Telling people why our research matters

Most of the time in academia, we are speaking to an audience that already cares about our work, is familiar with the context in which it happens, and can interpret the research without a lot of handholding. The potential impact of our work is often more opaque to a general audience. Especially in developmental psychology, the way we communicate our research findings—and about science more generally—can have important implications for the parents and children we work with, as well as the broader community. This skill is very much a work in progress for me, but if you are interested in what that work has looked like so far, here are some highlights:

gray concrete wall inside building
gray concrete wall inside building

Videos

Museum Activities

I've created videos, including a video essay, that engage the general public with psychology and psychological findings. The video essay that I created in collaboration with SolidArf is linked above.

For a special neuroscience exhibit at the Yale Peabody Museum, I collaborated with museum staff and a Yale undergraduate to develop interactive activities that introduced visitors of all ages to core concepts in psychology. These interactives focused on how the visual system works with the brain, different types of visual illusions, and color vision in humans and non-human animals.
In addition to designing hands-on activities, we created a companion guide to support museum staff—many of whom did not have a background in psychology—by providing clear explanations of the underlying concepts and practical guidance for facilitating each activity.

white and black abstract painting
white and black abstract painting
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Contact me

sifana.sohail@yale.edu