psychology

A biological engine for human language

New research out of Northeastern psychology professor Iris Berent’s lab suggests that humans’ capacity for creating language is encoded in our brains as a universal set of rules.

by Angela Herring April 17, 2014

Give thanks, and prosper

In new a paper, Northeastern psychology researchers challenge long-held beliefs about patience by showing that cultivating gratitude can promote impulse control—which many previous studies have linked to better long-term outcomes.

by Angela Herring March 31, 2014

3Qs: Our fascination with mystery

Psychology professor John Coley discusses how the need for explanation can drive society—and perhaps the media—to be consumed with curiosity into the unknown, like with the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370.

by Angela Herring March 27, 2014

Your face says it all? Not so fast

New research from University Distinguished Professor of Psychology Lisa Feldman Barrett’s lab refutes a decades-old belief in emotion science—that emotions are universally recognized across people and cultures.

by Angela Herring March 5, 2014

'Gaydar' revisited

Image via Thinkstock. I had a friend in college who claimed to have extremely good “gaydar.” She insisted that, generally…

by Angela Herring February 28, 2014

Your iPhone gets emotional

Virtual humans, relational robots, brain imaging devices, and mobile eye-tracking technologies were among the innovative research projects highlighted at a daylong conference at Northeastern that explored the intersection of emotion science and technology.

by Angela Herring February 4, 2014

Dead or alive? Researchers use uncertainty to scare

Lisa Feldman Barrett, University Distinguished Professor of Psychology, and her team at the Interdisciplinary Affective Science Laboratory use the science of emotion to scare people at a haunted house - and raise money for charity.

by Angela Herring October 31, 2013

Get the picture? New high-res images show brain activity like never before

Researchers in Northeastern’s Interdisciplinary Affective Science Laboratory have created the highest-resolution image of the human brain stem in action. It could ultimately help scientists explore the grounds of human emotion like never before.

by Angela Herring October 3, 2013

In a bad mood? Change the channel

Research suggests that older adults maintain their happier outlook through different emotion regulation strategies. With a new grant from the National Institute on Aging, associate professor Derek Isaacowitz will examine how our multimedia choices play into that.

by Angela Herring September 16, 2013

Resilient cities need resilient citizens

In the days after the Boston Marathon bombings, declarations of support from across the country flooded my Facebook feed in the form of graphic memes,…

by Angela Herring July 2, 2013