BSI-News (Volume 6, Issue 3) | Behavioural Sciences Initiative

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Volume 6, Issue 3 (September 2016)

Announcements

		At this year’s National Day, Professor David Chan received the Public Administration Medal (Silver) for his contributions to various national issues in Singapore. Over the years, he has translated science into practice to help many organisations understand how human behaviours are shaped by the social, cultural and organisational settings people find themselves in. [LINK]

		In July 2016, Professor David Chan was awarded a Special Recognition Honour by the Ministry of Home Affairs for his outstanding contributions to the Home Team in the field of psychology for over two decades. His contributions included designing the first police assessment centre, setting up the police psychological unit, developing selection systems for the Singapore Police Force and the Singapore Prison Service, and conducting studies which helped inform organisational development in the Home Team. He received the award from Senior Minister of State
Desmond Lee at the 3rd Asian Conference of Criminal and Operations Psychology where he delivered the Keynote Speech on futures thinking.

Upcoming BSI Seminars

•		11 October 2016 The Underlying Processes of Metaphorical Cleansing Seminar by Albert Lee Assistant Professor, Division of Psychology, Nanyang Technological University

•		25 October 2016 How do Living Arrangements and Intergenerational Support Matter for Psychological Health of Elderly Parents? Evidence from Myanmar, Vietnam, and Thailand Seminar by Bussarawan Teerawichitchainan Associate Professor of Sociology, Singapore Management University

•	8 November 2016 Emergence of Collectivistic Tendencies and Ingroup Favoritism from Shared Threats Seminar by Bobby K. Cheon Assistant Professor, Division of Psychology, Nanyang Technological University

Highlights of Recent BSI Seminars


		•	30 August 2016 Yang Hwajin, Assistant Professor of Psychology, SMU, presented a seminar titled “Is the Smartphone a Smart Choice? The effects of smartphone separation on executive functions”. She discussed the potential negative consequences from overuse of smartphones and the cognitive mechanisms underlying the effects.

		•	20 September 2016 Angela Leung, Associate Professor of Psychology, SMU, presented a seminar titled “Cosmopolitan Orientation as a Novel Predictor of Pro-environmental Efforts”. She discussed how people with a cosmopolitan orientation may be more likely to have pro-environment attitudes and engage in pro-environmental behaviours.

		•	27 September 2016 Diong Hui Yee, Graduate of Bachelor of Social Sciences (Psychology), SMU, presented a seminar titled “Intra-Individual Variability in Personality and Relationship Satisfaction”. She discussed the effects linking personality and relationship satisfaction. The study was her senior thesis that received the best thesis award at the School of Social Sciences.

Insights from Behavioural Sciences

In this regular section on Insights from Behavioural Sciences, we feature a live television studio interview on Channel NewsAsia in which Professor David Chan discussed the changes to the PSLE system.

Channel NewsAsia: New Bands for PSLE

We also feature an invited commentary reflecting on the lessons that Singapore's first Olympic Gold Medallist Joseph Schooling brings home for the nation. The article was published in the Straits Times on 16 August 2016. [LINK]

Applications from Behavioural Sciences

In this regular section on Applications from Behavioural Sciences, we feature a television talk-show Let’s Think About It – Social Cohesion and Mobility, where Professor David Chan joined an invited panel helmed by Speaker of Parliament Halimah Yacob to discuss multiculturalism in Singapore. The panel shared their views on social cohesion and mobility issues including equal opportunities, forging closer ties among communities and looking beyond race differences. The four segments of the show are available in the YouTube video clips below: Let’s Think About It (Part 1) Let’s Think About It (Part 2) Let’s Think About It (Part 3) Let’s Think About It (Part 4) We also feature an invited commentary discussing the importance of values and perceptions in the changes to the Singapore’s Elected Presidency. The article was published in The Straits Times on 24 September 2016. [LINK]

About BSI The Behavioural Sciences Institute (BSI) is a multi-disciplinary research institute for creating, disseminating and applying scientific knowledge about human behaviours in various social, organisational and cultural settings. For more information on BSI, please refer to our website. Should you have any further enquiries, do contact us with the email or phone contact details provided below.

	:http://bsi.smu.edu.sg	:bsi@smu.edu.sg	:+65 6828 0300