SIGNATURE EVENTS
COLLOQUIUM SERIES
Each semester, the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences sponsors and organizes a series of several presentations by psychological and brain scientists. These speakers present their research and scholarship in a wide range of areas within the behavioral sciences and neuroscience. Presentations are open to all members of the Villanova Campus Community and the public.
Email the department, with subject header 鈥淐olloquium Information," if you are interested in receiving more information about the colloquium series or about a scheduled presentation.
UPCOMING SPEAKER(S)
Join us, Friday November 7th, 2025 at 3 PM EST in Tolentine 215 for supervisory special agent Daniel E. O'Donnell's talk, "911 Calls in Criminal Investigations: Practical Considerations". His research examines linguistic and behavioral cues in 911 calls involving homicides and missing children, exploring how speech patters reveal truthfulness or deceit. Through this and related work, O'Donnell integrates behavioral science with investigative practice to enhance understanding of criminal-decision making and communication under stress.
Join us, Friday December 5th, 2025 at 3 PM EST in Tolentine 215 for Dr. Grolnick's talk, "Facilitating Autonomy in Children - Why, How, and What Gets in the Way".聽Dr.聽Grolnick's research investigates motivational development in children and adolescents. She explores how parenting, including autonomy support, control, involvement, and structure, predicts children's autonomous motivation, competence, and adjustment. She is also focusing on factors that help or hinder parents鈥� abilities to provide parenting resources to their children and has developed a parenting intervention based on this work. Dr.聽Grolnick聽is also the author of the 2022 book,聽Motivation Myth Busters: How Science Refutes Common Ideas about Motivation and Can Be Used to Create Happier聽and Healthier Lives.