Psychologist explores the science behind being creeped out

This spooky season, the College of Science at the University of Nevada, Reno is leaning in with a free community science lecture, “The Science of Ghosts (and Creepy Things in General)” by evolutionary social psychologist Frank McAndrew. The lecture is scheduled for the evening of Oct. 15 in the Redfield Auditorium on the University campus.

McAndrew’s lecture will follow a full day of activities on campus. McAndrew will engage with students at the Davidson Academy and the First-Generation Student Center and participate in a podcast episode.

“While science and ghosts usually don’t mix, we’re inviting the community to get into the spirit of Halloween, with a scientific spin,” College of Science Dean Louisa Hope-Weeks said.

McAndrew is the Cornelia H. Dudley Professor Emeritus of Psychology at Knox College. He studies environmental and social psychology from an evolutionary perspective, investigating questions about why we enjoy gossip, why nostalgia is a motivating emotion and why we get creeped out. Many of those themes are explored in his long-running blog for Psychology Today Magazine, “Out of the Ooze: Navigating the 21st Century with a Stone-Age Mind.” McAndrew’s research has been featured in thousands of outlets, from print magazines to documentary films. Along with numerous honors and awards, he is a fellow of the Association for Psychological Science.

McAndrew will share how psychology and neuroscience can help us understand why we believe that something spooky is happening.

“The human predisposition to believe in and see ghosts is rooted in the psychology of our prehistoric ancestors, and it is still very much with us as we navigate through the 21st century with stone-age minds,” McAndrew said.

The lecture starts at 7 p.m., with a hosted reception for attendees to follow. Registration for the free event and information about parking is available online via Eventbrite.

For some extra spookiness, the College is partnering with the Keck Museum and the Shared History Gallery to host a campus ghost tour and paranormal investigation on Oct. 29. Tickets are available for purchase onlinewith proceeds benefiting the museums.