Blinded by beauty? Is the halo effect shaping your judgments?

Written by Haafizah Bibi


Many of us know the saying ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’, and while it is considered morally wrong to base your opinions about someone on something as superficial as attractiveness, you could be doing exactly that! In social psychology, ‘the halo effect’ is a type of cognitive bias whereby attractiveness influences our impression of a person and the way we think or feel about them.

Why Language Matters: The Impact of Classroom Diversity Philosophies on Students of Colour

Written By Gemma Cunnington

 

Have you seen the monumental growth of the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020? Left wondering how psychological research can play its part in addressing inequality for People of Colour (POC)? Good, Bourne and Drake (2020) investigated how the language used in classroom diversity philosophies in online STEM classes can affect the performance of students, particularly students of colour. If you aren’t sure what a classroom diversity philosophy is, it is essentially a statement about the expectations the professor has regarding diversity in the classroom. This research is extremely relevant because as of 2012, 65% of educational institutions have a diversity philosophy! (Wilson, Meyer & McNeal, 2012)

Our school years are the most important years of our lives… or are they?

Written by Elizabeth Sanderson

For some of us, school was fun, a time to be mischievous, mess about, and misbehave. For others, school was miserable, and some may even say, trivial and pointless. But do our school experiences define us? And does how we behave in school impact the chances of success in later life? A recent study by Rodica Ioana Damian, Marion Spengler and Brent W. Roberts (2018) aimed to investigate just this.

The Influential Relationship Between Sleep and Stress During the Exam Period

Written by Jessica Howes





Well, here we are again. With Christmas behind us and another year over (Good Riddance, 2020!), university students across the country are now gearing up for exams, myself included. Now, forgive me for stating the obvious but… exams are stressful, right? And I don’t know about you but the more I stress about upcoming exams, the worse I sleep, and the worse I sleep, the more stressed I feel. It’s a vicious cycle and one that many of us know all too well. The question is: what toll is this lack of sleep and associated stress having on our basic psychological needs? Well, wonder no more as a 2018 study by Rachel Campbell, Bart Soenens, Wim Beyers & Maarten Vansteenkiste (2018) investigated precisely this. 

Trialling a Novel Web-Based Therapy in Universities

Written by Harry Mansfield

Starting university is a stressful experience for many. It can mean leaving home for the first time, moving to a new city, adjusting to new surroundings, meeting new people, as well as a slew of new responsibilities. These are just some of the challenges students would typically face, let alone the unprecedented challenges students are being faced with in 2020 as they adjust to ‘blended’ learning and dramatically fewer social opportunities to ease them into their new environment. As such, it’s important that wellbeing services in universities offer effective methods to promote wellbeing, with many unsurprisingly looking at web-based therapy more seriously. One such therapy - web-based Acceptance and Commitment Therapy - was recently trialled with Australian undergraduate students in 2019 with promising results (Viskovich & Pakenham, 2018). 

Real Stuart Littles in the Making- How does the environment affect learning?

A 'participant' in Crawford et al.'s (2020) study

Written by Jade Smith


Rats don’t always get the best press. They’re often seen as unwanted pests that infest our streets and sewers. However, another point of view is that rats are intelligent and resourceful animals. In fact, some of the brain structures of rats resemble the more primitive elements of the human brain, which means that behavioural research on rats can actually help us model human behaviours. Though it may seem like a bit of a leap, psychology research has been using rodents for decades to model behaviour because their genetic, biological and behavioural characteristics resemble those of humans. 

Could Dogs be the Answer to Beating University Stress?

Written by Adele Lindsay


We all know that the transition to university can be difficult; trying to adjust to living somewhere new, moving away from family and friends, getting to lectures on time and even finding our way around campus can be anxiety inducing. It is unsurprising then that the amount of students seeking counselling services has risen by 30%. So, what can we do about this sad state of affairs? Well, the answer could be as simple as letting students spend time with man and woman’s best friend.

Roll Over Mozart

Written by Aneirin Patterson

Everybody wants the best for their children and many parents dream of their child becoming the next Einstein or Elon Musk. But is there actually a way to help our children become a prolific genius? This question seems especially important right now, as many parents find themselves with the daunting task of educating their own children! According to recent research, the answer may lie in music.