News

Researchers Test Autobiographical Memory for Early Alzheimer's Detection

UA psychologist Matthew Grilli found that people who carry a gene variant that increases the risk for Alzheimer's disease have greater difficulty describing detailed memories of past events.

Testing how well people remember past events in their lives could help medical professionals make early predictions about who is at risk for developing Alzheimer's disease, according to a new study from the University of Arizona.

Post date: Thu, 08/30/2018 - 09:31

Existential Isolation: Why Is It Higher Among Males?

Humans are hyper-social. Everything we think, feel, and do is influenced by our social experiences. This is the case even when we are alone as past, current, and future social experiences and culture itself continue to shape us.

What I am basically saying is there is no cognition, emotion, or action independent of a social component for humans. That might sound like an extreme view, and maybe it is, but I honestly can't imagine an argument that could counter it.

Post date: Fri, 07/13/2018 - 10:30

Research once suggested small talk makes us unhappy - here's why that's not true

Few people admit to liking small talk. A banal conversation about the weather or repeating tales about your weekend to your colleagues may be fine in the office kitchen, but it's not how we'd want the majority of our conversations to go.

Post date: Wed, 06/13/2018 - 11:01

Smoking and Lack of Exercise Linked to Early Death After Divorce

A growing body of research links divorce to a wide range of poor health outcomes, including greater risk for early death. However, the reason for the connection is not well understood.

A new study by the University of Arizona points to two possible culprits: a greater likelihood of smoking after divorce and lower levels of physical activity.

Post date: Wed, 05/30/2018 - 09:48

Four Questions: Chronic Pain and How It Affects the Brain

Chronic pain affects an estimated 100 million Americans, and its impact goes beyond physical discomfort.

New research, led by University of Arizona psychologist Stephen Cowen, illustrates how chronic pain may impact cognitive abilities, such as decision making, as well.

Post date: Wed, 05/23/2018 - 09:49

5 Ways You Can Change Your Thinking to Improve Your Health

Instead of futilely trying to will yourself just to be more motivated or positive, think strategically.

Maybe you just fell off the wagon, so to speak. You were planning to eat well, and, well, you pigged out on junk food instead. You're hardly the first person to experience this kind of setback. But to you – right now – it feels like this "failure" marks a U-turn.

Here's the thing, though: You don't have to think of it that way.

Post date: Tue, 05/01/2018 - 10:20

Fitness Tracker for Your Mind: Inside our thoughts and emotions

Take a moment to reflect on the landscape of your inner mental experience — the thoughts, feelings and emotions that have shaped you into the person you are today. What do you think about on a day-to-day basis? Are your thoughts a source of happiness, creativity and inspiration? Or do they fuel distress, anxiety and distraction?

Post date: Thu, 03/22/2018 - 15:32

Frequent 'I-Talk' May Signal Proneness to Emotional Distress

Your friends who can't stop talking about themselves may be telling you more than you think.

Research at other institutions has suggested that I-talk, though not an indicator of narcissism, may be a marker for depression. While the new study confirms that link, UA researchers found an even greater connection between high levels of I-talk and a psychological disposition of negative emotionality in general.

Post date: Wed, 03/07/2018 - 13:25

UA online rankings continue to improve

Since the launch of the UA online program in 2015, the program has continued to improve in rankings - recently landing in the top 15% of online undergraduate programs according to U.S. News & World Report and peer universities. Read the full article from the University of Arizona here. UA online has offered a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology since Fall 2016 and is now the largest defined online major on campus behind general studies.

Post date: Fri, 02/16/2018 - 15:48

Virtual-reality support group a new way to deal with grief

By Mary-Frances O’Connor, Lindsey Knowles and Eva-Maria Stelzer Special to the Arizona Daily Star

Over 8 million Americans experience the death of a loved one each year. Nearly half of American women older than 65 are widowed, in addition to one in six American men of the same age.

The Grief, Loss, And Social Stress (GLASS) Laboratory at the University of Arizona is dedicated to examining psychological and physiological aspects of grief and other forms of profound life stress.

Post date: Sun, 01/21/2018 - 00:00