Aggregator

Does watching TV or using your phone while eating increase your likelihood of overeating? UMN faculty Traci Mann and collaborators address this long-contested question in their investigation of the impacts of distracted eating.

The pressure to publish statistically significant results has long tempted researchers to inflate their findings. To fight this "replication crisis," faculty member Moin Syed is championing a game-changing format: Registered Reports.

New meta-analysis co-authored by UMN faculty Jeffry Simpson synthesizes 5 years of research to map the social-cognitive roots of dehumanization and how we can effectively reduce it.

Still looking for a research or internship position for the fall semester? Take a look at psychology-related opportunities in this issue of the Psych Scoop!

Congratulations to Gretchen Saunders on being awarded the 2026 Early Career Award from the Behavior Genetics Association!

Does the shape of a font make a difference for low-vision readers? A new study by UMN Psychology's Gordon Legge, Rachel Gage, and collaborators puts two new fonts designed to improve visual accessibility to the test. Their surprising results reveal that you don’t need to abandon standard fonts. When it comes to visual accessibility, size and contrast matter more than font design.

We know grade inflation exists at high school and undergraduate levels, but is it also a problem in graduate school? Graduate student Vivien Lee and faculty members Nathan Kuncel and Paul Sackett sought answers to this question, knowing the real-world consequences that come when the value of a grade is eroded.

UMN Psychology took center stage at the annual HiTOP conference in Minneapolis. From faculty to graduate students to alumni, our researchers showed up in force to present their work further advancing mental health diagnoses toward a spectrum-based model.

Congratulations to Melissa Ertl on being named a 2026 BIRCWH Scholar by the UMN Office of Women’s Health Research! This prestigious NIH-funded award will support her work developing an online intervention for female sexual dysfunction (FSD) in women taking antidepressants, filling a critical gap in care for this overlooked population.

The Department of Psychology is hiring two student workers! Review these positions in this week's issue of the Psych Scoop!

Congratulations to graduate student Shayne Harms, who received an honorable mention from the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program for her project studying how we give negative feedback to our friends.

If you can’t beat them, join them. Lie Detector Test, a national organization of polygraph professional examiners, added William Iacono to their list of Lie Detector Legends, citing his pioneering work disputing the accuracy of polygraph testing.

Robert (Bob) Krueger has been named a Regents Professor, the University of Minnesota’s highest faculty honor, recognizing his global impact on psychology through research, teaching, and leadership.

We all carry remnants of our past into our current relationships. On an episode of The Dissenter, UMN's Jeff Simpson explains that your attachment style is not set in stone. Whether navigating the high-stress transition to parenthood or managing daily jealousy, learn how our environments, friendships, and tailored support give us the power to rewrite our relationships for the better.

Coming to a community event near you: UMN’s new See, Hear, MN mobile clinic! The CATSS team kicked off the summer by taking their new mobile unit on its maiden voyage to promote hearing health awareness. Learn how this mobile unit will transform community-engaged research and bring vital vision and hearing screenings across the entire state.

Seven years ago, five dedicated Psychology staff members came together to build a robust communication ecosystem from the ground up. Korrina Griffith and Amanda Schmit shared their story with communicators from across the University, including how they secured institutional buy-in and implemented a high-impact, low-maintenance communication infrastructure that helps our department fulfill its public engagement mission.

Does paying people to get vaccinated actually work? Maya Rogers and Alex Rothman analyzed how a $100 incentive can change public perception, making a neutral medical action look like a socially approved and financially worthwhile endeavor.

Who belongs in neuroscience? Learn more about Jessica Arend’s pathway to becoming a mental health researcher in the UMN’s BRAINS docuseries, challenging assumptions about who can be a scientist and inspiring the next generation of researchers.

We know Americans are politically polarized, but are we measuring it all wrong? Christopher Federico and Nicolas Campos introduce the Affective Polarization Scale (APS) to better examine and understand the "us vs. them" narrative. Learn more about the quietly toxic phenomenon called "aversion" that is driving citizens to excuse lawbreaking and political violence.

Meet the Spring 2026 Sharon Borine Capstone Award winners and learn more about their standout research.