Uniting Science and Film
The film Alive Inside by American director Michael Rossato-Bennett discusses the surprising results of treating Alzheimer’s and other memory disorders with the help of music. The director first got the idea to make the film after he met Dan Cohen, a volunteer at a nursing home. Cohen once noticed that patients’ behavior changes when they hear their favorite music on an MP3 player. They not only begin to react to what is happening, but their motor skills, speech, and even memory return. Music therapy can be used to treat memory disorders and rehabilitate patients after strokes and traumatic brain injuries. And if a person does not like music, watching football games might help as well; it is most important that the individual have some sort of emotional response.
Rossato-Bennett was happy to take part in the scientific film festival and noted: ‘Science is very profound. If you take science and mix it with your heart you can solve the problems of the world. I adore this festival, it’s a great experience’.
After the film was shown, a discussion began that saw the participation of Natalia Varako, an Associate Professor in the Department of General and Experimental Psychology of HSE’s Faculty of Psychology. Professor Varako described how Russian specialists also know about the healing power of music and actively use it not only to treat patients with memory disorders, but also to rehabilitate those who have suffered from strokes, traumatic brain injuries, and even illnesses not related to the brain.
‘I really liked the film. I believe it is very important in resolving problems with aging and rehabilitating the sick. I think it should be seen by people who deal with regulatory frameworks and financial security. This problem is the same for both the U.S. and Russia – it’s much simpler to buy a tonne of medicine than it is a few MP3 players with headphones,’ Natalia Varako comments. Professor Varako also said she was actively using music therapy at N.V. Sklifosovsky Institute of Emergency Medicine (SRIEM), where she works as a medical psychologist in the neurology division. ‘One must understand, of course, that music is not a panacea. The effects will not always be seen, but this is still an undoubtedly critical component to rehabilitation,’ she concludes.
The 360° Contemporary Science Film Festival includes work by people who portray current scientific research and achievements in a way that is accessible to even those far removed from science. The main organizer of the festival is the Polytechnic Museum. Screenings will take place in Moscow in mid-October, as well as in a number of other cities at various times of the year. This year, five films were shown at the HSE as part of the festival.
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'I Want Science to Help Me Explore New Horizons'
Eliana Monahhova worked as a journalist for various media outlets, but after realizing she frequently wrote long-form pieces on the psychology of the human brain, she decided to change her career focus. In this interview with the HSE Young Scientists project, she discusses the perception of fake content, shares her dream of meeting Robert Sapolsky, and talks about her upcoming YouTube channel.
Psychologists from HSE University Discovered How Love for Animals Affects Relationships with People
Researchers from HSE University have identified a connection between attachment to pets and attitudes toward nature and other people. The study found that the more joy people derive from interacting with their pets, the more they want to help others. However, love for animals is not always associated with concern for nature. The findings were published in the Social Psychology and Society journal.
Psychologists Study Daydreaming in Russian Cultural Context
Researchers at HSE University, having examined the role of daydreaming in the Russian cultural context, conclude that constructive daydreaming can help people with gaining insight into their life's trajectory, fostering personal growth, discovering existential meaning, enhancing psychological wellbeing, and cultivating a balanced temporal perspective. The study findings have been published in Cultural-Historical Psychology.
Graduation Project of HSE Art and Design Graduate Wins Grand Prix at ‘Saint Anna’ Film Festival
The 31st ‘Saint Anna’ Open Festival of Student and Debut Films was held in Moscow on April 12th-17th, 2024. Nikolay Kovalenko, graduate of Ivan I. Tverdovsky's workshop in ‘Screen Arts’, received the Grand Prix for his graduation project ‘Lelera’, while his classmate, Alina Sorokina, won the Mosfilm prize.
Workaholism Helps Young Narcissists Boost New Venture Performance
An international team of researchers including Professor Galina Shirokova, Director of the Strategic Entrepreneurship Centre at HSE University in St Petersburg, and her students Nailya Galieva and Diana Doktorova, examined the impact of narcissism on young entrepreneurs' success. The authors have demonstrated that a company founder's workaholism can amplify the influence of narcissism on a new venture's performance.
Plurilingualism Compensates for Low Extraversion in Nurturing Creative Skills
Researchers at the HSE Laboratory for Linguistic, Intercultural, and Creative Competencies have examined the role of the Big Five personality traits in moderating the development of creativity among individuals who use multiple languages and have intercultural experiences. It has been found that acquiring multiple languages and engaging with diverse cultures can enhance an individual's creativity and compensate for some deficiencies in communicative abilities. That said, language practices are likely to foster creativity only in mentally stable individuals. The paper has been published in the International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism.
Attainment of Happiness in Psychologically Mature Individuals Linked to Pursuit of Meaning
Austrian psychiatrist Viktor Frankl believed that the quest for meaning constitutes a fundamental and intrinsic motivation for all human beings. Some other authors suggest that the need for meaning or purpose only emerges at higher levels of personality development. According to a team of psychologists from HSE and the University of Paris Nanterre, individuals who have achieved higher levels of ego development are inclined to relinquish hedonistic motives in favour of cultivating mindfulness and embarking on a quest for meaning. These findings have been published in Frontiers in Psychology.
Married Men Less Prone to Workplace Burnout
Greater marital satisfaction lowers the risk of professional burnout, with this correlation being more pronounced among men than women. This is a conclusion made by HSE psychologists after conducting a study on the effect of social interactions on workplace burnout on a sample of 203 employees from several Russian companies. According to the researchers, gaining a better understanding of the specific aspects of burnout experienced by individuals makes it possible to address this syndrome more effectively. The paper has been published in Organizational Psychology.
‘We Hope that Our Film Will Motivate Young People to Get Involved in Research’
In honour of HSE University’s 30th anniversary in November 2022, the RT television channel made a documentary film called 2052: See the Future. The film is dedicated to the university’s research achievements and how they will change the world in the decades to come. The film was released this year in English and Arabic. The first festival screening of 2052: See the Future took place as part of the 7th Gagarin.doc International Festival of Cinema, Science and Contemporary Art.
‘The Creative Industry Teaches Us to Overcome Failures’
On April 19, the HSE Film Institute held a press conference on the topic of ‘Achievements and New Goals’ at the HSE University building on Pokrovsky Bulvar. In addition, students of the Actor educational programme presented the results of their first year of studying.