Spotless Mind? Psychologist Discovers Drug-Free Therapy Could Overwrite Fear-Filled Memories
In search of a non-invasive way to weaken memories of fear, Marie Monfils, assistant professor of psychology at The University of Texas at Austin, and a team of researchers developed a new technique to tweak a memory-modifying treatment called extinction. Read more...
(Janary 2011)

Professors examine how we don't — but should — talk openly about race in the United States
As the topic of race becomes more difficult to navigate, many parents avoid discussing it with their children, sometimes because they are unsure of what to say or they want to discourage their children from talking openly about it in public, says Rebecca Bigler, professor of psychology and director of The University of Texas at Austin's Gender and Racial Attitudes Lab. Read more...
(Fall 2010)

Infants more tuned in than adults
Music professor Eugenia Costa-Giomi, whose research with infants is conducted in the Children’s Research Laboratory, directs a series of studies to find out how infants discriminate and categorize melodies and timbres. Read more in UT Know...| Watch videos of the test in Further Findings | Children's Research Laboratory
(December 2010)

Insulin Sensitivity May Explain Link Between Obesity, Memory Problems, Research Shows
Because of impairments in their insulin sensitivity, obese individuals demonstrate different brain responses than their normal-weight peers while completing a challenging cognitive task, according to new research by psychologists Andreana Haley and Mitzi Gonzales. Read more...
(Fall 2010)

What Mimicking One's Language Style May Mean About the Relationship
People match each other's language styles more during happier periods of their relationship than at other times, according to new research from Dr. James Pennebaker and graduate student Molly Ireland. Read more...
(Fall 2010)

Research Examines Vicious Cycle of Overeating and Obesity
According to a study by University of Texas at Austin senior research fellow Eric Stice and his colleagues published this week in The Journal of Neuroscience. Stice shows evidence this overeating may further weaken the responsiveness of the pleasure receptors ("hypofunctioning reward circuitry"), further diminishing the rewards gained from overeating. Read more...
(Fall 2010)

Men Look for Good Bodies in Short-Term Mates, Pretty Faces in Long-Term Mates, Research Shows
Men who are looking for short-term companionship are more interested in a woman's body than those looking for a long-term relationship, who focused on a woman's face. The study, by evolutionary psychologist David Buss, and graduate student researcher Jaime Confer has been published in the current issue of Evolution and Human Behavior. Read more...
(Fall 2010)

People Learn New Information More Effectively When Brain Activity Is Consistent, Research Shows
According to research by Russell Podrack, professor of psychology and neurobiology, people are more likely to remember specific information such as faces or words if the pattern of activity in their brain is similar each time they study that information. Read more... | Poldrack Web Page
(Fall 2010)

Would you give it up for the group?
Psychology Professor William Swann's research on identity fusion reveals that individuals who develop extreme ties to a group are both willing and eager to sacrifice themselves for the group. Dr. Swann discusses the positive and negative effects of identity fusion with Jessica Sinn. Read more in KNOW...| UT News: Fused" People Eager to Die and Kill for Their Group, Research Shows | Read full text of article in Psychological Science
(posted 08/04/10)

Ticking Biological Clock Increases Women's Libido, New Research Shows
As more women wait until their 30s and 40s to have children, they are more willing to engage in a variety of sexual activities to capitalize on their remaining childbearing years, according to new research by psychologists at The University of Texas at Austin. Read more...Read the article on ScienceDirect | PDF
(posted 07/15/10)

Adolescent Brains Biologically Wired to Engage in Risky Behavior, Study Finds
Research by Dr. Russell Poldrack reveals the biological motivations that lie behind the stereotypically poor decisions and risky behavior associated with adolescence. Read more...
(posted 06/07/10)

On a Mission: Working with Fort Hood soldiers, researchers look at what predisposes service members to Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
The Spring 2010 issue of COLA's Life & Letters features the research of clinical psychology professor Michael Telch. Dr. Telch has been studying susceptibility to PTSD in Fort Hood soldiers. Read more...
(posted 05/24/10)

Alumnus Edward Zigler has become psychology pioneer
Growing up the child of immigrant parents in the United States, Edward Zigler (doctor’s degree in psychology, 1958) didn’t speak English until he participated in a program similar to today’s Head Start program. Read more...
(posted 05/21/10)

Psychology Senior Examines Academic Success Among African American High School Students
Martinque Jones, senior and psychology major, has been investigating how cultural identity and academic attitudes affect the academic achievement of African American high school students. With support from the Ronald E. McNair Program and Drs. Kevin Cokley and Samone Johnson, Jones collected more than 120 surveys for analysis at various schools in the Houston Independent School District. Recognizing a deficit at the university’s campus, Jones also helped charter the Association of Black Psychologists. 
Listen to interview | Read transcript of interview
(posted 05/03/10)