Jeffrey M Rudski Professor, Psychology |
Education
Teaching Interests
My overarching teaching interest is in getting to help students see how the material in my (indeed, in ALL) courses relates to their lives, their values and the world as a whole. The courses I regularly teach provide a foundation of information that helps students apply the material they learn to everyday experience and develop strategies on how to critically assess information and generate research questions, as well as evaluate broader philosophical questions.
Research, Scholarship or Creative/Artistic Interests
I explore questions in two broad areas:
1. Why are smart people often irrational? I once smugly believed that irrationality reflected ignorance, but eventually realized that we all have irrational beliefs and ways of thinking (e.g., I rationally don’t believe in ghosts, yet I’m terrified of horror films... maybe part of me does believe in them!). Research in judgment and decision-making shows that irrational thinking is actually predictable and orderly. My research investigates what exactly constitutes irrational thinking, and how such thinking can result in misguided or actually beneficial outcomes.
2. Neuropsychosociolosophy. I know that’s not a word. Still, advances in the neurosciences and psychology (“neuropsycho”) are rapidly advancing, and may be outpacing our ethical (“losophy”) consideration of the implications. Is it fair to use “smart drugs?” Are the persons using medication to treat depression still authentically themselves? Heck, do we even have an authentic self? What are the social implications (“socio”) of these advantages? Does gender or race play a role in our perceptions of drug use? Does medicating people result in our ignoring underlying structural and social influences that contribute to mental health challenges? These questions only scratch the surface of the intersection of neuroscience, psychology, sociology and philosophy. More to follow!