BySamuel Putnamand Masha A. Gartstein, WSU professor of psychology
As early as the fifth century B.C., the Greek historian Thucydides contrasted the self-control and stoicism of Spartans with the more indulgent and freethinking citizens of Athens.
Today, unique behaviors and characteristics seem ingrained in certain cultures.
As developmental psychologists, we’re fascinated by these differences, how they take shape and how they get passed along from one generation to the next.
Our work explores the way a society’s values influences the choices parents make — and how this, in turn, influences who their kids become. Although genetics certainly matter, the way you behave isn’t hard-wired.
In the past two decades, researchers have shown how culture can shape your personality.
A robot created by Washington State University scientists could help elderly people with dementia and other limitations live independently in their own homes.
The Robot Activity Support System uses sensors embedded in a WSU smart home to determine where its residents are, what they are doing, and when they need assistance with daily activities.
It navigates through rooms and around obstacles to find people on its own, provides video instructions on how to do simple tasks, and can even lead its owner to objects like their medication or a snack in the kitchen.
For the last decade, Diane Cook, Regents professor of electrical engineering and computer science and director of the WSU Center for Advanced Studies in Adaptive Systems, and Maureen Schmitter‑Edgecombe, a WSU professor of psychology, have led CASAS researchers in the development of smart home technologies that could enable elderly adults with memory problems and other impairments to live independently.
When Ryan Booth began his research into Indian scouts who were recruited by the U.S. Army, he discovered only two military forts had complete records of the scouts: Fort Apache in Arizona and Fort Keogh at Miles City.
“Other places had scouts, but their records were lost or burned,” said Booth, a Ph.D. candidate in history at Washington State University in Pullman.
Many of the Indian scouts attached to Fort Keogh were members of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe. So in December, Booth traveled to Lame Deer to talk with the tribe’s Cultural Committee to present his dissertation topic.
“They liked it,” Booth said. “They gave me some contacts, and said I need to make a formal presentation to the tribal council, since I want to do oral histories.”
Booth is hoping to connect with the descendants of those scouts, to discover what motivated their family members to serve as scouts. He’s hoping he might even stumble across artifacts linked to those days.
“Historians live in hope of the possibility of somebody coming and saying, ‘Here’s this shoe box with a diary or letters we’ve had all these years,’” Booth said. “I think there’s a good possibility that might exist for scouts but nobody has ever asked.”
History tells us that sports fields, courts, and victories have never been colorblind or devoid of politics. History also tells us that that the story of race and sports didn’t start by taking a knee.
This month, KING 5 is starting a new conversation series called Race & Sports. We’re going to peel back some of the layers and explore the intersection of race and sports from various perspectives. We’ll start by talking with a few high school coaches from the Seattle area. We’ll also talk to local fans and former athletes.
David Leonard, professor in the School of Languages, Cultures, and Race, is among others interviewed for the series.
“When we look at our high schools, and we look at what sports are available at our high schools, that reflects political decisions,” Leonard said. “That reflects the histories—the ongoing histories—of housing discrimination. That reflects which school districts are being funded. And those decisions have consequences,” he said. “We need to have critical conversations about race so that we can have conversations about inequality and develop programs that rectify these inequities inside and outside of sports.”
While many people would agree that it’s bad to smoke tobacco while pregnant, there are mixed perceptions about using cannabis.
Washington State University researchers are trying to figure out why, along with studying other cannabis-related issues.
Dr. Maria Gartstein leads the Infant Temperament lab at WSU and is co-leading two studies into marijuana use. One study will examine the thoughts and beliefs about risks or benefits of cannabis use during pregnancy and soon after giving birth. Participants will take part in an hour-long interview as part of that study.