
psychology
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Babies prefer baby talk, whether they’re learning one language or two
Study finds bilingual infants become interested in speech at the same age as those learning only one language.

Tweens and TV: UCLA’s 50-year survey reveals the values kids learn from popular shows
The messages kids glean from TV can influence their attitudes and behaviors as they grow into their teenage years and beyond, UCLA psychologists say.

Back to class: How to talk to children about returning to school
Psychologist Melissa Brymer recommends clear and detailed communication about changes children can expect in their classrooms and routines.

Internet trends suggest COVID-19 spurred a return to earlier values and activities
Online mentions of sourdough, sacrifice and death all surged as the pandemic took hold.

Mothers’ stress may lead to preterm births, faster aging in children
Two UCLA studies reveal how a variety of stressors, both before and during pregnancy, may adversely affect a woman's offspring.

UCLA Bedari Kindness Institute sees ‘contagious kindness’ in action
Amid political turmoil, the UCLA study on kindness points to its potential for large-scale healing.

Birthrates, marriage, gender roles will change dramatically in post-pandemic world, scientists predict
The longer COVID-19 continues, the more entrenched these psychological, social and societal changes are likely to be, the study authors suggest.

UCLA faculty couple leaves nearly $9 million for psychology, music and other programs
The late Bernice Wenzel and Wendell “Jeff” Jeffrey, both UCLA professors, were well known for their longtime commitment to the university.

Psychological therapy helps reduce chronic inflammation in body
Researchers also found that cognitive behavior therapy was the most effective approach for boosting the immune system.

Mobile technology may support kids learning to recognize emotions in photos of faces
Yalda Uhls writes that people shouldn’t obsessively fear that screen time is stunting kids’ emotional development.

Psychology professor honored for pioneering work on ‘social cognition’
The work of Shelley Taylor and her colleague Susan Fiske has changed the study of how people think about themselves and the social world.

Do I look mad? Reading facial cues with the touch-screen generation
UCLA study suggests younger kids might be more adept at deciphering nonverbal emotional cues in photographs.

Life Signs: Wait! Wait! Don’t Rush Me!
Procrastination is not a character flaw, but it might be something quite revealing.

Study finds empathy can be detected in people whose brains are at rest
The findings may help health care professionals better assess those with autism and schizophrenia.

UCLA psychology department receives $30 million from Anthony & Jeanne Pritzker Family Foundation
UCLA’s Psychology Tower has been renamed Pritzker Hall in recognition of the gift.

Involving family in care for bipolar disorder helps children and teens stay healthier, longer
More than three-quarters of the adolescents in a family-focused treatment program recovered from their initial symptoms during the study.

Study reveals how brain injury can lead to post-traumatic stress disorder
UCLA researchers find that the brain processes fear differently after injury.

First Movers: Four Pioneering Faculty Women
Undaunted by bias or condescension, four extraordinary women helped shape UCLA.

A small electrical zap to the brain could help you retrieve a forgotten memory
UCLA professor Jesse Rissman said the left rostrolateral prefrontal cortex is important in accessing knowledge that was formed in the past and making decisions about it.

Psychology professor elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences
UCLA’s Keith Holyoak takes an interdisciplinary approach to studying human intelligence, critical thinking and creativity.

Can artificial intelligence tell a polar bear from a can opener?
Five experiments by UCLA psychologists demonstrate the severe limitations of ‘deep learning’ machines.

Mom still matters, UCLA psychologists report
The psychologists demonstrate for the first time that when forced to choose between a parent and a close friend on a decision with financial consequences, young adults are more likely to choose the parent.

Ability to identify genuine laughter transcends culture, UCLA-led study finds
Greg Bryant, a professor of communication, studies the nature of laughter — and what it reveals about the evolution of human communication and cooperation.

What does it mean to be moved by love?
An emotion called ‘kama muta’ is typically accompanied by moist eyes or tears, chills or goosebumps, a warm feeling in the body, a feeling of exhilaration and a motivation to help others.