ANN ARBOR—Using Facebook only to scroll through your news feed or browse other people’s profiles can have a negative impact on your well-being, says a University of Michigan researcher. Ethan Kross, U-M associate professor of psychology, and colleague Philippe Verduyn of the University of Leuven in Belgium, examined how passive versus active Facebook use affects… Continue reading Passive Facebook use undermines how a person feels
Project: RCGD
Richard Gonzalez directs ISR Research Center for Group Dynamics
ANN ARBOR—Richard Gonzalez was appointed Director of the Research Center for Group Dynamics at the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research (ISR), effective Jan. 1, 2015. Gonzalez will serve a five-year term. He succeeds ISR research scientist Jerome Johnston, who plans to retire soon after almost 48 years at the Institute. “Rich is well… Continue reading Richard Gonzalez directs ISR Research Center for Group Dynamics
Mothers’ education significant to children’s academic success
ANN ARBOR—A mother knows best—and the amount of education she attains can predict her children’s success in reading and math. In fact, that success is greater if she had her child later in life, according to a new University of Michigan study. Sandra Tang, a U-M psychology research fellow and the study’s lead author, said… Continue reading Mothers’ education significant to children’s academic success
Smith and colleagues find aging satisfaction linked to preventive health screenings
This piece reports on findings by Jacqui Smith and colleagues Eric Kim, Kyle Moored, and Hannah Giasson that seniors who are comfortable with aging are more likely than their counterparts to get preventive screenings, including cholesterol tests, colonoscopies, pap tests and mammograms, and prostate exams. In their report, the authors hypothesize on the reason for… Continue reading Smith and colleagues find aging satisfaction linked to preventive health screenings
U-M’s James Jackson to serve on NSF National Science Board
ANN ARBOR—President Obama announced his intention to appoint University of Michigan social psychologist James Jackson to the National Science Board of the National Science Foundation. Jackson, director of the U-M Institute for Social Research, was one of six new members Obama tapped to join the policymaking body, which advises congress and the president on science… Continue reading U-M’s James Jackson to serve on NSF National Science Board
Program for Black Americans holds its first official reunion
Family reunions play an important role in the Black community, so it was fitting that the University of Michigan Program for Research on Black Americans called its June 20 event a family reunion rather than an academic conference. In fact, it was a bit of both. Established in 1976 at the U-M Institute for Social… Continue reading Program for Black Americans holds its first official reunion
How to give ourselves advice as good as we give others
ANN ARBOR—Most of us find it easier to be wise about other people’s problems than our own. But a new study identifies a simple way to close this gap. The research, conducted by social psychologists Igor Grossmann at the University of Waterloo in Ontario and Ethan Kross at the University of Michigan, shows that the… Continue reading How to give ourselves advice as good as we give others
State of the nation’s egotism: On the rise for a century
ANN ARBOR—Forget the “me” generation. A new analysis of long-term trends in egotism shows there’s been a “me” century in America. The analysis, conducted by researchers at the University of Michigan, shows that characteristics related to self-interest, compared to interest in the lives and needs of other people, was low during the 19th century but… Continue reading State of the nation’s egotism: On the rise for a century
U-M researcher available to discuss new Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander National Health Interview Survey
ANN ARBOR — University of Michigan researcher Sela Panapasa is available to discuss the significance of the National Health Interview Survey of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) peoples that started this month. “This is the first time in half a century that the federal government is collecting nationally representative health information from such a… Continue reading U-M researcher available to discuss new Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander National Health Interview Survey
Jacqui Smith and colleagues explore association between life satisfaction and health care utilization
Along with Eric Kim, Jennifer Sun and Christopher Peterson, Jacqui Smith used HRS data to study links between happiness and doctor visits among American adults 50+ years of age. They found, after adjusting for sociodemographic factors, that higher satisfaction with life was associated with fewer doctor visits — a finding that could have important implications… Continue reading Jacqui Smith and colleagues explore association between life satisfaction and health care utilization