News
Social psychology sheds light on Trump's appeal
August 10, 2017
The surprising election of Donald Trump prompted a widespread desire to understand the factors at play in his unexpected victory. A recent analysis suggests that five social-psychological phenomena helped power Trump to victory: authoritarianism, social dominance orientation, prejudice, relative deprivation, and intergroup contact.
Psychology professor Ben Storm featured in the New York Times
July 3, 2017
Psychology professor Ben Storm talks to the The New York Times about how forgetfulness can lead to improved reasoning.
UCSC psychologist Campbell Leaper talks to the New York Times about raising feminist sons
June 6, 2017
The New York Times featured Leaper's work in the recent article How to Raise a Feminist Son.
UC Santa Cruz to launch first-generation faculty campaign
May 30, 2017
UC Santa Cruz will launch the First-Gen Faculty (FGF) campaign during Student Achievement week, which starts June 5. This initiative is aimed at encouraging professors on campus to identify themselves as first generation — the first in their families to graduate from a U.S. four-year college or university.
Pettigrew receives Centennial Medal from Harvard University
May 24, 2017
Tom Pettigrew, research professor of social psychology, received the Centennial Medal from Harvard University's Graduate School of Arts and Sciences for his work in racial relations.
Psychology research featured in NSF video showcase
May 19, 2017
A new video about Barbara Rogoff's research is featured this week in the National Science Foundation 2017 "STEM for All" Video Showcase.
Psychology professor featured in National Science Foundation Video Showcase "STEM for All"
May 15, 2017
Technology doesn't have to be a headache
May 9, 2017
Psychology Professor Steve Whittaker is working to improve the way we interface with technology--and harnessing it to improve our well-being.
Newsweek features psychology professor Craig Haney
May 9, 2017
Psychology Professor Craig Haney, an expert in the psychological effects of incarceration, was featured in a Newsweek magazine article about the impacts of solitary confinement.
Social psychologist Phil Hammack studies well-being of LGBTQ youth
April 26, 2017
Phil Hammack is only partway through an ambitious study of the physical and psychological well-being of LGBTQ youth, and he is already surprised by his observations.
Three faculty members honored with Dickson Emeriti Professorships
April 4, 2017
Murray Baumgarten, professor of English & Comparative Literature, E.G. Crichton, professor of art, and Catherine Cooper, professor of psychology, were awarded Dickson Emeriti Professorships in recognition of outstanding achievements in scholarship and teaching.
Research Roundup: Winter 2017 Issue
April 04, 2017
Some of the diverse topics covered by faculty in the Social Sciences Division in Winter 2017 include predicting college success, models for sustainable development, the psychological impact of President Donald Trump, his proposed military budget, and more.
The New York Times features psychology professor Craig Haney
March 30, 2017
Prop. 8 plaintiff Kris Perry receives Distinguished Social Sciences Alumni Award
March 24, 2017
"You only win your civil rights by fighting for them," says alumna Kris Perry, who will be honored at a reception on Friday, April 28.
USA Today features psychology professor Campbell Leaper
March 12, 2017
Campbell Leaper, a developmental and social psychologist, was quoted in a story about gender reveal parties that ran in USA Today and other media outlets.
Saving victims of deadly toxic mushrooms
March 8, 2017
Alumnus Todd Mitchell headed a clinical trial on using an extract of milk thistle seeds to overcome toxic mushroom poisoning and developed what has come to be known as the "Santa Cruz Protocol."
Jan. 18 teach-in highlights activism in the Trump era
January 9, 2017
UC Santa Cruz joins UCLA, UC Berkeley, and other college campuses for a nationwide day of democratic education and action
Using memory to foster well-being
November 28, 2016
Psychology Ph.D. Artie Konrad has found his dream job at Facebook, where he is a user experience researcher on the On This Day project.
Campbell Leaper interviewed for Slate
November 23, 2016
Psychology professor and Department Chair Campbell Leaper was interviewed in an article for Slate about how to talk to kids about hatred and hostility in the Trump era.
Campbell Leaper interviewed in BuzzFeed News
November 11, 2016
Psychology professor and Department Chair Campbell Leaper was quoted extensively in a BuzzFeed article about women and sexism in light of the presidential election results.
