Department of Psychology

Is it money, power, and fame? Or rather fear and punishment? For nearly 40 years Richard Ryan and Edward Deci, the founders of self-determination theory, have sought to answer the question of human motivation.

After being eliminated in the regionals, four international students have been chosen as wild cards for the Hult Prize, the largest social entrepreneurship competition in the world, with a reward of $1 million seed money.

For those suffering from dysphoria­—general unhappiness or elevated depressive symptoms—a Rochester study has found that experiencing or even just anticipating uplifting events in daily life was related to feeling less depressed that same day.

A new study has found that partners felt an emotional benefit when they put aside their own needs for the sake of their spouse, even if their acts of compassion were not explicitly noticed by their spouse.

Online dating is second only to "meeting through friends" as the most popular form of matchmaking, and Rochester psychologist Harry Reis has been investigating the phenomenon as the stigma has lifted.

“People think about the sexes as distinct categories,” says Rochester psychology professor Harry Reis, But when something goes wrong between partners, emphasizing inherent differences between the sexes can be harmful.

Since the 1980s, psychology professor Harry Reis has been putting human relationships under a microscope. Over the years his research has led to insights into matters of the heart—both figuratively and literally.

Harry Reis, a leading researcher in the field of social psychology credited with helping to launch the field of relationship science, was jointly appointed as Dean’s Professor in Arts, Sciences and Engineering effective December 1.

Mt. Hope Family Center researchers Melissa Sturge-Apple and Patrick Davies have been awarded a $2.9 million grant to research how conflicts and stress between parents spill over to influence interactions between parent and child.

New research indicates that there are ways that couples can sustain—or relight—their passion. The study suggests that when men and women perceive their partners as responsive, they feel special and think of their partner as a valuable mate, which in turn boosts sexual desirability.