In Journal Club, students and professors talk together about exciting new psychology research. By reading and discussing a short, current article, students learn necessary skills about understanding and interpreting psychological research.
Schedule for Spring 2025
Friday, February 21, 4:30-5:30pm, Centenary Square 210
Discussion led by Dr. Amy Hammond (PSY342 Dating & Mating)
The Scent of a Good Night’s Sleep: Olfactory Cues of a Romantic Partner Improve Sleep Efficiency
Marlise K. Hofer & Frances S. Chen
Almost nothing is known about whether exposure to the scent of loved ones influences sleep. In the current study, 155 participants spent 2 nights with their partner’s scent and 2 nights with a control scent (in random order). Sleep was measured in two ways: sleep efficiency (via actigraphy) and perceived sleep quality (via self-report). Sleep efficiency was higher when participants were exposed to their partner’s scent. This increase occurred regardless of participants’ beliefs about the origin of the scent. Perceived sleep quality was higher when participants believed that they were smelling their partner’s scent. Exposure to a partner’s scent led sleep efficiency to increase by more than 2% on average, an improvement similar in magnitude to the effect of melatonin on sleep. The current work speaks to the critical role of olfaction in communication and reveals that social scents can impact sleep.
Tuesday, March 11, 4:30-5:30pm, Centenary Square 210
Discussion led by Dr. Amy Hammond (PSY327 Psychology of Design)
Mitigation of Human Factors in Aviation Maintenance
Om Prakash Bohreya & A. S. Chatpalliwarb
Human factors during aircraft maintenance have a significant impact on aviation safety. Human factors analysis, therefore, is an essential aspect in aviation. The researchers have analyzed human factors in detail. yet, the existing studies are mostly reactive in nature. In the present study, incidents during aircraft maintenance related to human factors were investigated using the HFACS -ME classification system. Critical human factors and their latent conditions were identified and mapped. Identification of active and latent human factors enables proactive mitigation of weaknesses in the system thus ensuring maintenance safety. Interventions to mitigate human factors and improve the maintenance setup at the shop floor, management, and organization levels were formulated. The proposed model validated that past incidents could be effectively utilized as predictors to identify and mitigate active and latent human factors during aircraft maintenance by implementing proactive interventions.
Tuesday, March 25, 4:30-5:30pm, Centenary Square 210
Discussion led by Dr. Jessica Alexander (PSY329 Brain & Language)
Bianca V. Gurrola & Wendy S. Francis
Research on false memory in bilinguals using the DRM task has shown that false memories transfer across languages, but comparisons to within-language conditions have yielded mixed results. In two experiments, Spanish–English bilinguals completed standardized language assessments and a DRM task. Experiment 1 (N = 96) had several study–recall cycles before a final recognition test, and Experiment 2 (N = 72) only tested recognition. Relative to within-language conditions, more critical lures were recalled when the language changed from study to test and when words were studied in mixed-language sequences. With no prior recall test, the rate of critical lure recognition did not differ across language conditions. Language proficiency was not associated with the false-memory effects. Associations of false and veridical memory were negative in recall and positive in recognition. Overall, the findings indicate that proficient bilinguals can integrate information across their languages via a shared semantic network to form false memories.
If you have questions, please contact Dr. Amy Hammond in the Psychology Department.