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Feeling sluggish and sad during dark, dreary winter days? Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) could be to blame. Symptoms of SAD mirror those of regular depression: social withdrawal, changes in appetite and weight, low energy, and difficulty sleeping. Why? Shorter days and a lack of sunlight cause a dramatic dip in serotonin, the body’s natural mood stabilizer. For those days when you’re stuck indoors, Paul Verhaeghen, professor in the School of Psychology, recommends the next best thing: a light box or lamp with 2,500 to 10,000 lux. Use it for up to one hour per day — preferably first thing in the morning — to simulate natural sunlight and increase energy.
Six strategies for beating the winter bluesWinter is coming, and if you tend to feel sluggish or sad during those dark, dreary days of the season, it could be Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) to blame. The symptoms mimic those of regular depression. Shorter days and a lack of sunlight can cause a dramatic dip in serotonin, the body's natural mood stabilizer. Paul Verhaeghen, professor in the School of Psychology, suggests light therapy by using a light box or lamp with 2,500-10,000 lux. Using it one hour a day, preferably first thing in the morning, simulates natural sunlight and can increase energy.
Seasonal Slump? Six Strategies for Beating the Winter BluesBlack adults experience more pronounced mental health challenges than white adults in response to stresses associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new study released by researchers from Georgia Tech and North Carolina State University. The study also found that younger white adults were less adversely affected by stress related to COVID-19 than older white adults. Ann Pearman was a senior research scientist in the School of Psychology when the study was conducted, and is the corresponding author. Graduate student MacKenzie Hughes and research assistant Clara Coblenz, both of the Hertzog Adult Cognition Lab, also contributed to the research. (The study was also covered in this roundup of recent Covid-19 stories in MSN news.)
Pandemic Stress Affects Black Adults More Than Their White PeersBruce Walker, professor in the School of Psychology and the School of Interactive Computing, spoke on a system for wearable audio navigation during his World Usability Day keynote address for Technischen Hochschule Ingolstadt in Germany. The goal for WUD is to discuss products and design of systems that help people stay connected, learn, and grow during transformational times.
Design Of Our Online World: Trust, Ethics, and IntegritySix professors in the School of Psychology have received approximately $1 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Education to fund graduate fellowships. The funds for these Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need (GAANN) fellowships were awarded in fall 2021. The recipients of the award are Richard Catrambone and Bruce Walker, professors; Keaton Fletcher and Kimberly French, assistant professors; and Jamie Gorman and Christopher Wiese, associate professors.
School of Psychology Receives GAANN (Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need) FundingPaulina Maxim, a Ph.D. student of Thackery Brown, assistant professor in the School of Psychology, has published her first lead author paper in a special edition of Topics in Cognitive Science. The edition is dedicated to individual differences in spatial navigation ability, and Maxim's paper reviews current knowledge on spatial schemas in navigation, and discusses future research opportunities. (Schemas are patterns of thought or behavior that help organize information.) A key focus of Maxim's review is the impact of psychological stress on spatial memory and navigation. Maxim researches cognition and brain science in Thackery's Memory-Affect-Planning (MAP) Lab.
Toward an Understanding of Cognitive Mapping Ability Through Manipulations and Measurement of Schemas and Stress
During the recent 13th International ACM Conference on Automotive User Interfaces and Interactive Vehicular Applications (AUTO-UI) in September, Georgia Tech researchers co-led the workshop, "To Customize or Not to Customize: Is That The Question," focused on how user needs can be met when interacting with autonomous vehicles. Included in the workshop were Bruce Walker, professor in the Schools of Psychology and Interactive Computing, and director of the Sonification Lab, and psychology Ph.D. student Sidney Scott-Sharoni.
wireless health monitoringMegan Ross, who received her M.S. and Ph.D. from the School of Psychology, is the new president and CEO of Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago. Ross moves into the top spot from her current role as Lincoln Park's director. Ross represents two "firsts" at the zoo: She is the first woman and scientist to serve as its leader. Ross received her doctorate from Georgia Tech after conducting a study on the effects of ultraviolet light on bird behavior (birds see ultraviolet light as a fourth primary color that humans do not). News of Ross' new role also appeared in the Chicago Tribune.
Flax Lecture SeriesAlyssa Bardin, who recently received her B.S. from the School of Psychology, here presents her thesis with assistant professor Keaton Fletcher. Previous research has examined how job control impacts either health behaviors or outcomes. This study examines the interaction of job control and job demands on body mass index (BMI) as mediated by exercise to test the physical activity mediated Demand-Control model (pamDC).
CHROSDG stands for Sustainable Development Goals, part of the United Nations' 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, an ambitious plan to have all its member nations come up with strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequality, and spur economic growth — all while tackling climate change and working to preserve oceans and forests. The United Nations Foundation notes that Georgia Tech began to roll out its sustainability programming as part of its 10-year strategic plan in fall 2020, coinciding with the Covid-19 pandemic, the global conversation around climate action, and a spotlight on the fight for racial justice. Also, Georgia Tech President Angel Cabrera (a School of Psychology alumnus) co-founded and chairs the University Global Coalition (UGC), a group of international universities that have invested in supporting the SDGs through research, education, and service.
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