Narratives behind numbers point to need for better coordination, support by employers, communities, public health leaders in future crises, especially mental health ANN ARBOR—In what is believed to be the first study of its kind, University of Michigan researchers dug deeper into the numbers-only data of COVID-19-era suicides and evaluated the narratives contained in reports… Continue reading U-M study of COVID-19 deaths challenges claims, understanding of pandemic-era suicides
Project: Research Center for Group Dynamics
Study: Brilliant white male characters more believable, some viewers say
By SHARITA FORREST Brilliant characters often play key roles in movies and TV shows. However, when these characters are played by women and people of color, some audience members dismiss them as unrealistic, even if they portray real people and events, a recent study found. University of Illinois Urbana -Champaign communication professor Matea Mustafaj found that people who strongly… Continue reading Study: Brilliant white male characters more believable, some viewers say
Family matters: Living near relatives makes us heroic and harsh
ANN ARBOR—Many of us will soak in the merriment and drama that family gatherings bring during Thanksgiving. But beyond the Thanksgiving dinner table, new research suggests that living and being around family more often affects our psychology in some surprising ways. Are you willing to go to war for your country? Do you support the… Continue reading Family matters: Living near relatives makes us heroic and harsh
Gun deaths reach alarming high, sparking debate over media’s role
EXPERT Q&A ANN ARBOR—Gun violence claimed 46,728 lives in the United States last year—the third-highest number of firearm-related deaths ever recorded—including a record-high 27,300 suicides by using a gun. The data marks a significant escalation over the past decade, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, sparking an urgent examination of contributing factors,… Continue reading Gun deaths reach alarming high, sparking debate over media’s role
PRBA Names Myles Durkee 2025 James S. Jackson Emerging Scholar
Myles Durkee, Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University of Michigan, has been named the next James S. Jackson Emerging Scholar by the Program for Research on Black Americans (PRBA) at the Institute for Social Research (ISR). Dr. Durkee is a PRBA affiliate whose research examines the dynamics of code-switching, cultural invalidations, and racial discrimination… Continue reading PRBA Names Myles Durkee 2025 James S. Jackson Emerging Scholar
Friends act as family surrogates for unmarried African Americans
ANN ARBOR—Friends play an essential role in everyone’s life, offering companionship and a safe space to share personal thoughts and feelings. A recent University of Michigan study reveals important information about the patterns and supportive functions of friendships among African Americans. One intriguing aspect is that separated, divorced, widowed and never-married individuals interacted with friends… Continue reading Friends act as family surrogates for unmarried African Americans
Coping with election anxiety: Focus on other activities
EXPERT Q&A ANN ARBOR—Endless streams of political commercials flooding TV screens. Spirited social media sparring between friends and families over candidates and key issues. Less than three weeks remain until Election Day, and many people still feel stressed. But people can lower their election anxiety by refocusing their attention on other aspects of their lives,… Continue reading Coping with election anxiety: Focus on other activities
U-M’s Institute for Social Research looks to the future while marking 75 years of research innovation
Contact: Jon Meerdink ([email protected]) ANN ARBOR — President Harry S. Truman’s victory in 1948 came as a surprise to the Chicago Tribune and many voters around the country, but not to researchers at the University of Michigan. In that year, researchers Angus Campbell and Robert Kahn launched a national pilot study on attitudes about foreign… Continue reading U-M’s Institute for Social Research looks to the future while marking 75 years of research innovation
Nick Camp, on Trust in the Criminal Justice System
Racism and bias are often thought to stem from an individual’s personal prejudice against a certain group, but social psychologist Nick Camp notes that isn’t the way many inequities are perpetuated in the criminal justice system. In a new Social Science Bites podcast, interviewer David Edmonds interviews Camp on his research that investigates the relationships… Continue reading Nick Camp, on Trust in the Criminal Justice System
Body camera footage reveals benefits of police training
ANN ARBOR—Training police officers on effective communication through body-worn camera analysis can improve their interactions with community members, a new University of Michigan study suggests. In an analysis involving the Oakland (California) Police Department, officers who received procedural training expressed more reassurance, safety concerns and clearer justifications during traffic stops. The findings come as public concerns about… Continue reading Body camera footage reveals benefits of police training