Social Sciences (Faculty & Staff)

Incoming Cal Psychology Professor Jasmin Brooks Stephens was named in the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for her achievements in healthcare. Stephens conducted the first known study that revealed discrimination was associated with the development of suicide capability — one’s ability to act on suicidal thoughts or intentions — among Black adults.

As an undergraduate at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Stephens explored the relationship between race and mental health within Black communities, inspiring her to pursue a career in clinical...

Restaurants, retail stores and other small businesses, long thought to be vulnerable to increases in the minimum wage, generally do not cut jobs and may actually benefit when governments raise minimum pay, according to a new study co-authored at UC Berkeley.

The prevailing wisdom among many business owners and policymakers is that when the minimum wage rises, smaller low-wage employers suffer more from higher labor costs and are more likely to cut jobs. But the...

A new study by UC Berkeley researchers reveals alarming racial disparities in school discipline rates, with Black students facing a 50x higher risk of discipline than their white counterparts. The study highlights the "dynamic" nature of discipline throughout the school year, with rates decreasing before major vacations and increasing when classes resume. This real-time data is critical for educators to intervene before incidents occur and reduce escalating school tension.

Jason Okonofua, assistant professor of psychology at UC Berkeley, and the study’s...

Researchers from the University of California, Berkeley have uncovered a significant breakthrough in the fight against Alzheimer's disease. According to their latest study, deep sleep can help protect against memory loss in older adults who are at a heightened risk of developing the disease. The researchers found that deep, non-REM slow-wave sleep can act as a "cognitive reserve factor" that may increase resilience against a protein called beta-amyloid, which is linked to memory loss caused by dementia.

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