Psychology in Action

Category: Social Psychology

  • Dating on TV and the Misattribution of Arousal

    why do the romances that start out so hot and heavy on TV fizzle out once the cameras stop rolling?

  • Weighing in on Weight Stigma: Obesity Stigma Symposium at UCLA

    The prevalence of adult obesity in the United States has nearly doubled since 1980, and over two-thirds of American adults are currently overweight or obese. Weight bias (stereotyping or discrimination directed at an individual related to his/her weight) is prevalent in modern American society, and overweight individuals experience weight bias from a range of sources,…

  • Women in science: Yes we can!

    Women in science: Yes we can!

    The cover of my statistics text book features a diagram depicting the relation among sex, time since obtaining a doctorate degree, number of publications, and citations on salary. I haven’t formally learned about structural equation modeling just yet, but nonetheless found it rather discouraging for women. In hopes of being potentially proven wrong, I read…

  • “Criminally Minded: The Psychology and Law of Culpability” Symposium – May 16, 4pm

    “Criminally Minded: The Psychology and Law of Culpability” Symposium – May 16, 4pm

    Criminally Minded: The Psychology and Law of Culpability Psychology in Action is proud to announce the third annual Psychology Interdisciplinary Events symposium, Criminally Minded: The Psychology and Law of Culpability, to be held Friday, May 16th, 2014, from 4 to 6pm in UCLA’s CNSI Auditorium.  The discussion will focus on legal and psychological issues regarding mens rea.  The…

  • Milgram’s Other Work

    Milgram’s Other Work

    Stanley Milgram is one of the most famous people in the history of psychology, and also one of the most controversial because of his work on obedience. But many people are unfamiliar with Milgram’s work after his rise to fame. 

  • Feeling the Love [Hormone]: the Oxytocin Receptor

    Feeling the Love [Hormone]: the Oxytocin Receptor

    Oxytocin has gotten a lot of hype as the biological basis of our favorite human emotion, Love. Oxytocin is a hormone produced by the hypothalamus and released by the posterior pituitary gland. The oxytocin system is involved in HPA axis and autonomic nervous system functions as well as reproductive functions and social behaviors.  We are coming…

  • Family Life for Working Parents: Is the home a haven or a source of stress?

    Family Life for Working Parents: Is the home a haven or a source of stress?

    Human beings are social by nature, and it is fascinating that the way we interact with each other has a profound impact on both psychological and physical health. Stephen Lepore & Tracey Revenson captured this sentiment well by stating that “social relationships are often a complicated brew of interactions that are at turns pleasant and…

  • Psychological Skills: Changing your Emotions – An Intro to Cognitive Reappraisal

    A longtime friend of mine (names withheld for privacy), who now works as a writer for a very famous game company, recently told me about how he got his first job there. “So when I first applied, I submitted a bunch of material for them to evaluate. They knew that I had some outside experience and…

  • Interview Tips for Students Applying to PhD Programs in Psychology

    Interview Tips for Students Applying to PhD Programs in Psychology

    Preparing for interviews for a PhD program in psychology can be very stressful as well as very exciting. This is likely the first time that you will be interacting face to face with multiple professors and graduate students from the program you are applying for, and it is important to make a good impression. It…

  • How to Change the World

    If you enter the world of research, there will come a time when you’re talking about your studies at a party and you suddenly realize that no one cares. If you’re lucky, this will happen before you’ve been in academia for 10 years and published 30 papers that 5 of your closest friends have read.…