Psychology

Psychology Professor Robert Provine appeared in the July 2014 edition of Real Simple magazine in an article about the evolution and science of laughter. The magazine published a lengthy article in the print edition and also posted a version of the article on its website. In the print version, Provine said that more research is needed, but it’s probable that those who laugh easily and often are happier than those who don’t. Laughter is “the sound of play,” he said. “So our brain automatically associates it with carefree interactions with friends, family and lovers.” The article also cites one of Provine’s earliest research… Continue Reading Robert Provine, Psychology, in Real Simple

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqR179VT8tk&w=560&h=315] A new National Geographic video examines what laughter can do for human health. Psychology Professor Robert Provine appears in the video and provides insight on the origins of laughter, saying it begins at three to four months of age and is one of the most important forms of early communication between babies and mothers. “It’s a kind of instinctive language that exists before we learn to talk. Laughter, like speech, evolved to change the behavior of other individuals,” Provine said. “Does [laughter] have to have other purposes? It probably does, but we’re just now starting to tease out what those… Continue Reading Robert Provine, Psychology, on National Geographic Video

“We have the illusion that laughter is a choice, that we speak laughter as we speak any other word. But we don’t speak hah-hah when we laugh. It’s an involuntary action,” says Psychology Professor Robert Provine in a compelling new video exploring why humans laugh. The video is part of The Atlantic Video web series. Provine narrates the video and it’s broken into parts including segments on the anatomy of laughter and the danger of laughter. During one portion of the video, Provine visits The Commons at UMBC and conducts an experiment simply by sitting down and observing the people around him.… Continue Reading Robert Provine, Psychology, on The Atlantic Video and ABC Australia Radio

An article published April 15 in The New Yorker explores the surprising science behind yawning and what makes it so unique. Psychology Professor Robert Provine, author of Curious Behavior: Yawning, Laughing, Hiccupping, and Beyond, was interviewed for the article and commented on his research studying the concept. “Yawning may have the dubious distinction of being the least understood, common human behavior,” Provine observed. The article discusses Provine’s studies that explored contagious yawning, one of which found eighty-eight per cent of people who were instructed to think of yawns yawned themselves within thirty minutes. It also examines how the contagious nature of yawning may be… Continue Reading Robert Provine, Psychology, in The New Yorker

An article published March 25 in the online magazine Slate examines the factors that cause humans to laugh. The story cites the work and research of Psychology Professor Robert Provine that helps explain why humans laugh. “For his book, Laughter: A Scientific Investigation, Provine engaged in what he called ‘sidewalk neuroscience,’ tracking and observing real-world laughter,” the article states. The authors write that Provine’s research helps illustrate the reasons human laugh usually aren’t in response to something that is humorous. “Provine discovered that the laughter of our everyday lives isn’t for the most part in response to anything resembling jokes,” the authors… Continue Reading Robert Provine, Psychology, in Slate

Danielle Denenny and Eryn Bentley, two graduate students working as part of Schiffman’s research team, are also quoted in The Baltimore Sun article titled, “UMBC study among efforts to increase awareness of mental illness.” To read the full story, click here.”

A new Duke University study finds that contagious yawning is linked more closely to a person’s age than their ability to empathize, and it shows a stronger link to age than tiredness or energy levels. Psychology Professor Robert Provine was interviewed for a BBC News article about the study and said it was “unique” because it marked the first time a link between ageing and contagious yawning had been demonstrated. The scientific study of contagious behavior, including yawning and laughing, was conducted in Provine’s lab at UMBC and the new Duke study involved application of his previous methods for examining contagious… Continue Reading Robert Provine, Psychology, on BBC News Website

A study conducted by researchers at UMBC and the University of Maryland, College Park was featured in a recent Times Educational Supplement article in TES Magazine. The article, titled “To help the little darlings out, let their parents in,” focuses on the study which found that two-thirds of parents think their children are brighter and higher-achieving than their classmates. The research was conducted by Susan Sonnenschein, an associate professor of psychology, Shari Metzger, a graduate student in the Applied Developmental Psychology program and Laura Stapleton, an associate professor of measurement, statistics and evaluation at the University of Maryland, College Park.… Continue Reading UMBC Psychology Research Cited in TES Magazine

Anne Brodsky, psychology professor and associate dean of the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, has received the 2014 SCRA Award for Distinguished Contributions to Theory and Research in Community Psychology. The award was announced by American Psychological Association (APA) Division 27. The announcement from the Society for Community Research and Action (SCRA) states: Dr. Brodsky’s contributions cover various topics of central importance to community psychology. The award refers to both theory and research and she has significant contributions in both areas (theory- resilience, PSOC; research – qualitative methods). Her contributions regarding research relate not only to engaging in excellent… Continue Reading Anne Brodsky, Psychology, Receives SCRA Award for Distinguished Contributions to Theory and Research in Community Psychology