UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center “studies the psychology, sociology, and neuroscience of well-being and teaches skills that foster a thriving, resilient, and compassionate society.” The GGSC’s online magazine, Greater Good, “turns scientific research into stories, tips, and tools for a happier life and a more compassionate society.”
I have been a contributing writer for Greater Good since 2014. From April 2018 through January 2019, I was a Research and Writing Fellow with the GGSC. As a fellow, I wrote a series of white papers about generosity, gratitude, awe, positive neuroscience, and future-mindedness. You can learn more about the white papers (and read them) here. Starred(*) articles below are based off of the research I did for the white paper project.
Can mindfulness help mothers of children with severe disabilities? [pdf]Greater Good August 25th, 2014
Can Diversity Make You a Better Communicator? Greater Good November 10th, 2014
The Sharing Effect Greater Good November 24th, 2014
How Our Brains Make Us Generous (w/Jill Suttie) Greater Good December 21st, 2015
How Happy Brains Respond to Negative Things (w/Jeremy Adam Smith) Greater Good March 17th, 2016; reprinted in Mindful
How Nature Helps Fathers Nurture (w/Jeremy Adam Smith) Greater Good June 15th, 2016
Can Mindfulness Help Parents and Preteens Have Better Relationships? Greater Good September 27th, 2016
Is Your Empathy Determined by Your Genes? Greater Good December 6th, 2016
How to Hack Your Brain for Peak Performance Greater Good February 17th, 2017
What’s the Best Strategy for Empathy? Greater Good April 10th, 2017
Can Empathy Protect You from Burnout? Greater Good April 26th, 2017
What Happens in a Child’s Brain When They Learn to Empathize? Greater Good May 3rd, 2017; reprinted in Mindful
Does Good Government Make People More Generous? Greater Good June 7th, 2017
*Five Limits Your Brain Puts on Generosity Greater Good August 28th, 2017
How Your Brain Stops a Bad Day from Making You Hate Everyone Greater Good September 27th, 2017; reprinted in Mindful
Five Ways Music Can Make You a Better Person Greater Good November 14th, 2017
*Ten Ways to Encourage People to Give More Greater Good November 27th, 2017
*Is Gratitude Good for Your Health? Greater Good March 5th, 2018
*Why Is Gratitude So Hard for Some People? Greater Good May 10th, 2018
*Do Men Have a Gratitude Problem? Greater Good August 15th, 2018
*Eight Reasons Why Awe Makes Your Life Better Greater Good September 26th, 2018; reprinted in Mindful
*How Thinking About the Future Makes Life More Meaningful Greater Good May 1st, 2019; reprinted in Mindful
What Awe Looks Like in the Brain Greater Good October 19th, 2019
Summer E. Allen, PhD 