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Intimate relationships demand real understanding
University of Rochester psychology professor Harry Reis says it's important for us to have "real understanding" in our closest relationships so that others know who we are and will, in turn, be caring, validating, and accepting. And as Reis puts it, "With all the stresses and tensions that we're experiencing today, there's an even greater need to connect with people." In his research, Reis investigates some of the psychological processes that affect the course and conduct of close relationships, with a particular focus on intimacy, attachment, and emotion regulation. In any close relationship, Reis says it's important to put aside presumptions of what the other is thinking or feeling, and, instead, listen to what that person is actually saying. Reis points out that understanding has value beyond intimate relationships. For example, he says medical care works better when patients feel doctors are truly listening. "It's also important in the classroom. Students are more likely to succeed when they feel their teachers understand them and their priorities."
The Rise of "Don't Weigh Me" Cards
Stepping on the scale is an inherent part of the American healthcare experience. But does it have to be? Healthcare professionals and patients say not necessarily. For patients struggling with mental health, eating disorders, or other body-related concerns, being forced to step on the scale may cause significant distress. Because of this, the "don't weigh me" card has become increasingly popular. Born from the desire to make a trip to the doctor a more inclusive, less stressful experience, the cards sit in waiting rooms across the country and allow patients to discreetly make a choice: Would I like to be weighed today? Similar in size and shape to a business card, patients may grab a card and hand it to the provider before the start of the appointment, indicating the patient should not be weighed and that any discussion around weight should only occur if permission is given. According to Rebecca Shenkman, MPH, RDN, LDN, director of the MacDonald Center for Obesity Prevention and Education at Villanova University, "to be effective and emphatic providers, it is important to ensure a safe and comfortable environment and for the patient to feel seen and heard—and one such way is asking permission to be weighed (if the medical situation does not require a weight)." "This shows patients that their provider respects their voice and choice” Shenkman says. "'Don't weigh me" cards are a tool that providers should recognize as a good 'pause button' that allows them to re-center patient care on the individual and not have a conversation guided by a scale number or attribute certain symptoms or conditions to weight." Healthcare providers may express weight biases that prevent patients from receiving effective care. The provider may correctly or incorrectly attribute a patient's health concerns to weight and overlook additional factors not correlated with obesity. And while obesity is certainly a chronic and progressive medical disease that should not be ignored, there is more to a patient than a number on a scale. "A barrier to effective healthcare utilization is the prevalence of weight bias towards individuals with obesity. A first step to reducing bias is to acknowledge the issue exists and to recognize one's own biases, which may intentionally or unintentionally result in unfavorable behaviors and attitudes towards individuals with obesity," says Shenkman. While communication about weight-related health is important and many times necessary, to center the dialogue on weight alone means missing out on other potential issues. "By letting patients lead the conversation, having an open dialogue and practicing shared decision-making, and approaching the discussion around eating habits and weight-related behaviors within the broader context of health, patients are likely to be more receptive to medical advice given and seek future care." When patients are allowed to choose to be weighed, they are empowered to make their own decisions surrounding their care. "Don't weigh me" cards help provide peace of mind and a comfortable environment for all people, allowing providers to act more effectively and patients to seek out effective care more often.
Free masks are coming - here's what you need to know
As stores across America prepare to receive "the largest deployment of personal protective equipment in U.S. history," UConn epidemiologist Dr. David Banach is answering the questions about N95 respirators, how they work, and how to use them properly in a new interview with Buzzfeed news: There are several different types and shapes of N95s; some look like duck bills, others like domes, and several have three panels. The main difference between nonsurgical and surgical N95s is that the latter are also fluid resistant to protect doctors and nurses from blood and other bodily fluid sprays, Dr. David Banach, an infectious disease physician and hospital epidemiologist at UConn Health of the University of Connecticut, told BuzzFeed News. ****** N95 respirators are regulated by the US with standards set by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), while KN95s (and KF94s and others) follow international standards, meaning they also should screen out about 95% of germs and particles, but their effectiveness can vary between brands sold in the US. That’s why Banach advises extra caution if you choose to wear these masks. ****** N95 respirators do expire, Banach said, but it’s usually several years after they are made. As long as you store your N95s according to its box instructions, you’ll be fine — unless you’re saving them for the next inevitable pandemic. Dr. David Banach is an expert on infectious diseases and epidemiology and is a leading expert on COVID-19 in America. To book an interview with Dr. Banach, click on his icon today.
