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Here’s Why We Need a PSA for the COVID-19 Vaccine

As COVID-19 vaccines begin making their way from science labs to doctors’ offices, three former U.S. presidents—Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama—have said they’re willing to get their shots on camera in order to encourage skeptical Americans to do the same. The move is “a good first step,” says psychology professor Lisa Feldman Barrett, but a broader, […]
December 16, 2020

Covid-19 Misconceptions Are Hard To Fight. Cognitive Psychology Might Help.

There are plenty of misconceptions about COVID-19, the disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. And that’s especially true during a time when false information about the disease, the virus, and possible treatments is so hard to counteract. Different misconceptions about the coronavirus—about how it gets transmitted, and how it leads to COVID-19 complications, for example—can result from a limited […]
July 13, 2020
This Dec. 30, 2019 photo provided by the Washington State Department of Agriculture shows a dead Asian giant hornet in a lab in Olympia, Wash. It is the world's largest hornet, a 2-inch long killer with an appetite for honey bees. Dubbed the "Murder Hornet" by some, the insect has a sting that could be fatal to some humans. AP photo by Quinlyn Baine/Washington State Department
This Dec. 30, 2019 photo provided by the Washington State Department of Agriculture shows a dead Asian giant hornet in a lab in Olympia, Wash. It is the world’s largest hornet, a 2-inch long killer with an appetite for honey bees. Dubbed the “Murder Hornet” by some, the insect has a sting that could be fatal to some humans. AP photo by Quinlyn Baine/Washington State Department

The ‘Murder Hornet’ Is Out to Get Bees, Not Humans. So Why Are People Still Freaking Out About It?

The arrival of the Asian giant hornet in the U.S. has sparked an outcry on social media, but entomologists say that people should not worry about the oversized wasps. Still, some people may be concerned, as the underlying nature of fear isn’t the same for everyone, says neuroscientist Ajay Satpute.
May 26, 2020
Lobsang Tseten meditates and practices breathing exercises alone to maintain “social distancing” at a playground on Wednesday, March 25, 2020, in New York. AP Photo/John Minchillo
Lobsang Tseten meditates and practices breathing exercises alone to maintain social distancing at a playground, Wednesday, March 25, 2020, in New York. Gov. Andrew Cuomo sounded his most dire warning yet about the coronavirus pandemic Tuesday, saying the infection rate in New York is accelerating and the state could be as close as two weeks away from a crisis that sees 40,000 people in intensive care. Such a surge would overwhelm hospitals, which now have just 3,000 intensive care unit beds statewide. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Here’s How to Combat the Fear Caused by a Barrage of Covid-19 News

David DeSteno, a Professor of Psychology does a Q&A with [email protected] about his research, the contagiousness of fear and offered some tips for breaking out of the constant cycle of fear and anxiety.
April 06, 2020