Department Homepage
In the Department of Psychology we focus on the investigation of behavior and its cognitive, neural and hormonal underpinnings in the full range of environmental situations. Our strengths lie in four broadly defined areas of development, cognition, neuroscience, and social and personality psychology. We develop and conduct theoretical and translational research to advance health and well-being.
Currently, we offer two majors and minors for undergraduate students. The Psychology major and minor are offered through the College of Arts & Sciences while the Human Development major and minor are offered through the College of Human Ecology. We also offer graduate degrees in the field of Psychology through the College of Arts and Sciences and the field of Human Development through the College of Human Ecology.
Cornell University helped pioneer the collaborative field of behavioral economics, where economists and psychologists work side by side to uncover how human behavior drives decision-making in markets and beyond.
Click here to read more about the impact of our behavioral economics research
The 2026 Frank H.T. Rhodes Exemplary Alumni Service Award recognizes longtime volunteers for exceptional dedication to alumni engagement and service. College of Arts & Sciences alumni Beth Anderson, Terri Denison and Ellen Perlmutter were among the alumni honored in October.
Cornell University received a $10 million AI grant to develop transparent tools that improve online civic discourse and rebuild trust in digital communities. The project aims to help online platforms use auditable AI to support productive conversations, reduce misinformation, and strengthen democratic engagement.
Paul Graham ’86 discussed startup innovation and entrepreneurship Oct. 28 at Cornell University as the inaugural Distinguished Visitor in the Humanities, Social Sciences + AI Initiative. The Y Combinator founder encouraged students to pursue curiosity-driven projects and make products they would use themselves.
Kendahl Wesley ‘25, a psychology and Africana studies major in the College of Arts & Sciences at Cornell University, reflects on his experience as a Nexus Scholar.
Many voters will use AI platforms to prepare for midterm elections. The most important question, says Cornell College of Arts and Sciences professor David Rand, isn’t whether AI will shape how voters think; it’s who’s steering it and toward what.
Barbara Finlay, the W.R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of Psychology Emerita in Cornell's College of Arts and Sciences, died Sept. 12. She is remembered as an award-winning scholar who challenged traditional thinking regarding psychology and brain function, died Sept. 12.
Undergraduate students develop critical thinking skills, emphasizing the foundational nature of the science of psychology.
The Department of Psychology embraces multidisciplinary and translational research and graduate training, viewing psychology as a “hub science” at the nexus of many other areas of scientific inquiry.
The Department of Psychology embraces a “big tent” approach to methods, techniques and analysis that can be used to expand the frontiers of psychological science.