The world's gone crazy for Wordle - Our expert explains why
You can't avoid it these days - Wordle is everywhere. Social media is peppered with people's results, it's the topic of talk shows, and even SNL did a parody of it - essentially baptizing Wordle as a part of American culture. It's a phenomenon that has caught fire - and media everywhere are trying to figure out why. That's why when the Washington Post was trying to spell out just what makes Wordle so enticing - the reporter contacted Dimitris Xygalatas from UConn to get to the source of this five-letter craze. In the beginning, Americans created sourdough starters. As people looked for rituals to cope with the early uncertainties of the pandemic, many bought Peloton bikes, built gardens and watched “Tiger King.” And in Brooklyn, a software engineer said: “Let there be Wordle!” And there was Wordle. Big-time. In recent weeks, the online game has become a kind of ritual for its players, who pilgrimage daily to a website to solve a five-letter puzzle. After completing the game, many share their score with their friends, along with the grid of yellow and green squares that show how many tries it took them to solve the puzzle. The game with no ads was created in late 2021 by Josh Wardle for his partner as a way to kill time during the pandemic. Humans’ brains are designed for pattern-seeking in order to help us make sense of the world, said Dimitris Xygalatas, an anthropologist and cognitive scientist at the University of Connecticut. When humans aren’t able to find patterns, we can experience stress, he said. Something like doing Wordle daily can give people a sense of regularity and a sense of control. Xygalatas’s studies have found that people who participate in collective rituals have lower levels of cortisol that correspond with lower stress and are often able to build social-support networks. This is why, he said, communal rituals — such as cheering for health-care workers from apartment balconies — took off in the early months of the pandemic. “Our mind craves regularity,” he said. “It’s one of the main ways we try to fight anxieties.” Professor Xygalatas is an anthropologist and cognitive scientist at the University of Connecticut who specializes in some of the things that make us human, including ritual, sports, music, cooperation, and the interaction between cognition and culture. He is available to speak with media, answering all your Wordle questions. Click on his icon to arrange an interview today.
All eyes on Virginia as parents and school systems sue over mask-optional orders
Virginia has become the center of attention for lawmakers as seven school boards are taking Gov. Glenn Youngkin to court over mask-optional orders for students. A group of parents are also suing the new governor, who campaigned on ending mask mandates in public schools, and made it one of his first executive orders. It’s a complicated and no doubt controversial stance – and to fully comprehend what’s going on and the political implications for both sides, media organizations like The Washington Post are contacting experts like UMW’s Stephen Farnsworth to help break it all down. Fairfax School Board Chair Stella Pekarsky said in an interview Sunday that the lawsuit boils down to an issue of local control: “Can we make policies for our school system, or does the governor get to come and do that for us?” Youngkin, Pekarsky added, “does not tell us what to do.” Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington, said the twin lawsuits place significant pressure on Virginia’s court system to step in quickly to resolve the debate. “In situations like this, where there is no middle ground and where neither side has any interest in backing down, only judges can be the necessary umpires,” Farnsworth said. “The sooner they do so, the better for all concerned.” But nobody knows when that will happen. This is a hot button topic, and the result of the lawsuits may have national implications. Dr. Stephen Farnsworth is a sought-after political commentator on presidential politics. He has been widely featured in national media, including The Washington Post, Reuters, The Chicago Tribune and MSNBC. If you are a reporter covering the midterms and especially Virginia politics, simple click on his icon to arrange an interview today.