Initial findings to be released in study of microaggressions on campus
October 24, 2016
For the past year, UC Santa Cruz psychology professor Christy Byrd implemented a mobile app to track student experiences of microaggressions—the subtle ways assumptions and attitudes based on race, sexual orientation, or gender are communicated in everyday conversation.
Annual social sciences research event explores politics of change
October 20, 2016
How and why politics and policy are failing minority groups was a central theme at the UC Santa Cruz Division of Social Sciences’ fourth annual research event, "Politics of Change?! The Social Sciences Take on 2016."
Tribute to Bruce Bridgeman set for Nov. 5 on campus
October 11, 2016
A tribute to Professor Bruce Bridgeman and his work is scheduled for 2-5:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 5 at the College Nine/Ten Multipurpose Room on the UC Santa Cruz campus.
Research Frontiers Evening focuses on politics three weeks before election
October 8, 2016
“Politics of Change?!” is the timely topic for the 2016 Research Frontiers Evening Wednesday, Oct. 19, presented by the UC Santa Cruz Social Sciences Division three weeks before the presidential election.
Steve Whittaker featured in the Financial Times
October 6, 2016
Psychology professor Stephen Whittaker discusses “pilers and filers” in the Financial Times article, There’s magic in mess: why you should embrace a disorderly desk.
Study finds that the more you Google, the more likely you are to keep Googling
October 5, 2016
People who use the internet to retrieve information are more likely to use it again and less likely to use their memory, according to a study by UC Santa Cruz psychology professor Benjamin Storm.
Research Roundup: Spring 2016 Issue
July 25, 2016
From sequencing DNA from pre-Columbian mummies, examining the California strawberry farming industry, and understanding how teachers teach, faculty and researchers in the Division of Social Sciences published a wide range of issues and ideas in spring quarter.
Congratulations to the Frank X. Barron Creativity Award Winners
July 22, 2016
Psychology graduate Students Yu Zhang and Sara Goodman are the recent recipients of the Frank X. Barron Creativity Award, a scholarship that awards students who are researching areas broadly defined by one of UC Santa Cruz’s most distinguished faculty.
Facebook grapples with heartache as it jogs memories
June 7, 2016
The Star online, the web version of the Toronto Star quoted psychology professor Steve Whittaker in an article on Facebook memories.
Psychology professor featured in National Science Foundation Video Showcase "STEM for All"
May 17, 2016
From May 17 - 23, the public is invited to view, discuss, and vote for their favorite video presentation
Research Roundup: Winter 2016 Issue
March 24, 2016
From biodiversity in California to power relations in Tanzania, faculty and researchers in the Division of Social Sciences published a wide range of issues and ideas in winter quarter.
UC Berkeley provost Claude M. Steele speaks about stereotypes, identity, and academic performace
March 17, 2016
Claude M. Steele, a renowned social psychologist and UC Berkeley’s executive vice chancellor and campus provost, spoke about his research to UCSC students, staff, and faculty.
Undergraduates are learning through community building
March 8, 2016
Thanks to the Psychology Department's Field Study Program, students are making a difference in the local community while getting an education at the same time.
Going the distance: contact vs. motivation
February 12, 2016
The Jerusalem Post published an op-ed by Andrew Pilecki, a UCSC Ph.D. in psychology, and Phillip Hammack, associate professor of psychology
Cognitive science students win Hack UCSC with virtual reality study app
February 9, 2016
Undergraduate research assistants from psychology professor Nick Davidenko’s High Level Perception Lab scoop the coveted prize in the innovation category.
Q & A with Professor Su-hua Wang
January 15, 2016
We sat down with Wang for a Q&A to learn more about her work and about the unique research internship program she offers to psychology majors.
More than a decade after release, they all come back
November 5, 2015
Distinguished psychology professor Craig Haney was quoted in a USA Today articled that followed nine Texas inmates who were released from prison in 2002.
Meet the Psychology Department's newest faculty
November 4, 2015
The Psychology Department now consists of 26 faculty thanks to its three newest hires: Christy Byrd, Audun Dahl and Rebecca Covarrubias.
Unique study compares health of LGB age groups
October 28, 2015
The Bay Area Reporter interviews Associate Professor Phil Hammack about his research on the health and well-being of lesbian, gay, and bisexual people.
Professor Maureen Callanan recognized for her outstanding teaching with Golden Apple Award
October 13, 2015
Professor Maureen Callanan in the Department of Psychology is this year's Golden Apple Award recipient.
