Psychology

Robert Provine, Psychology, on Irish Radio’s Moncrieff

Robert Provine, professor of psychology, appeared on the Irish radio station newsTalk’s Moncrieff program July 5th to discuss laughing’s purpose and its origins in human evolution. “Laughter is literally the sound of play,” said Provine. “In fact, the human ‘ha-ha’ evolved from the labored breathing of our rough-and-tumble primate ancestors, whereby ‘pant-pant’ became ‘ha-ha.’” You can listen to the discussion here, in segment 3 from the July 5th broadcast, beginning at 51:20 and continuing in segment 4.

Michael T. Abrams and Cynthia Boddie-Willis, The Hilltop Institute, in Psychiatry Online

Psychiatry Online published an article entitled “Cervical Cancer Screening and Acute Care Visits Among Medicaid Enrollees With Mental and Substance Use Disorders” on June 1, which counted among its co-authors Michael T. Abrams and Cynthia Boddie-Willis, a Senior Research Analyst and Director of Health Services Policy and Research for The Hilltop Institute, respectively. The piece, which involved creating logistic models using data from women enrolled in Medicaid for 2005, used cancer screening and acute care visits as dependent variables and mental illness flags and independent variables in order to “compare rates of cervical cancer screening and acute care (primary or… Continue Reading Michael T. Abrams and Cynthia Boddie-Willis, The Hilltop Institute, in Psychiatry Online

Robert Provine, Psychology, mentioned in NPR’s “Krulwich Wonders”

NPR host and blogger Robert Krulwich devoted the May 26 edition of his blog Krulwich Wonders to a post entitled “A Puzzle: Why Aren’t They Laughing?”. The post discusses a popular internet video ostensibly involving a Belgian television interviewer laughing at the “strange” voices of an interviewee and an audience member. Krulwich wrote of how the stone-faced reaction of the general audience in the video contradicts the findings of Robert Provine, professor of psychology. “It seems unnatural and seems to contradict what neuroscientist Robert Provine says about laughing — that it’s contagious, that ‘we laugh when we hear other people laugh.… Continue Reading Robert Provine, Psychology, mentioned in NPR’s “Krulwich Wonders”

Shawn Bediako, Psychology, Named to Advisory Board of the Center for the History of Psychology

Shawn Bediako, associate professor of psychology, has been named to the advisory board of the Center for the History of Psychology (CHP).  The CHP, which is located at The University of Akron, provides access to and interprets the historical record of psychology and related human sciences.  It is home to a museum of psychology and the Archives of the History of American Psychology. “I’ve always had an interest in the history of psychology,” said Bediako. “I use my interest in history to balance out the rigors of doing research.” Bediako came to the center’s attention in 2008, when he planned… Continue Reading Shawn Bediako, Psychology, Named to Advisory Board of the Center for the History of Psychology

Matthew Reilly ’13, Social Work and Psychology, in the Chronicle of Higher Education

Matthew Reilly ’13, social work and psychology, took a roundabout route to UMBC: after graduating from Townsend Harris High School in Queens, New York, he worked various jobs and took classes as several universities before enlisting in the army in 2005, with the hopes that it would help him pay for college. When he was injured in service and sent to Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Reilly discovered a passion that eventually led him to UMBC. When other injured soldiers arrived at the hospital, Reilly was often the one to talk with them and tell them about the services at… Continue Reading Matthew Reilly ’13, Social Work and Psychology, in the Chronicle of Higher Education

Robert Provine, Psychology, on MSNBC.com’s “The Body Odd”

“It’s the height of cold and flu season, with people coughing and sneezing and blowing their noses (not to mention their germs) every which way,” reports MSNBC’s “Body Odd” blog. But not all those coughs and throat clears stem from illness, says Robert Provine, professor of psychology, who points out that we often cough when we hear others cough. “We don’t know at this time [what’s behind it],” he says. “For example, is it because we have a brain mechanism that when it detects that sound, replicates it, as we seem to have for laughing and yawning? Or are we… Continue Reading Robert Provine, Psychology, on MSNBC.com’s “The Body Odd”

Robert Provine, Psychology, on MSNBC.com

“Lin case you hadn’t noticed, people have become Lin-fatuated with the Lin-spiring rags-to-riches story of New York Knicks point guard Jeremy Lin. He’s a regular Linternet phenomenon!” begins a story on msnbc.com’s “The Body Odd.” The appeal of puns such as the one’s inspired by Lin’e name may be that they’re fun to create, and they can seem almost addictive because they have clever elements and insights to them. But not everyone likes them. “Puns are considered the lowest form of humor — a reason why speakers say, ‘no pun intended,’ denying responsibility for their spontaneous e-joke-ulation,” said Robert Provine,… Continue Reading Robert Provine, Psychology, on MSNBC.com

Jill Scheibler, Psychology Ph.D. Student, in the Baltimore Sun

Jill Scheibler, a psychology doctoral student, was featured in a Baltimore Sun story about Baltimore’s Make Studio, which offers a place for developmentally challenged men and women to develop and market their artistic skills. Scheibler is one of a trio of art therapists who founded Make Studio in 2010. The studio serves artists with disabilities such as autism, bipolar disorder and Down’s syndrome. “Through the process of working at the studio and working with others, they’re developing translatable skills,” she said. “They learn about time management, how to be cooperative, how to present themselves, how to market themselves.” The story,… Continue Reading Jill Scheibler, Psychology Ph.D. Student, in the Baltimore Sun

Robert Provine, Psychology, in the Washington Post

There is a growing body of research indicating that laughter may improve immune function, help lower blood pressure, boost mood and reduce stress and depression, the Washington Post reported on October 24 in a story entitled “Laughing may help ease blood pressure, boost mood and enrich health in other ways.” Robert Provine, professor of psychology, agrees. He said that laughter might benefit the body because it is “an energetic, stressful activity that stirs up all of our physiological systems… involving strong vocalization, an increase in heart rate and blood pressure and muscle contractions all over the body.”

Eric Tedrow ’13, Psychology, on Patch.com

The Crofton Patch reports that Eric Tedrow ’13, psychology, is the driving force behind a new skate park that will soon open in Crofton. Tedrow, a rollerblader, saw the need for a place where skaters could practice their sport. “Give children a place where they can push the boundaries of the sport. They need an outlet for that activity,” he told the website. Tedrow hopes to one day use the psychology skills he is learning at UMBC to research alternative athletes. “What makes them get out there and want to risk it all? There has to be a pattern,” said… Continue Reading Eric Tedrow ’13, Psychology, on Patch.com

Robert Provine, Psychology, in the New York Times

In a story entitled “Scientists Hint at Why Laughter Feels So Good,” the New York Times reports on a study that attempts to pin down exactly why laughing until it hurts feels so good. The study suggests that the pleasure lies in the physical act of laughing. The simple muscular exertions involved in producing the familiar “ha, ha, ha,” he said, trigger an increase in endorphins, the brain chemicals known for their feel-good effect. Robert Provine, professor of psychology and a noted expert on laughter, said he thought the study was “a significant contribution” to a field of study that… Continue Reading Robert Provine, Psychology, in the New York Times

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