the healthy development of young children and their families, especially those in economic difficulty, with an annual budget of $40M.