Inside the Mind: A Summer Showcase of Behavioral Science

This summer, we’re excited to spotlight groundbreaking research across the six core disciplines of the behavioral sciences. Each issue features compelling science journalism, direct access to cutting-edge findings, and an in-depth look at a leading university program shaping the future of the field. Dive in and enjoy the discovery!

Behavioral Science in the News

• Anthropology: Playing Rock, Paper, Scissors Across the Red-Blue Divide, Sapiens Anthropology Magazine 

• Criminology: What Motivates People to Take Action to Prevent Crime?, Phys.org

• Economics: Nobel Prize Goes to 3 Economists Who Study the Wealth and Poverty of Nations, NPR

• Neuroscience/Cognitive Science: Well, At Least Cognitive Scientists Have Discovered a More Effective Way to Communicate with Your Cat, FastCompany

• Psychology: The Impact of Election Stress, Monitor on Psychology

• Sociology: A Purrrrfect Political Storm, JSTOR Daily

Headlines from Peer-Reviewed Journals

• Anthropology: How Does Social Inequality Alter Relationships Between Porous Cranial Lesions and Mortality?, American Journal of Human Biology

• Criminology: Parental Incarceration and Offspring Criminality, Journal of Criminal Justice 

• Economics: Economic Shocks and Populism, The Economic Journal

• Neuroscience/Cognitive Science: Neural Mechanisms Underlying Cognitive Impairment in Depression and Cognitive Benefits of Exercise Intervention, Behavioral Brain Research

• Psychology: Scoping Review of Withdrawal’s Role in Contemporary Gaming Disorder Research, Clinical Psychology Review

• Sociology: Identifying the Role of High School in Educational Inequality, Social Science Research

University Highlight: University of Pennsylvania

The University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia is an Ivy research university with a highly rated criminology program. In fact, it’s the only undergraduate major in criminology at an Ivy League university. The interdisciplinary program emphasizes applied quantitative social science and how the products of that science can inform public policy.  Undergraduates participate in courses focused on bio-psychological-social analysis of crime, often undertaking laboratory-based analyses. In addition, criminal justice research courses train students to undertake and critically evaluate quantitative research on crime and criminal justice. The program is producing research in the areas of: courts, crime, police, prison, probation and parole, and research methods. Check out these working papers shared by the university: 

• Accuracy and Fairness for Juvenile Justice Risk Assessments

• Street Light Outages, Public Safety and Crime Displacement

• The Missing Account of Progressive Corporate Criminal Law

• Assumption Lean Regression

• Improving Fairness in Criminal Justice