Psychology

Nicole Else-Quest, assistant professor of psychology, is in the news for a forthcoming paper in the journal Psychology of Women Quarterly.  The study shows that male and female students earn similar grades in math and science, while Asian American students of both genders outperform all other races.  The study also found that male students of all ethnicities reported a greater perception of their abilities in math, while female students associated greater value to science-related courses. The findings have been covered in an April 4 story in “Voices of America” entitled “Asian-American Students Outpace Other Groups in Math, Science,” a March… Continue Reading Nicole Else-Quest, Psychology, in the News

Shawn Bediako, associate professor of psychology, will speak at the 4th Annual Roland B. Scott Memorial Symposium.  The topic of the symposium is “Pain in Sickle Cell Disease: Pain: Myths, Facts, and Stigma.” The symposium will take place on May 7 at the Howard University Hospital.  For more information, see the flyer below.

Robert Provine, professor of psychology, is a contributor to the recent “Body Issue” of New Scientist magazine. Provine’s piece, “It’s Only Natural,” discusses the curious behaviors of our bodies. “It’s your body, and you like to think you’ve got it under control. But underneath the calm exterior lurk unruly instincts and urges that are struggling to escape, putting you at risk of embarrassment or ridicule. These disreputable behaviours – the likes of the fart, hiccup, itch and yawn – are familiar to us all, yet they are also decidedly curious. Although they have been the source of folklore and puzzlement since antiquity,… Continue Reading Robert Provine, Psychology, in New Scientist

On Tuesday, March 12, Robert Provine, professor of psychology, talked to WYPR’s “Midday with Dan Rodricks” about his new book, “Curious Behavior: Yawning, Laughing, Hiccuping, and Beyond.” Rodricks asked Provine why he chose to research mundane – and even occasionally embarrassing – behaviors such as yawning, belching and farting. “It’s fun to do, and it’s something that can get junior science students involved right away. It also has a lot of rewards for the serious scientist, which is what got me interested in it in the first place,” he said. “By looking at elemental behaviors, such as the instincts of yawning,… Continue Reading Robert Provine, Psychology, on Midday with Dan Rodricks

At 3:30 p.m. on Friday, April 5, Robert Provine, professor of psychology, will discuss “Curious Behavior” and his concept of “small science” at the Goddard Space Flight Center. This talk, part of the Goddard Scientific Colloquium series, will be Provine’s 4th colloquium at Goddard. The talk will be held in the Building 3 (Goett) auditorium. Access to the Goddard Space Flight Center is limited to those holding Goddard badges or official visitors; if you would like to attend, contact Scientific Colloquium at (301) 286-0660 or by e-mail more than 48 hours beforehand.

Robert Provine, professor of psychology, will lead a discussion at the DC Science Café on May 21.  The DC Science Café, which is sponsored by the DC Science Writers Association, aims to give the general public an opportunity to participate in lively and important discussions about the consequential scientific discoveries and issues of our times. The discussion will be held from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Busboys and Poets’ 5th and K St., NW location. Provine’s discussion will focus on “Curious Behavior,” the subject of his book “Curious Behavior: Yawning, Laughing, Hiccupping, and Beyond.” A flyer for the event is below.

Robert Provine, professor of psychology, was a keynote speaker and judge at the U.S. finals of the Fifth Annual International Brain Bee on March 2 and 3.  This is the second time that Provine has spoken at and judged this event. The topic of his talk was “Curious Behavior,” and was based on his book “Curious Behavior: Yawning, Laughing, Hiccupping, and Beyond.” The International Brain Bee is an annual competition about knowledge of neuroscience for high school students sponsored by the Society for Neuroscience. Thousands of students from around the world participate. Forty-seven US regional finalists, from as far as… Continue Reading Robert Provine, Psychology, Judges “Brain Bee”

Robert Provine, professor of psychology, is featured in a Globe and Mail story entitled “Why do Oscar Winners Cry Tears of Joy?” Provine pointed out that it is important to distinguish between two kinds of crying – vocal crying, typical of a newborn demanding to be fed, which is an ancient behaviour shared with other animals, and emotional crying, the tears of happiness or sadness, which is a recent evolutionary development exclusive to humans. “Only humans shed emotional tears,” he said. The story appeared online on February 22.

Robert Provine, psychology, has an essay in a newly published book entitled “This Explains Everything,” a collection of answers to Edge.org’s annual question for 2012. This year’s question was “What is your favorite deep, elegant, or beautiful explanation?” In Provine’s response, “Observers Observing,” he writes that “observation is the link between all empirical sciences, and the reason why physicists were among the founders of experimental psychology. The difference between psychology and physics is one of emphasis; both involve the process of observers observing. Physics stresses the observed, psychology the observer.” Provine has also answered the annual question for 2013, “What… Continue Reading Robert Provine, Psychology, In New Book

Robert Provine, professor of psychology, has won an Association of American Publishers’ 2012 PROSE Award for “Curious Behavior: Yawning, Laughing, Hiccupping, and Beyond.”  The book received the award in the category of Biomedicine and Neuroscience. The PROSE Awards – the American Publishers Awards for Professional and Scholarly Excellence –honors the best in professional and scholarly publishing, as judged by peer publishers, librarians and academics. This year’s competition attracted 518 entries of books, reference works, journals and electronic products in more than 40 categories. “The winners and honorable mentions announced this year are high caliber works and genuinely represent the best… Continue Reading Book by Robert Provine, Psychology, Wins PROSE Award

On December 7, Robert Provine, professor of psychology, discussed laughter and why tragedy sometimes makes us laugh on NPR’s “Science Friday.”  He was joined on the show by comedian Tig Notaro, who incorporated her breast cancer diagnosis into her stand-up routine. “We humans, in many ways, are beasts of the herd.  We are not the rational, voluntary beings we fashion ourselves as,” Provine said. “The essential ingredient for laughter is another person,” Provine said. “In Tig’s audience, you had a group of people, and they’re laughing when they hear other people laugh.  So laughter is contagious. Also, it was a comedy… Continue Reading Robert Provine, Psychology, on NPR’s Science Friday