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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
Rikki Laser, a doctoral candidate in psychological sciences and human development in Cornell's College of Arts and Sciences, studies how temperature and parenting shape social development. Her research reveals how environmental perception influences neurobiology, behavior, health, and well-being.
A Spotify update rolls out voluntary AI labels in a beta test. Gordon Pennycook, associate professor of psychology in Cornell's College of Arts and Sciences, says it has to be possible to detect people who use AI but fail to disclose it.
In its April 2026 round-up of new books, the Cornellians website features titles by College of Arts and Sciences alumni, including a mystery novel, a book for kids about loss and a peek into the hidden lives of lab animals.
Cornell student and Arts & Sciences Ambassador Leah Condon talks about choosing to double-major in psychology as a result of taking a first-year writing seminar on female pain.
College of Arts and Sciences researchers are on a Cornell team receiving a $250,000 seed grant for AI moonshot restoring trust online. Backed by the Laude Institute, the Cornell team could secure $10 million to build transparent, verifiable AI auditing tools for public discourse.
A Cornell University student reflects on a transformative Oxford semester abroad. Student Ambassador Sarah Mittleman, an English and psychology major in the College of Arts & Sciences, recounts Oxford tutorials, travel across 11 countries and advocates studying abroad.
Cornell University alumni Adam Wolford '14, Christine Shaw Palmquist '87, and Manahil Jafri '25 crossed paths at a Dare2Tri adaptive triathlon camp in Tampa, Florida, where Wolford volunteered alongside athletes with physical disabilities. The personal essay, published April 2026 in Cornellians, reflects on the deeper purpose of sport after witnessing disabled athletes rediscover speed and competition through the nonprofit's swim, bike, and run programming.
Cornell admits the Class of 2030 emphasizing real-world impact, enrolling 5,776 students from 102 countries.
At Cornell University, the diverse cohort reflects the land-grant mission and applied learning goals across multiple colleges.
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.