Psychology

PSYCHOLOGY - If you're a teenager, hitting the snooze this weekend might be good for your mental health according to College of Arts and Sciences psychologist Melynda Casement. Published in Journal of Affective Disorders, Casement found that people age 16 to 24 who caught up on sleep on the weekend had a 41% lower risk for symptoms of depression than a group who didn’t.

On the cusp of a new year, Tykeson Dean of Arts and Sciences Chris Poulsen took time to share what he is most excited about in the College of Arts and Sciences, now and into the future. "The success of this strategy doesn't depend on a few leaders. It depends on all of us," Poulsen said.

PSYCHOLOGY - A new study led by researchers at the University of Oregon College of Arts and Sciences in collaboration with Google Research found little evidence linking smartphone use with mental well-being in adults. Researchers analyzed more than 250,000 days of smartphone usage from more than 10,000 U.S. adults ages 18 and up.

PSYCHOLOGY - Adolescence isn’t a time of dysfunction; it’s a peak period of brain development, adaptability, and growth. Jennifer Pfeifer, a psychology professor at the College of Arts and Sciences, discusses at the 2025 TEDxPortland that it’s time to flip the script and recognize that young people are acting exactly as they’re wired to, and are capable of far more than we’ve been led to believe.

Celebrate the class of 2025 with a slideshow featuring some of their favorite moments!

PSYCHOLOGY - Since earning his PhD from the Department of Psychology in 1996 under the joint supervision of professors emeriti Douglas Hintzman and Michael Posner, Daniel Levitin has become one of the most prominent figures in cognitive science. Levitin visited the Eugene campus to donate his papers to the UO Libraries’ Special Collections and University Archives, Levitin delivered a guest lecture about his new book to students in a course on cognitive psychology taught by Nicole Dudukovic, director of the UO’s Neuroscience Program.

PSYCHOLOGY - Brice Kuhl is the first faculty member awarded the Dr. Michael Posner Psychology Professorship in Cognition and Neuroscience. This brand-new professorship, awarded in honor of the Department of Psychology’s groundbreaking researcher Michael Posner, will help support Kuhl’s teaching, research and professional development.

PSYCHOLOGY - Michael Posner, professor emerit in psychology, has had a career filled with accomplishments. He's received numerous honorary degrees, awards, and the National Medal of Science presented by President Barack Obama in 2009. Now the Posner family is establishing The Dr. Michael Posner Psychology Professorship in Cognition and Neuroscience to support a tenured professor or associate professor in strengthening the college’s contributions to cognition and neuroscience.

PSYCHOLOGY - University of Oregon researchers are making it easier to include diverse and understudied populations in psychology research by designing a new approach to bring social interaction studies online, allowing scientists and participants to conduct studies remotely.