Tension are rising in Eastern Europe as troops, tanks and weapons are piling up on both sides of the border separating Russia and Ukraine. And with each passing day, the invasion of Ukraine and the possibility of outright war seems to be increasing. Is war inevitable? How did this situation escalate so quickly? Is this a power-play but Vladimir Putin? Should other neighboring countries be worried? And what is the strategic and historical significance of Ukraine when it comes to Russia wanting to invade? How could this affect the U.S.? There's a lot of questions to be answered - and if you are a reporter covering this escalating news story, then let our experts help. Jacek Lubecki, Ph.D., is an associate professor of political science and international studies at Georgia Southern University. He is also expert in Polish and European military history. Lubecki is available to speak with media regarding this topic - simply click on his icon now to arrange an interview today.
Across America it seems deliveries are delayed; shelves are looking increasingly bare and there’s an elevated sense of anxiety when it comes to what lies ahead for America’s economy. All of these important topics are forefront in the minds of many and reporters are covering these stories locally and nationally on a daily basis. It's making news, and that’s why we’ve asked Dr. Richard M. Franza, the Dean of the James M. Hull College of Business at Augusta University, a few quick questions that we’re seeing pop up in media coverage across Georgia. Q 1 - What is causing shortages here at home, especially in grocery stores? “Like most things, it is complicated, not a lot of easy answers, but there are clearly a few things in play here. First, companies have been having a hard time finding workers throughout the supply chain. It starts at the producer level, whether it is meat processing plants or producers of other foods and sundry items, production levels are down due to limitations on workers. Then, there have also been worker issues at the transportation/logistics part of the supply chain. Particularly in the area of trucking. So, even when producers have enough supply, they are having difficulty getting it to the stores. Finally, there are issues at the grocery stores themselves. Both at their distribution locations and the store themselves, they have been short on labor unloading and picking items, again delaying products from getting on the shelves. The problem has gotten worse in the past few weeks due to the COVID spikes due to omicron. While omicron is causing less serious results, it appears to be easier to catch. So, lots of people are getting it, making people have to miss work for five days, putting a further crunch on the labor force.” Q 2 - Is this a problem we are likely to see continue through the first quarter or half of the year? “I am optimistic that we can get past the omicron crunch in the coming weeks (by mid to late February, if not sooner). So, things should get better this quarter. However, this will just put us back to where we were pre-omicron, with still some lingering issues. I am hopeful that as the pandemic evolves into an endemic, things will resemble a more normal environment. While this virus has been unpredictable, I am hopeful that we can return to more normal environment no later than the end of the second quarter.” Q 3 - What we can we expect once the pandemic finally subsides? “I am extremely optimistic concerning our economy post-COVID. We have been pretty resilient to date, so I think if COVID transitions to endemic, I think we will see more spending and more people going to work.” If you’ve got more questions to be answered, or if you’d like to speak with him one on one – then let us help. Dr. Richard M. Franza is available to speak with media about important issues like America’s supply chain and the economy – simply click on his icon now to arrange an interview today.
