College of Liberal Arts

About the OSU College of Liberal Arts: The College of Liberal Arts encompasses seven distinct schools, as well as several interdisciplinary initiatives, that focus on humanities, social sciences, and fine and performing arts. Curriculum developed by the college’s nationally and internationally-renowned faculty prepares students to approach the complex problems of the world ethically and thoughtfully, contributing to a student's academic foundation and helping to build real-world skills for a 21st century career and a purposeful life.

OSU study: People with facial differences fare best when they disclose conditions on own terms

CORVALLIS, Ore. — People with noticeable facial differences often feel compelled to explain the medical reasons behind those differences, but such involuntary disclosure may increase stigma, anxiety and depression, recent research from Oregon State University has found.

However, people who are able to disclose on their own terms, share openly and educate others about their conditions report positive outcomes like greater job satisfaction and higher self-worth.

Mental imagery a helpful way to distract teens from negative thought patterns, OSU study finds

CORVALLIS, Ore. — For adolescents who may get stuck in negative thought spirals, refocusing on mental imagery is a more effective distraction than verbal thoughts, a recent study from Oregon State University found.

A short-term distraction can break up the thought spiral, which makes room for that person to then seek help from a therapist, friend or parent, said study author Hannah Lawrence, an assistant professor of psychology in OSU’s College of Liberal Arts.

Holocaust Memorial Week events at Oregon State University begin April 17

CORVALLIS, Ore. — The 36th annual observance of Holocaust Memorial Week at Oregon State University begins Monday, April 17, and includes a series of free events that are open to the public.

The events will be a mix of Zoom-only and hybrid formats. For the full program and registration links, visit OSU’s Holocaust Memorial Program website.

Events:

Oregon State’s Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies program holds 50th anniversary celebration

CORVALLIS, Ore. — Oregon State University’s Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies program turns 50 this year, and a week of activities is planned for Jan. 23-29 to celebrate the anniversary and to learn about the program’s history and future from alumni, faculty, guest scholars and current students.

Homeowners’ cultural traits should be considered when promoting wildfire mitigation efforts, OSU study finds

CORVALLIS, Ore. — People’s cultural worldviews play a part in how they respond to wildfire risk, and should be taken into account in efforts to get homeowners to engage in pre-fire mitigation efforts such as adjusting landscaping and preparing an evacuation plan, an Oregon State University study found.

The study tapped into participants’ cultural worldviews and perception of risk to help predict which communication strategies work best to convince different types of people.

Oregon State professor publishes book with strategies to help students ‘Study Like a Champ’

CORVALLIS, Ore. — In a new book published this week, an Oregon State University professor offers study techniques, myth-busting and psychological research to explain why teaching and learning work the way they do.

The book is aimed at high school and college students, as well as teachers and parents who want to know how to help students become more effective learners.

“Study Like a Champ” was co-authored by OSU psychology professor Regan A.R. Gurung, who has been researching teaching and learning for 24 years.

Oregon State researchers find lack of diverse representation in psychophysiology study participants

CORVALLIS, Ore. — A new study from Oregon State University found that psychophysiology studies show a significant lack of diversity among their participants, making their results less applicable across different communities and cultures.

Psychophysiology is the study of the intersection between psychological and physiological processes, such as the increase in heart rate or brain activity people experience when feeling heightened emotions.

OSU study finds need for better awareness around timing of electricity usage among customers

CORVALLIS, Ore. — A new study published in Nature Energy found that electricity customers often lack awareness of their daily energy-use patterns at home, which could have a serious financial impact as utility companies move toward time-of-use energy pricing models.

If utilities change their pricing structures, consumers need to understand how and when they’re using electricity so they can make informed decisions about billing choices, the study’s authors say.