Social Sciences (Faculty & Staff)

Despite our society’s collective addiction to scrolling through social media, many of us can’t help but feel a twinge of dread when seeing notifications we’ve missed. For every clever meme, scintillating fact or adorable animal that crosses our feeds, we’re just as likely to encounter a snarky attack, racial slur or hate-filled comment.

But the potential dangers go far beyond anxiety. A 2021 Pew Research poll found that a quarter of Americans have experienced severe forms...

“Altruistic” doctors who prioritize patient care over income and profit achieve dramatically better health outcomes with older patients, a finding that has powerful implications for U.S. health care systems and policies, according to a new study co-authored at UC Berkeley.

The research, published today in JAMA Health Forum, found that when thousands of Medicare patients were treated by such doctors, they were far less likely to need preventable hospital admissions and emergency room visits. In addition, the patients’ annual medical payments were nearly 10% lower on average.

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A new UC Berkeley study has uncovered a possible solution to reduce low voter turnout among people who dislike their choices on the ballot by changing the way voting decisions are framed. The research shows that encouraging voters to vote against the worst options, rather than voting for the best one, could significantly reduce the number of people opting not to vote, especially in elections between unpopular candidates.

Berkeley Psychology Professor Amitai Shenhav and Psychology researcher Yi-Hsin Su explored the issue of "double haters" —...

In a June 2024 study, UC Berkeley psychology professor Keanan Joyner and his colleagues found that by using a combination of methods tailored to the multidimensional nature of psychopathy, we could transform how we identify and understand this personality disorder. “I think that it goes toward having a functional and positive society,” Joyner said. “Our collaboration is the substance of what makes humans so wonderful as a species.”

This year on Berkeley Voices, we’re exploring the theme of transformation. In eight episodes, we’ll explore how transformation — of ideas, of...