Psychology

A study using a procedure called the rubber hand illusion has found striking new evidence that people experiencing schizophrenia have a weakened sense of body ownership and has produced the first case of a spontaneous, out-of-body experience in the laboratory. Read More

The new Center for Diabetes Translation Research will translate scientific breakthroughs into practices that can be applied in the doctor’s office and the patient’s home. Read More

The "Tower of Hanoi" task (Courtesy Dan Levin) “Learning by teaching,” a method in which teaching facilitates the tutor’s own understanding, may be improved when the audience is not human, new research from Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College finds. The study, based on research that suggests a person learns… Read More

Tracy Barrett (Vanderbilt) Tracy Barrett, senior lecturer in Italian, has written Dark of the Moon, a re-telling of the Theseus myth for young adult readers, published by Harcourt Children’s Books. Leonard Bickman, the Betts Chair and professor… Read More

Early motor experiences can shape infants’ preferences for objects and faces, new research indicates. The study supports evidence that early motor development and experiences contribute to infants’ understanding of their world and implies that when motor skills are delayed or impaired – as in autism – future social interactions could be negatively impacted. Read More

How the brain is wired to control impulsive behavior differs significantly from what psychologists have thought, new research finds. Read More

New research from Vanderbilt University indicates images held in our working memory may skew perception of current events. (iStock) Taking a trip down memory lane while you are driving could land you in a roadside ditch, new research indicates. Vanderbilt University psychologists have found that our visual perception… Read More

Impairments in a brain area involved in social perception may help explain why individuals with schizophrenia have trouble reading social cues. Read More

Psychology professor Isabel Gauthier, an expert in the science of face recognition, relishes the process of discovery – and mentoring graduate students along the way. Read More

If you hear a booming voice singing Beethoven’s Ninth or Verdi’s Requiem in Wesley Place Garage one morning, it’s probably Carl Johnson practicing his repertoire for the Nashville Symphony Chorus. Read More

The brain’s ability to process multiple sensory inputs continues to develop well into childhood, a recent study shows. Read More

Just a few sessions on the treadmill can prevent marijuana cravings and use, new research finds. Read More

(iStock Photo) Individuals with schizophrenia are better at some cognitive tasks than average people, new research from Vanderbilt University indicates. The findings open the door for potential new therapies for these individuals. Katy Thakkar and Sohee Park (Mary Donaldson/Vanderbilt University) “We found a pocket of spared or enhanced ability in… Read More

(Photo credit: iStock photo) Brain scans of adolescents with dyslexia can be used to predict the future improvement of their reading skills with an accuracy rate of up to 90 percent, new research indicates. Advanced analyses of the brain activity images are significantly more accurate in driving predictions than standardized… Read More

Vanderbilt University’s Center for Evaluation and Program Improvement and the Indiana University Center for Adolescent and Family Studies have won a $3.8 million grant from the National Institute of Mental Health to study methods to improve mental health services. The five-year project will examine how to improve mental health services… Read More

Do videos targeted to babies really teach? New Vanderbilt research gives a clear answer. Plus, a Supreme Court justice comes to campus and why one ‘Dore is playing for the New York Times. [vucastblurb]… Read More

Photo courtesy of National Eye Institute A brain area known to play a critical role in vision is divided into compartments that respond separately to different colors and orientations, Vanderbilt University researchers have discovered. The findings have important implications for furthering our understanding of perception and attention. The research… Read More

Media contact: Melanie Moran (615) 322-NEWS melanie.moran@vanderbilt.ed… Read More

Expert typists are able to zoom across the keyboard without ever thinking about which fingers are pressing the keys. New research from Vanderbilt University reveals that this skill is managed by an autopilot, one that is able to catch errors that can fool our conscious brain. Read More

Lead author Braden Purcell We know that casting a ballot in the voting booth involves politics, values and personalities. But before you ever push the button for your candidate, your brain has already carried out an election of its own to make that action possible. New research from Vanderbilt… Read More