Aston University and Alpharmaxim unite to revolutionise healthcare communications campaigns
Aston University has teamed up with Alpharmaxim Healthcare Communications to apply the latest behavioural psychology research to develop a unique prescribing behaviour tool for healthcare professionals. At present there is a growing recognition in the healthcare sector that measuring belief change and/or intent to change behaviour can determine the effectiveness of marketing campaigns. The Healthcare Belief-Barrier Identification Tool (H-BIT)will identify beliefs and barriers in prescribing behaviour of EU healthcare professionals in specific disease areas, enabling targeted communication strategies that maximise the reach of treatments. Alpharmaxim is a long-established specialist marketing communications agency in the healthcare sector that helps pharmaceutical companies create effective communication plans for their products or services. A Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) is a three-way collaboration between a business, an academic partner and a highly qualified graduate, known as a KTP associate. The UK-wide programme helps businesses to improve their competitiveness and productivity through the better use of knowledge, technology and skills. Aston University is the leading KTP provider within the Midlands. This KTP will combine Alpharmaxim’s rich history of harnessing behavioural psychology through their Belief Continuum® (BC) model with Aston University’s expertise in Nominal Group Technique (NGT), a structured method for group brainstorming that encourages contributions from everyone and facilitates quick agreement on the relative importance of issues, problems, or solutions. Applying NGT to objectively evaluate beliefs and behaviours that underpin behavioural change in a defined disease area will be unique in this field. The academic team from Aston University will be led by Dr Carl Senior, reader in psychology at Aston University. Dr Senior is a behavioural scientist with 20 years’ experience working at the interface between social psychology and organisational behaviour and was one of the first to develop a framework for applying NGT to understanding effective behaviour change. Commenting on the project, Dr Senior said: “We are delighted to have this opportunity to work with Alpharmaxim in this strategic relationship to lead change that is both focused and relevant to modern day health care.” Dr Senior will be joined by Dr Jason Thomas, senior lecturer in psychology at Aston University. Dr Thomas has spent the last ten years investigating novel approaches to encourage behavioural change, working with companies such as Direct Line and Starbucks to encourage their employees and customers to eat more healthily. William Hind, founder, controlling director and agency principal at Alpharmaxim, said: “We are delighted to be involved with this innovative KTP and hope the partnership will change the face of healthcare communications, ultimately improving the lives of patients with hard-to-treat diseases.”
Ask an Expert - Are American Fan-Based Businesses at Risk for Decreased Revenue?
Modern fandom, according to Mike Lewis, is about having a passion for something—a sports team, entertainer, politician, fashion brand, a university—something. Lewis, professor of marketing and faculty director, Emory Marketing and Analytics Center (EmoryMAC) and host of the podcast, Fanalytics, considers fandom important because what people are fans of defines a modern culture. We can laugh at the sports fan with the painted face and the open shirt and the spikes on the sleeves, but the reality is, the traits that drive that level of enthusiasm and commitment are the traits that change the world outside of the arena. Mike Lewis, professor of marketing and director of EmoryMAC To better understand modern fandom and its effect on culture, Lewis, along with Yanwen Wang, Associate Professor of Marketing and Behavioral Science, and Canada Research Chair in Marketing Analytics, University of British Columbia, created EmoryMAC’s “Fandom Analytics Initiative.” The Fandom Analytics Initiative’s first report, Next Generation Fandom Survey, Generation Z: The Lost Generation of Male Sports Fans, published in September 2021, examines the results of a national survey the initiative commissioned. Nearly 1,400 people across four demographic groups—Generation Z, Millennials, Generation X and Baby Boomers—participated in the survey. Is Gen Z the Lost Generation of Male Sports Fans? The results reveal a somewhat troubling trend: Generation Z males (those born between 1990 and 2010) “seem to be increasingly indifferent and negative to traditional sports,” Lewis and Wang write in their report. “Generation Z’s relative lack of passion for sports and other categories is troubling for fandom-based businesses and a curiosity for those interested in the state of American society.” While only 23 percent of Generation Z defined themselves as “avid sports fans,” 42 percent of Millennials did, along with 33 percent of Gen Xers and 31 percent of Baby Boomers. Perhaps even more revealing is the percentage of respondents who considered themselves “anti-sports fans”—a startling 27 percent of