Department of Psychology

FSU researchers uncover new insights into Alzheimer’s disease

Published: June 17, 2020 | 4:03 pm | Posted in: News

Assistant Professor Aaron Wilber has discovered new insights into how the brain is organized to help a person navigate.

A new study by Florida State University researchers may help answer some of the most perplexing questions surrounding Alzheimer’s disease, an incurable and progressive illness affecting millions of families around the globe. FSU Assistant Professor of Psychology Aaron Wilber and graduate student Sarah Danielle Benthem showed that the way two parts of the brain interact during sleep […]

Two FSU graduate students win state’s only P.E.O. scholarships

Published: May 21, 2020 | 12:20 pm | Posted in: Students & Campus Life, University News

Brittany Mathes (L) and Jessi Thomsen (R) were the only two graduate students in the entire state of Florida awarded prestigious Scholar Awards from the Philanthropic Educational Organization (P.E.O.)

Only two graduate students in the entire state of Florida were awarded prestigious Scholar Awards from the Philanthropic Educational Organization (P.E.O.), and they’re both enrolled in programs at Florida State University. Jessi Thomsen, a doctoral candidate in the English Department with a specialization in Rhetoric and Composition, and Brittany Mathes, a doctoral candidate in the […]

FSU Research: For better emergency management planning, consider stress and frustration

Published: May 7, 2020 | 11:58 am | Posted in: Science & Technology

When a hurricane is dangerous enough to prompt evacuations, thousands of people find themselves fleeing at once. Emergency planning officials want to know the best ways to safely and quickly evacuate their residents. That’s often meant focusing on a single objective, like moving people out of danger in the fastest way possible. But researchers at […]

FSU expert available to discuss moral decision-making and social distancing

Published: March 26, 2020 | 2:45 pm | Posted in: Expert Pitches

Social distancing is an important tool for reducing the spread of COVID-19. Photo credit: Getty Images

In the fight against this new coronavirus, some of the most effective tools are a couch and a television in your own home. Public health officials are asking people to avoid socializing with others to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. That means people often have to make tough decisions about how to respond. It’s this […]

Essence Duncan

Published: March 2, 2020 | 12:28 pm | Posted in: Student Stars

A first-generation student at Florida State University, Essence Duncan was raised without any expectations of going to college. Now a senior, she couldn’t imagine her life without the experience of higher education. Duncan had plans to follow in the footsteps of her parents and join the military immediately following high school. Then, she discovered Florida […]

Celina Meyer

Published: January 2, 2020 | 5:03 pm | Posted in: Student Stars

Florida State University is giving junior Celina Meyer the educational background to pursue her goal of preventing the psychological effects of childhood adversity. Meyer is from Orlando, where her family lived in poverty for most of her life. Growing up, she also endured severe abuse and neglect stemming from her family’s unstable circumstances. She knew […]

FSU researchers offer ideas for New Year’s resolutions

Published: December 17, 2019 | 12:37 pm | Posted in: Expert Pitches

Anjali Austin, professor and chair of the School of Dance

Setting New Year’s resolutions can be a frustrating proposition. It’s disheartening to look back at old resolutions to see they’ve failed to take hold yet again or to struggle creating a new, exciting idea for self-improvement. Let science give you some help. FSU faculty members gave their suggestions for changes that will improve your life […]

FSU professor to be honored for contributions to psychological science

Published: October 10, 2019 | 10:25 am | Posted in: Health & Medicine

A Florida State University professor is being recognized for his groundbreaking work in psychology, specifically in the areas of eating disorders, depression and suicide. Thomas Joiner, FSU’s Robert O. Lawton Distinguished Professor of Psychology, has been selected as a recipient of the 2020 James McKeen Cattell Fellow Award from the Association of Psychological Science. The […]

FSU professor receives $4.6M grant to establish center focused on older adults with cognitive impairment

Published: September 27, 2019 | 11:11 am | Posted in: Health & Medicine

A Florida State University psychology professor is leading a team of researchers who have received a $4.6 million grant from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research to establish a center aimed at developing technologies to improve the lives of older adults. Walter Boot, professor in FSU’s Department of Psychology and a […]

Study: Flirty comments from romantic partner may offer confidence boost for women

Published: September 19, 2019 | 2:00 pm | Posted in: Education & Society

Drawing attention to a woman’s sexuality or physical appearance often has negative psychological consequences, but a new study from a Florida State University researcher has found that when the comment comes from the right person, those remarks can be a confidence boost. “This is one of the first studies to demonstrate that when such attention […]

Beliefs about uncommitted sex may put marriages at risk

Published: September 4, 2019 | 2:49 pm | Posted in: Education & Society

A group of Florida State University researchers has found that an individual’s pre-marital views about uncommitted sex may make it more difficult to remain blissfully married. In a study published today in the journal Psychological Science, researchers outline several factors that can contribute to a marriage’s long-term happiness or dissolution. One big red flag: An […]