Social science archive

Pearson heading new international Literacy Research Panel

Pearson heading new international Literacy Research Panel February 6, 2012:

Everyone’s talking about gossip

Everyone’s talking about gossip January 25, 2012:

A new study by UC Berkeley social psychologists Matthew Feinberg and Robb Willer about the upside of gossip is receiving considerable press. Hear Willer and author Joseph Epstein discuss whether gossip can be good on KQED’s Forum radio show.

NAS honors Robert Powell’s work on nuclear deterrence

NAS honors Robert Powell’s work on nuclear deterrence January 19, 2012:

UC Berkeley political scientist Robert Powell has been awarded the National Academy of Sciences Award for Behavioral Research Relevant to the Prevention of Nuclear War.

I School professor leads “Digging Into Data” project

I School professor leads “Digging Into Data” project January 5, 2012:

Professor Ray Larson is leading a newly funded project using text mining tools to boost social history research.

Lower classes quicker to show compassion in the face of suffering

Lower classes quicker to show compassion in the face of suffering December 19, 2011:

Emotional differences between the rich and poor, as depicted in such Charles Dickens classics as “A Christmas Carol” and “A Tale of Two Cities,” may have a scientific basis. Researchers at UC Berkeley have found that people in the lower socio-economic classes are more physiologically attuned to suffering, and quicker to express compassion than their more affluent counterparts.

Researcher takes on ‘empathy fatigue’ in the workplace

Researcher takes on ‘empathy fatigue’ in the workplace December 6, 2011:

A nurse refuses to help an ailing alcoholic who is upset to find a hospital detox unit closed. A hospital clerk brushes off a deceased woman’s grieving family as they try to pay her bills and claim her belongings. These harsh, real-life scenarios helped inspire Eve Ekman, a UC Berkeley doctoral student in social welfare, to study empathy burnout in the workplace, a condition expected to skyrocket this year due to the stress caused by the nation’s financial crisis.

Memorial for Robert Scalapino set for Dec. 10

Memorial for Robert Scalapino set for Dec. 10 November 22, 2011:

A memorial service for Robert A. Scalapino, an East Asia scholar and political science professor at the University of California, Berkeley, has been set for 2-5 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 10, in the Great Hall of UC Berkeley’s Faculty Club.

Taeku Lee co-authors new book on Asian American political participation

Taeku Lee co-authors new book on Asian American political participation November 3, 2011:

Political science professor Taeku Lee has co-authored a new book on Asian American political participation, based on the most comprehensive study to date of Asian American political behavior.

Haas study sheds eerie light on fright and financial decision making with video

Haas study sheds eerie light on fright and financial decision making October 27, 2011:

Watching a scary movie can motivate you to sell your stocks earlier than you would have otherwise. That’s the frightening evidence shown in a series of studies from the Haas Marketing Group.