Department News
White Western women under greater pressure to look thin
New research by our Psychology department has found that White Western women are less positive about their bodies and feel greater media pressure to be thin than Black Nigerian and Chinese women.
Durham psychologist discovers goosebumps happen far more often than we think
A study by a Durham Psychology researcher has found that goosebumps happen far more frequently than you think - and you may not even know you have them.
Why there’s no such thing as normal in child development
Associate Professor in Psychology Samuel Forbes challenges our current benchmarks for child development, which he argues are variable based on cultural context and individual personalities.
Why a social media detox may not be as good for you as you think
Associate Professor Niklas Ihssen and PhD student Michael Wadsley from our Department of Psychology explain how cutting your social media use dramatically or even avoiding it completely can reduce the positive effects of social media just as much as the negative ones.
Graphic warning labels could reduce people’s meat consumption
A new study from our Department of Psychology has found that cigarette style graphic warning labels could reduce people’s meat consumption.
Dr Sheina Lew-Levy awarded prestigious ERC Grant for pioneering cultural research
Dr Sheina Lew-Levy from our top-rated Psychology department has been awarded a highly competitive European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant.
Defining what makes the best virtual first impression
A new study by psychologists at Durham has found the answers to creating the best first impression in a virtual meeting, such as Teams or Zoom, is a visual background of house plants and books.
Professor Graham Towl appointed to key crime reduction role
Professor Graham Towl has been appointed as the new chair of the Scottish Advisory Panel on Offender Rehabilitation (SAPOR) which is a key role to help reduce crime in Scotland.
Oldest engravings of fishing discovered in Ice Age art
New research has revealed 15,800-year-old engravings of catching fish in traps.
Understanding early human cave art
A psychological phenomenon where people see meaningful forms in random patterns, such as seeing faces in clouds, may have stimulated early humans to make cave art.
Chimpanzees are not pets, no matter what social media tells you
Research Associate Jake Brooker from our Department of Psychology studies the social and emotional behaviour of great apes. He explains that social media needs to recognise that putting exotic animals in a human context isn't cute and reflects animal abuse.
Development of communication in chimpanzees echoes that of human infants
Our closest living relatives could help us better understand how communication evolved in humans and how our own language skills emerge.