Psychology | CAS in the Media | Washington State University

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How Smart Tech Will Take Care of Grandma

February 6, 2014

The great hope for senior care is that smart technology will help older people live independently in their homes instead of moving into assisted living centers or nursing homes. What shape will that assistance take? Out-of-the-way, non-intrusive sensors or actual robots? Some tech companies have already begun to design systems of both kinds.

WSU psychology professor Maureen Schmitter-Edgecombe and computer science professor Diane Cook have developed what they call a smart home in a box.

Psychology clinic to teach ‘insomnia 101’

January 27, 2014

Brian Sharpless, WSU Psychology Clinic director — Brian Sharpless

The WSU Psychology Clinic is currently screening people to take part in group sessions aimed at treating their insomnia. Brian Sharpless, clinic director, said the sessions will feature “state-of-the-art” therapy methods to help participants learn about what causes the problem and what they can do to improve their sleep.

“A lot of people will start sleeping better within two to three weeks of treatment,” Sharpless said.

Learn more about the insomnia research.

Research looks at impact of graphic cigarette labels

December 13, 2013

An change in cigarette warning labels could give researchers insight to changing the behavior of smokers and giving them motivation to quit.

Renee Magnan, assistant professor of psychology at WSU Vancouver, recently received a grant to research the effectiveness of graphic warning labels, rather than those with text only, on cigarette packages. “There is currently a big need for research in this area to help inform policy,” she said.

WSU research projects focus on memory problems

December 3, 2013

By volunteering as a memory research subject, Johnnie Bosworth of Spokane is helping WSU researchers develop strategies for people with age-related memory loss or cognitive impairment to live safely in their own homes.

We really want to keep people “functioning as independently as possible for as long as possible,” said Maureen Schmitter-Edgecombe, a clinical neuropsychologist in the Department of Psychology who’s leading the research with faculty in the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.

Considering that nearly one in five U.S. residents will be 65 and older in 2030, “There’s some concern about how we’re going to handle this aging population,” Schmitter-Edgecombe said.

Psych prof evaluates Microsoft’s plan to end employee ‘stack ranking’

November 15, 2013

Tahira Probst, professor of psychology and interim assistant vice chancellor of Academic Affairs, WSU Vancouver, discusses employee evaluation methods, including the controversial practice of “stack ranking,” which Microsoft recently announced it will discontinue.

Listen at kuow.org