Department of Psychology

Exciting. Confusing. Inspiring. Intimidating. Being a first-generation college student can bring many challenges and emotions. If you are a first-gen student, know that you are in good company. Here, ten UW Arts & Sciences students/alumni who've been in your shoes offer their thoughts on surviving — and thriving — as a first-generation student at the UW. 

"As a professor, I agree with my colleagues who have noticed the declining literacy of American students at elite universities. However, I am not sure if the schools are entirely to blame," writes Ione Fine, professor of psychology at the UW.

In the College of Arts & Sciences, we are proud to celebrate our first-generation community through a collection of stories! We honor our faculty and staff, and their many contributions to our university community and beyond.

In the College of Arts & Sciences, we are proud to celebrate our first-generation community through a collection of stories! We honor our students and alumni, and their many contributions to our university community and beyond.

Emergency department visits for self-harm have spiked since the pandemic. Experts explain the psychology behind the behavior and how to overcome it. Vibh Forsythe Cox, clinical associate professor of psychology and director of the Marsha M. Linehan DBT Clinic at the UW, is quoted.

In “Primary Trust,” which opens at Seattle Rep on Oct. 24 and runs through Nov. 24, playwright Eboni Booth brings audiences on a deep dive into the epidemic of adult loneliness. Nicole McNichols, associate teaching professor of psychology at the UW, is quoted.

Fear of flying affects more than 25 million Americans. If you are among them, these tools and expert tips could help make your next plane ride easier. Jonathan Bricker, affiliate professor of psychology at the UW, is quoted.

Success in Gig Harbor comes as more schools are looking to reign in cell phones. Four of the five school districts in Kitsap County now have bans, a pair of which are new this fall. Central Kitsap, the lone holdout, plans to have a ban by early next year. Lucía Magis-Weinberg, assistant professor of psychology at the UW, is quoted.

Experts at the UW have focused their lens on a rather unconventional subject of study – the link between the ability to view stars free from light pollution and an interest in astronomy. Rodolfo Cortes Barragan, a research scientist at the UW Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, and Andrew Meltzoff, professor of psychology and co-director of the UW Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences, are quoted.

Moo Deng. Pesto. Nibi. The three are a pygmy hippo, king penguin, and beaver, respectively, and they’re some of the latest celebrities to captivate the internet. David Barash, professor emeritus of psychology at the UW, is quoted.

This week, attend the Psychology Edwards seminar, check out the First Wednesday Concert Series in the Allen Library, tune into the first lecture of the Democracy in Focus Lecture Series, and more. September 30, 12:00 – 1:20 pm | Psychology Edwards seminar talk with Alex L. White, Ph.D., Columbia University, Kindcaid Hall Can you recognize two...

New research from the University of Washington found lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in unusually accelerated brain maturation in adolescents. This maturation was more pronounced in girls. When measured in terms of the number of years of accelerated brain development, the mean acceleration was 4.2 years in females and 1.4 years in males.

The research team hopes to survey at least 300 middle and high school students, teachers and parents this school year at western Washington schools with bans. Lucía Magis-Weinberg, assistant professor of psychology at the UW, is quoted.

A school in northwest Seattle is part of an experiment playing out in districts around the nation as educators try to rein in the widespread use of smartphones on campus. Restrictions and strategies for implementation vary. Educators have a long list of reasons for wanting cellphone-free policies, but formal research is limited on the impacts of school smartphone use and the effects of bans. Lucía Magis-Weinberg, assistant professor of psychology at the UW, is quoted.

"Elon Musk recently pronounced that the next Neuralink project will be a “Blindsight” cortical implant to restore vision...Unfortunately, this claim rests on the fallacy that neurons in the brain are like pixels on a screen. It’s not surprising that engineers often assume that “more pixels equals better vision.” After all, that is how monitors and phone screens work," write Ione Fine and Geoffrey Boynton, professors of psychology at the UW.