Generation Z tagged themselves as “anti-sports” compared to 7 percent of Millennials, 5 percent of Gen X, and 6 percent of Baby Boomers. “That was unexpected,” says Lewis, who thought Generation Z would line up similar to Millennials, given that both groups are digital natives. “I’m still more and more surprised at how different Generation Z is than Millennials and, frankly, everyone else.” When Lewis and Wang took a look at the differences between male and female Generation Zers, things got even more interesting. In traditional sports categories (football, basketball, hockey, baseball, soccer), more Generation Z females defined themselves as “avid sports fans” than did their male counterparts. When it came to football, 20 percent of both Generation Z males and females described themselves as avid fans (the lowest percentage of all the demographic groups). But in every other traditional sport, Generation Z “avid sports fan” females outnumbered males by a discernable margin. Only when it came to eSports did Generation Z males outnumber Generation Z females. “I think there’s a very deep issue going on,” says Lewis. “Something fundamental has shifted.” The survey included questions about fandom-related psychological traits, specifically, community belonging and self-identity. On both, Generation Z males scored lower than Millennials. “The findings related to sports are particularly germane from a cultural perspective,” states the report. “Part of the lack of Generation Z fandom is due to younger individuals having less intense feelings of group belonging in general.” Beyond the Playing Field, How Does Loyalty Shine? While the report doesn’t take a deep dive into the psychology behind Generation Z’s fandom differences, it does note that Generation Z came of age during a time of “ubiquitous social media, dramatic demographic changes, and a hyper-partisan political environment,” they write. “These dramatic changes may fundamentally alter how members of Generation Z engage with cultural industries.” Overall, Millennials were shown to have the “highest preference across all sports,” according to the report. Millennials are not only willing to watch games, but they also enthusiastically wear team gear. Baby Boomers are up for watching games but are less interested in following teams on social media. As it turns out, note the authors, Generation Z isn’t totally disconnected. Across the entertainment categories, Generation Z is similar to other generations. “Sports fandom is the outlier,” they state. In addition to sports, Lewis and Wang looked at six other fandom segments: new and now celebrities, social justice culture, athletic excellence, old school personalities, brand fanatics, and Trump Fans. Lewis points to the fact that whatever one thinks of Donald Trump, he does generate fandom. “That passion for whatever it is—sports, politics, movies, music—that’s really what drives the world,” says Lewis. Because of its importance, fandom is, notes the study, “increasingly actively managed,” whether to garner viewers, money, or votes. Recent trends such as streaming across devices, the ubiquity of social media, an increase in demographic diversity (not to mention a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic), have affected mainstream sports and entertainment. As a result, Lewis believes it’s important to study how fans are changing across generations. Leagues, teams, networks, studios, celebrities, and others need to understand why there is less engagement to formulate strategies for acquiring the next generation of fans. Authors Mike Lewis and Yanwen Wang As sports leagues and teams see more growth opportunities with women and increasingly diverse fan bases, Lewis wonders if some sports teams may alienate their current fan bases by marketing to non-traditional groups. “If you’re a league or a team, you’ve got a real dilemma at this point,” he explains. “If the NFL wants positive press, it has to market to the non-traditional fan segments. If they do that, are the traditional fan segments going to be less interested? Perhaps.” EmoryMAC’s research on fandom in the modern age is ongoing. A study into how eSports’ fandom differs from traditional sports fandom is also in process—as is research on how younger demographic groups see colleges and universities as institutions worthy of fandom. EmoryMAC will continue to make data and insights available on its fandom analytics website. “Looking at the fandom and passion of young groups now will tell you a lot about what the world will look like in 20 years,” says Lewis. I suspect that the era of sports being a mass marketing product and also a cultural unifier is probably going to end. Mike Lewis While that strikes Lewis as sad, he and EmoryMAC are merely following the data. “It may be the reality of where this is going,” he adds. If you're a reporter looking to know more - then let us help. Professor Michael Lewis is an Associate Professor of Marketing at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School. In addition to exploring trends in the overall marketing landscape, Lewis is an expert in sports analytics and marketing. He is available for interview - simply click on his icon to arrange a discussion today.
