Two ladies working together through a workbook while on the computer.

Department of Psychology News

The Department of Psychology offers students a broad foundation in fundamental psychological concepts. We also provide opportunities for students to take specialty courses and be involved in research and various applied settings. Our curriculum meets the needs of students intending to pursue advanced training in psychology, education, medicine, or other related fields.

Current Psychology News

A closeup on the sleeve of a red UNLV graduation gown bearing the words "Rebels Forever"
Campus News |

President Chris Heavey recognizes 10 students for their staunch commitment to academic excellence and service to the community.

Valarie Burke sits in regalia during ceremony
People |

Master problem solver and triple alumna Valarie Burke of the Graduate College helps make it happen at graduation.

UNLV seasonal eggs
Campus News |

A collection of colorful headlines featuring UNLV staff and students.

two women talking during symposium
Campus News |

UNLV Health Sciences schools team up with other state institutions to showcase faculty and student work.

slice of brain sitting on desk in lab
Campus News |

The first Neuroscience Research Showcase brings together experts across disciplines to share their work and spark new collaborations.

Spring flowers
Campus News |

The students and faculty of UNLV are springing into headlines around the country.

Psychology In The News

New York Post

Take aurally. Turns out the ultimate anxiety remedy may not be in your medicine cabinet — but on Spotify. An eight-minute ambient track called “Weightless” by British band Marconi Union is being hailed as the musical equivalent of a chill pill. The song was actually designed to de-stress listeners — and science says it works.

New York Post

Bach to the future: Neuroscientist says a centuries-old classical tune could be the secret to crushing your to-do list.

Parade

Should you listen to music while you work? It’s a polarizing question. Some people find working in silence boring and say that music helps them focus on the task at hand. Others say that music makes it hard for them to concentrate, causing them to work slower.

The Elko Daily Free Press

A McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act for homeless youth in Elko County has lost its federal funding from the Nevada Department of Education.

New York Times

Consciousness may be a mystery, but that doesn’t mean that neuroscientists don’t have any explanations for it. Far from it.

Epoch Times

Many people don’t think twice when their physician prescribes antidepressants or other medications—after all, mental health is just as important as physical well-being. However, new research suggests that some of these drugs may quietly interfere with brain development in unborn children, raising urgent safety concerns during pregnancy.

Psychology Experts

An expert on the mental health of the LGBTQ population and HIV/AIDS research.
An expert in neurodevelopmental disorders, such as autism, schizophrenia, and epilepsy.
An expert on child psychology, anxiety, and school absenteeism
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A psychologist and expert on the inner experience. 
An expert in auditory perception, cognition, cognitive neuroscience, and perceptual abnormalities in schizophrenia.
An expert on eating disorders.

Recent Psychology Accomplishments

Matthew Schurr and Brenna Renn (Psychology) published "Relation Between Executive Function Test Performance and Treatment Outcomes During Brief Psychotherapies for Later-Life Depression" in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry: Open Science, Education, and Practice. Schurr, an alumni of the UNLV Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program and Renn's…
Kara Christensen Pacella and graduate students Hoor Ul Ain and Rosha Feizilighvan (all Psychology) presented their work at the International Conference for Eating Disorders in San Antonio, TX. Ain and Feizilighvan presented their posters, "Fasting Motivations in Muslim Women" and "ED-Motivated Sleep Behaviors are Associated with Higher ED-Related…
Graduate student Shannon Sagert and faculty mentor Kara Christensen Pacella (both Psychology) published a new study examining the association between imposter syndrome symptoms and eating disorder pathology in the Journal of American College Health. Sagert found that as imposter syndrome symptoms increased among college students, risk of…
Kara Christensen Pacella (Psychology) and colleagues from University of Illinois Chicago and University of Kansas recently published "Ecological momentary assessment of between- and within-person sleep quality as a predictor of disordered eating behaviors among young women with disordered eating" in Appetite. This project stemmed from an honors…
Graduate student Mattea Pezza and faculty member Nicole Short (both Psychology) recently published a manuscript in the APA journal Traumatology titled Examining cross-sectional associations between anxiety sensitivity, trauma exposure, and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms in university students. In light of decades of…
Tiange Xu (Hospitality), Shane Kraus (Psychology), and colleagues recently published a paper, "Problem gambling in the crypto era: A study of gambling motivations and cognitive distortions amongst cryptocurrency traders," in the Public Health​​​​​​. Their research examined the prevalence of problematic gambling behaviors among…