Silver linings playbook: Think bad news before it's delivered

Psychologists have known there’s value in finding a “silver lining,” in coaxing oneself through bad news. You didn’t get the job? Just as well: That new boss seemed edgy during the interview. Someone outbid you at the last second for that antique something-or-other on eBay? You didn’t really have the...

By J.D. Warren | | Social Science / Education

'I know that we're going to get through it'

As election day morphs into election days, UC Riverside’s students are like voters red and blue alike: seeking comfort where they can find it. “I think everyone wanted a definite result. We did not get that,” said political scientist Shaun Bowler. In a Zoom session on Wednesday morning, more than...

How can you beat the COVID-19 blues? Find your flow

Finding the right activity could mean you experience the same well-being during the long quarantine as you would when not in quarantine, UCR research finds.

By J.D. Warren | | Social Science / Education

An 'awe-full' state of mind may set you free

An induced feeling of awe, or state of wonder, may be the best strategy yet for alleviating the discomfort that comes from uncertain waiting. Kate Sweeny’s research explores the most excruciating form of waiting: the period during which one awaits uncertain news, the outcome of which is beyond one’s control...

Tetris: It could be the salve for a worried mind

Tetris could be the salve for a worried mind. The venerable video game was used in a recent experiment to create a state of “flow” – the term psychologists use to describe a state of mind so engaged it makes the rest of the world fall away, and time pass...

By J.D. Warren | | Social Science / Education