Wordle: How to Play (and Win) Like a Linguist
Wordle. If you haven’t heard of it, maybe you're on vacation, on a remote island, with no WiFi. If you have, maybe you've seen friends post their results to Twitter or Facebook and wondered what it was about. Maybe you heard about the game from reading the news. Either way, you're probably in deep. But for those of us who are unfamiliar, what is the game and how does it work? Why is it just so popular? And most importantly, how do you win? To answer these questions and more, we spoke with Villanova University professor and linguist Grant Berry, PhD. "I think word games have to some degree always been popular (think of Scrabble or the New York Times crossword, for example), and a big reason for that is that every human being has a lifetime of experience with language—it's familiar ground for all of us who speak a given language," Dr. Berry says. The appeal of the game, then, makes a lot of sense. It's not a new phenomenon. Rather, it's a reimagining of an established pastime. And Wordle is delightfully simple; each player is tasked with guessing a five-letter word in six tries. The tiles turn gray to show when letters are not in the word, yellow when letters are in the word but in the wrong position and green when letters are in the word and in the correct position. "To start, you need to find a five-letter word that maximizes the likelihood that you'll find at least one of the letters in the target word," Dr. Berry says. "I parsed a word list from powerlanguage’s GitHub page (the person who created Wordle), and the five most frequent letters in that list are A (7,646), E (7,563), S (6,612), O (5,007) and R (4,937). There is one word in English that contains all of these: SOARE (a young hawk). This word is not very common, and it's very unlikely to be the correct word, but it should give you a few pieces of the puzzle. Odds are the target word is fairly common, so it's unlikely to have the least common letters: W, V, Z, X, J or Q." Okay, so you should now have one or two correct letters. If not, Dr. Berry recommends "guessing a word (with the other two vowels) that doesn't contain any letters we've tried yet." (Some options are CUMIN, UNTIL, TULIP and INPUT.) After this, start thinking about common sequences of letters in English using the letters you've uncovered. "The ten most common consonant clusters in the dataset were ST, CH, TS, SH, TH, NG, NT, NS, LL and LY. Alternatively, you could appeal to the tendency in English syllable structure to favor what's called sonority sequencing." For those non-linguists out there, sonority sequencing means, "you're more likely to see harder, obstruent sounds like P, T, C, D, B and G followed by more resonant or continuant sounds like R, L, N, H or S at the beginning of syllables (i.e., before a vowel) and the opposite order at the end of syllables (i.e., after a vowel). For example, DRINK follows this principle." And a helpful tip? "If you have an S in the word and not much other information besides vowels, your best bet is to put it at the beginning of the word or at the very end," Dr. Berry says. "The S sound is the only one in English that can form consonant clusters with more than two distinct sounds (e.g., STRAP); it's also commonly found at the end of words in plurals." Congratulations, you're on a roll! "From this point, move forward without forgetting what you've learned so far, meaning that if a letter is gray from a previous guess, do not use it in another guess. Similarly, if a letter was in yellow in a previous guess, use it in a different position. If the new position is wrong, choose a third position that's different from the previous two. This way you aren't throwing away the useful positional information from your previous failed guesses." And there you go. With some expert tips and a bit of calculated guessing, you've uncovered the word of the day! Now that we know what Wordle is and how to win, we talked with Dr. Berry about the puzzle's virality. "The short duration of the game and its simplicity make it easily shareable, and the fact that there's only one word per day makes it easy for a large group of people to have common ground and a central topic of discussion. Those two things combined are the recipe for a viral phenomenon." Ever finish someone's sentence? Wordle taps into that experience and in a sense replicates it. "There’s strong evidence to suggest that human beings are capable of tracking distributions of words and sounds, using them to help predict what's coming next when reading or listening," Dr. Berry says. "In a sense, then, this game is asking players to do what they've always done: use what you know about the structure of words in English alongside feedback you get to come up with the appropriate target." How many tries did it take you to uncover the word of the day? With Dr. Berry’s help, you probably have a score worth bragging about.