Distinguished Professor Craig Haney receives Martin M. Chemers Award for Outstanding Research
October 13, 2015
Craig Haney, Distinguished Professor in the Department of Psychology, is this year's recipient of the Martin M. Chemers Award for Outstanding Research.
Division of Social Sciences recognizes scholarship, teaching and staff
October 13, 2015
On October 7, 2015 the Division of Social Sciences hosted its annual fall breakfast, an event where staff and faculty celebrate achievements from the year before and welcome the year ahead.
How can we improve dialogue about race relations?
October 12, 2015
PBS News Hour interview with Dr. Linda Tropp, former graduate student in Psychology.
Navigating through digital folders uses the same brain structures as real world navigation
October 1, 2015
Efficient storage and retrieval of digital data is the focus of much commercial and academic attention. With personal computers, there are two main ways to retrieve files: hierarchical navigation and query-based search...
Solitary Confinement: Punished for Life
August 4, 2015
Craig Haney, distinguished professor of psychology, and his research on the long-term psychological effects of solitary confinement, are the focus of a New York Times article on the recent attention being paid to the issue.
The Magic of Tidying Up—Digitally
July 19, 2015
A Wall Street Journal columnist turned to psychology’s Steve Whitaker, professor of human computer interaction, for his expertise in the science of storage and retrieval of digital data.
It Starts At Home: Letting Children Collaborate
June 4, 2015
Dr. Rogoff discusses her work researching the collaborative nature of children in Mexico and the United States at a TEDxSantaCruz talk.
Psychology and prisons expert Craig Haney talks about social injustices in U.S. prisons at Annual Faculty Research Lecture
April 10, 2015
Craig Haney to talk at Bipartisan Summit on Criminal Justice Reform about Reimagining American Prisons
March 25, 2015
Professor Craig Haney, along with Attorney General Eric Holder, Senator Cory Booker and others, to launch a new movement in criminal justice reform at the upcoming Bipartisan Summit in Washington DC on Thursday, March 26.
Learning from Anita Hill: a panel discussion with Professors Zurbriggen (Psychology) and Falcón (LALS)
February 25, 2015
UC Santa Cruz reflects on campus sexual harassment, gender and race in a panel discussion following a screening of the documentary film, Anita: Speaking Truth to Power.
Professor Haney Honored for Prison Research
October 17, 2014
Professor Craig Haney, known for his research on prison conditions, will be honored at the Founders Day dinner on October 25th.
A beneficial partnership - Professor Callanan highlighted in APA Monitor
October 17, 2014
Psychologists around the country are bringing behavioral science to the public by conducting research on the exhibit floor at science centers and museums.
Alumna Kris Perry shares how she overturned Prop 8, the same-sex marriage ban
October 14, 2014
At a recent event on campus, Perry talks about her leadership in the gay rights movement
Psychology Department receives APA Culture of Service Award
January 17, 2013
BSA recognized the psychology department at the University of California, Santa Cruz, for an impressive record of service to the discipline.
Sociological association awards Tom Pettigrew distinguished career award
May 20, 2011
Thomas F. Pettigrew, research professor of psychology at UC Santa Cruz, has been named winner of the William Foote Whyte Distinguished Career Award of the Sociological Practice and Public Sociology Section of the American Sociological Association.
Psychology professor awarded prestigious Spencer fellowship
May 18, 2011
Phillip L. Hammack, assistant professor of psychology at UC Santa Cruz, has been named a 2011-2012 National Academy of Education/Spencer Postdoctoral Fellow.
New book questions effectiveness of peace-building workshops
May 18, 2011
In his new book, UCSC psychology professor Phillip L. Hammack questions the effectiveness of peace-building workshops involving Israeli and Palestinian teenagers in the United States.
Analysis shows personal contact reduces tension and prejudice
April 28, 2011
In a new book, "When Groups Meet: the Dynamics of Intergroup Contact," Thomas F. Pettigrew, an international expert on racism, and Linda R. Tropp, associate professor of psychology at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, analyze research that shows how bringing groups together can mitigate prejudice.
Psychology professor links cultural identities, educational success
April 21, 2011
In her new book, UC Santa Cruz psychology professor Catherine R. Cooper examines how culturally diverse youth can develop pathways to college without losing ties to their families, peers, and cultural communities.