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Who will achieve high marks in school, flourish in their career or become an Olympian? Current theories of achievement provide answers that are intuitively appealing but scientifically flawed. Consequently, most of what people believe about how to achieve success is likely to be incorrect. Alexander Burgoyne, research scientist in the School of Psychology, is one of the co-authors of this study in Nature Reviews Psychology.
Nature Reviews Psychology"Get your head out of the clouds." "Why is your mind always a million miles away?" These are some of the statements that might have been thrown at you if you engaged in daydreaming as a child. In fact, letting your mind wander from the task at hand has often been associated with something negative — until science found proof that daydreaming can actually be good for you. This story highlights an oft-quoted 2017 study co-authored by Eric Schumacher, professor in the School of Psychology, that links letting your mind wander with intelligence and creativity.
HealthDigestThe sudden buzz of a fly has most people flapping their hands wildly as if attempting to ward off an evil spirit. Seeing a wall or ceiling-hugger has others running quickly past or under, as if their mere shadow might prompt the insect to launch an aerial attack. Still others pick the fight response, choosing to squash the danger. But here’s the bug-zillion dollar question: Why do creepy-crawlies cause us to react this way? A 2018 Georgia Tech study that included Eric Schumacher, professor in the School of Psychology, found that the strongest neurological reaction elicited by bugs is disgust. It’s a result borne of a mix of things, from social conditioning and negative connotations to understanding their disease-carrying potential and, unfortunately, judging the book by its spindly, slimy, antennaed cover.
The NationalTerry Maple, emeritus professor in the School of Psychology who is credited with transforming Zoo Atlanta from one of the worst in America to one of the best in the world, has died at 77. Atlantans of a certain age will recall that Zoo Atlanta was in a dismal state in the 1970s and 1980s before Maple took over as director in 1984. But Maple believed Zoo Atlanta had promise, and his first mission was to free Willie B, a western lowland gorilla, from the concrete bunker he lived in with a tire swing and television to keep him company. Maple, who had grown up in San Diego and frequented its world-famous zoo, envisioned a large outdoor habitat where Willie B. and other gorillas could live naturally rather than in confinement. (This story was also covered in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.)
RoughDraft AtlantaThe pandemic changed how we work and how we think about commuting. Workers are now more likely to see the daily commute as part of their workday. In this episode of WBUR Radio's On Point program, panelists are asked if employees should get paid for their commute. Included on the panel is Christopher Wiese, assistant professor of industrial/organizational psychology in the School of Psychology.
WBUR On PointHave you ever noticed how a particular song can bring back a flood of memories? Maybe it’s the tune that was playing during your first dance, or the anthem of a memorable road trip. People often think of these musical memories as fixed snapshots of the past. But recent research suggests music may do more than just trigger memories – it might even change how you remember them.
In this article, Ph.D. student in the School of Psychology Yiren Ren discusses recently published research, which has uncovered intriguing connections between music, emotion, and memory.
(This story also appeared at The Washington Post, Neuroscience News, and inkl.)
The ConversationHurricane Milton became one of the most rapidly intensifying storms on record as it went from barely hurricane strength to a dangerous Category 5 storm in less than a day on a path across the Gulf of Mexico toward Florida. In an article in The Conversation, Senior Academic Professional Zachary Handlos and Assistant Professor Ali Sarhadi, both in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, discuss their research on hurricane behavior, rapid intensification, and what causes rapid intensification. Rapid intensification is defined by the National Weather Service as an increase in a tropical cyclone’s maximum sustained wind speed of at least 30 knots – about 35 mph within a 24-hour period.
The ConversationWhen deciding on what music to improve productivity at work, you may want to consider two important variables: predictability and novelty. Associate Professor Thackery Brown in the School of Psychology has been working with Yiren Ren, a sixth-year PhD student, on examining how music affected a subject’s ability to process or remember new information. “Music is just such an emotional medium,” says Ren. “It can not only modulate how you feel at that moment, it can also modulate the memory you’re recalling at that moment and how you perceive that memory itself.”
Fast CompanyScientists have long argued that familiar, beloved music — which is considered predictable and safe — can help enhance our focus and learning. According to two new studies led by Yiren Ren, a PhD student in the School of Psychology, different types of music can do more than just aid concentration; they can also influence our emotions and even reshape old memories.
Ren's faculty advisor and co-author, Associate Professor Thackery Brown, says the studies approach the impact of music from different angles. “One paper looks at how music changes the quality of your memory when you’re first forming it — it’s about learning,” says Brown. “But the other study focuses on memories we already have and asks if we can change the emotions attached to them using music.”
Brown is also a cognitive neuroscientist who runs the Memory, Affect, and Planning (MAP) Lab at Georgia Tech.
Related coverage: MedicalXpress, MSN, New Atlas, Microsoft Start, Futurity, CNN Brasil, Huffpost, and The Good Man Project
Earth.comFeatured: Christopher Wiese, assistant professor of industrial/organizational psychology in the School of Psychology.
WBUR On Point
