Department of Psychology

A white woman appears distressed and is feeling pain in her head. She places her right hand on her forehead, indicating her distress.

International group of experts redefines concussions

Doctors and other health-care providers have a new standard for diagnosing mild traumatic brain injury (TBI), thanks to a thorough process led by researchers from the University of B.C. and […]

May 23, 2023

Dr. Jiaying Zhao on stage in February at the TED@DestinationCanada Institute in New York City. Photo credit: Gilberto Tadday/TED

UBC scholar combats climate change with happiness

The prevailing narrative on the climate crisis—and how to address it—is at best bewildering and at worst downright depressing. We’re told we face a doom-and-gloom scenario, and the only way to solve it is to give up simple pleasures and conveniences.

Apr 21, 2023

Spiritual connection with nature transcends politics, religion

Have you ever felt awestruck by a towering evergreen, waves crashing against rocks, or the vastness of a desert canyon? You’re not alone. Across time and cultures, humans have felt a spiritual connection with nature.

Apr 18, 2023

Is AI coming for white-collar jobs? A psychology professor finds out the hard way

A UBC psychology professor wondered whether AI was smart enough to handle some of his workload. He was astonished to discover it could.

Mar 8, 2023

‘Greed is good’ for likes and retweets if you’re a U.S. senator

Tweet about greed. That’s what U.S. politicians ought to do if they want to gain likes and retweets on Twitter, according to new UBC research.

Mar 6, 2023

B.C. Legislature in Victoria. Credit: Shutterstock.

UBC experts on 2023 B.C. budget

The B.C. government is to present its 2023 budget today. UBC experts will be available to comment on various areas of provincial spending:

Feb 28, 2023

Photo credit:
Province of British Columbia

UBC experts on Pink Shirt Day

Wednesday, Feb. 22 is Pink Shirt Day, a day to stand against bullying and harassment in schools. UBC experts are available to comment.

Feb 17, 2023

Event: Climate Emergency Week at UBC highlights collective action

his week through Feb. 16 is Climate Emergency Week at UBC, building on the university’s declaration of a climate emergency in 2019 and a climate action report in 2021 that focuses on climate justice.

Feb 6, 2023

UBC experts on decriminalization of hard drugs

From Jan. 31, the federal and B.C. governments will decriminalize possession of small amounts of certain drugs—opioids, cocaine, methamphetamine and ecstasy—intended for personal use. UBC experts are available to comment.

Jan 26, 2023

Some screen time better than none during children’s concussion recovery

Too much screen time can slow children’s recovery from concussions, but new research from UBC and the University of Calgary suggests that banning screen time is not the answer.

Oct 17, 2022

Health research overlooks important differences between sexes

You might be surprised to learn how rarely health research accounts for the fact that male and female bodies are different.

Apr 21, 2022

The study, published today in Child Development, looked at the relationship between cross-racial friendships and academic and social adjustment among 583 children in Canada and the U.S.

Cross-racial friendships easier for children with good academic and social skills

Some elementary school children may be better equipped than others to form cross-racial friendships, new research from UBC’s department of psychology suggests.

Apr 19, 2022

When people’s attitudes about aging improve, better health may follow

Making people feel better about how they’re aging could lead to concrete improvements in health and wellbeing down the line, new UBC research suggests.

Feb 9, 2022

UBC experts on 2021 Canadian federal election

UBC experts are available to comment on various election issues.

Sep 21, 2021

Autism, or autism spectrum disorder, is a complex brain development disorder that impacts approximately 2.6 per cent of the U.S. population. Credit: Caleb Woods/Unsplash

Mental health conditions alarmingly high among children with autism

Nearly 78 per cent of children with autism have at least one mental health condition and nearly half have two mental health conditions or more, according to a new U.S. study from UBC’s department of psychology and the AJ Drexel Autism Institute at Drexel University (Pennsylvania).

Jan 19, 2021

When people slept less than usual, they responded to these stressful events with a greater loss of positive emotions.

New research finds people react better to both negative and positive events with more sleep

New research from UBC finds that after a night of shorter sleep, people react more emotionally to stressful events the next day—and they don’t find as much joy in the good things.

Sep 15, 2020

New UBC study reveals older adults coped with pandemic best

Adults aged 60 and up have fared better emotionally compared to younger adults (18–39) and middle-aged adults (40–59) amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jul 22, 2020

UBC research shows hearing persists at end of life

Hearing is widely thought to be the last sense to go in the dying process. Now UBC researchers have evidence that some people may still be able to hear while in an unresponsive state at the end of their life.

Jul 8, 2020

Smelling your lover’s shirt could improve your sleep

The scent of a romantic partner can improve sleep, suggests new psychology research from the University of British Columbia.

Feb 13, 2020

Young children prefer to learn from people who are consistently accurate and confident

At a time when scams seem all around us and fake news appears to be on the rise, you might be relieved to know that even young children show some impressive skills when it comes to identifying poor sources of information, suggests new research from the University of British Columbia.

Jan 29, 2020