Mark Your Calendars: Nebraska Motivation Symposium on Impulsivity in April 2016

The 64th Nebraska Symposium, entitled “Impulsivity: How Time and Risk Influence Decision Making,” will be held at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln City Campus on April 21 (Thursday) and 22 (Friday), 2016.

This annual event will be organized by Dr. Jeffrey Stevens (assistant professor of psychology, Neuroscience and Behavior program). It will focus on impulsivity, a multi-faceted concept that captures the inability to wait, a tendency to act without forethought, insensitivity to consequences, and/or an inability to inhibit inappropriate behaviors. Across psychology, impulsivity is related to patience, self-control, risk taking, gambling, delayed gratification, and decisions that trade off immediate and future benefits. Due to the multi-faceted nature of impulsivity, it plays a critical role in a number of key behavioral problems, including pathological gambling, overeating, addiction, adolescent risk-taking, spread of sexually transmitted diseases, criminal behavior, financial decision making, and environmental attitudes. The symposium will feature speakers at the forefront of research investigating motivational influences on the psychology, neuroscience, development, and evolution of impulsivity.

Photo of Dr. Jeffrey Stevens
Dr. Jeffrey Stevens

Speakers include:

  • Warren Bickel (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University)
  • Suzanne Mitchell (Oregon Health and Science University)
  • Philip K. Peake (Smith College)
  • Michael Platt (University of Pennsylvania)
  • Valerie Reyna (Cornell University)
  • Trevor W. Robbins (Cambridge University)
  • Bram Tucker (University of Georgia)

This two-day symposium is free and open to public, but we ask that you please register (available soon). More information about this symposium can be found on here. Continuing education credits are also available.

photo of a hand of Blackjack