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Laurie Santos Says Self-Care Doesn’t Have to Be Selfish
Laurie Santos, a psychology professor at Yale University and host of The Happiness Lab podcast, is a leading expert in positive psychology, a relatively young field. Since she began teaching “The Science of Well-Being” in 2018, it has become the most popular course in Yale’s history, with nearly a quarter of students enrolling. The class, now online for free, applies what Dr. Santos calls a “preventative medicine approach” to mental health — harnessing science and evidence to help people lead more fulfilling lives.
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Who Will Benefit From Psychedelic Medicine?
n a sweaty Sunday morning in August of last year, Jamilah George was on the 16th floor of the historic Brown Hotel in Louisville, leading a spiritual service of sorts. George, a doctoral candidate in clinical psychology at the University of Connecticut who also holds a master’s degree in divinity from Yale University, asked the audience to shout out the names of ancestors or people they admired. With each name, George performed a libation ritual, pouring water into a leafy green plant, stationed at the front of the podium, as a gesture of thanks. “Maya Angelou,” called out one audience member. “Mama Lola,” called another. The names kept coming: Toni Morrison. Audre Lorde.
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Nominate an Expert for a National Academies Workshop on Environmental Exposure and Mental Health
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine seeks experts to plan a workshop exploring the influence of environmental exposures (e.g., pollutants) on mental and behavioral health outcomes.
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Persistence and Fade-Out of Educational Intervention Effects: Mechanisms and Potential Solutions
Psychological Science in the Public Interest (Volume 21, Number 2)Read the Full Text (PDF, HTML) Time-limited experiences such as educational interventions may have long-lasting effects and alter a person’s life trajectory, but in some instances, their effects are short-lived. Understanding the factors that influence and contribute to the persistence and fade-out of interventions can improve theories of human development and help to create meaningful interventions, with implications for practice and policy. In this issue of Psychological Science in the Public Interest (Volume 21, Issue 2), Drew H. Bailey, Greg J. Duncan, Flávio Cunha, Barbara R. Foorman, and David S.
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What Makes Strangers Click?
Most of us have experienced it at least once: you meet someone, and within minutes you know you are going to be friends – or more. Often, discovering shared opinions sparks the connection; you might find you both love the paintings of Paula Rego, or that you had exactly the same reaction to today’s headlines or that you both hate the music at this party. Whatever it is, you strike up a conversation and within minutes you’re exchanging recommendations, riffing off each other’s jokes and making up stories together. Before you’ve even found out what the other person does for a living or where they’re from, you’ve established a feeling of mutual connection.
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The Science Behind WFH Dressing for Zoom
Mina Khan, an information-technology consultant who’s been working from home in Houston since March, tried wearing sweatpants and hoodies instead of the blouses and dress pants she typically wore to the office. It didn’t work. “Eventually I shifted to dressing the way I used to before because I realized it puts me in a better mental space when I’m working,” says the 26-year-old. It turns out there’s actual science to back up that feeling. Researchers studying links between clothes, brain activity and productivity have long found that dressing up for work can improve your performance.
