Social Sciences

Does putting same-sex marriage in the public spotlight impede future policy gains for gay and lesbian couples? A new study says no, contrary to previous research on the topic. The findings, which appear in the American Journal of Political Science, should bring hope to marginalized groups that may otherwise be dissuaded from pursuing public change, said Charles Anthony Smith, UCI associate professor of political science and study co-author.

Alumna Maria Ortega Kummer ’81 and Kevin Kummer share their experiences at UCI as a young, married couple in 1979, and their recent campus visit. MARIA: The very first time I visited the UC Irvine campus, I felt a sense of “home” and that God was providing a special place for me to go to […]

Inducing a sense of awe in people can promote altruistic, helpful and positive social behavior, according to new research led by UC Irvine psychologist Paul Piff.

Brain handles day- and nighttime optical signals the same, reacts quickly to loss of input

Psychology & social behavior professor Roxane Cohen Silver’s work sheds light on human resilience after natural disasters and terrorist attacks. Her latest study, co-authored with doctoral graduate in psychology & social behavior Dana Garfin and associate professor of nursing science E. Alison Holman,  examines the relationship between acute stress responses to the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings […]

UCI grad students are investigating ways to make earthquakes less destructive

Top researchers, public officials and policymakers converge at UCI to discuss extreme water shortages and how to handle them

UCI alum Felipe Hernandez, who graduated in 2012 with degrees in music performance and political science, returns to campus Tuesday, April 14, for a special screening of the one-hour documentary “Why Not Us?”

He cites innovation, expansion and partnerships as key to further enhancing campus’s excellence, impact and global preeminence

Great leaders are often great communicators. However, little is known about the neural basis of leader-follower communication. Chuansheng Chen (pictured), UCI Chancellor’s Professor of psychology & social behavior and education, is co-author of a new study exploring interpersonal neural synchronization between leaders and followers during social interactions. Chen and his colleagues found that INS was […]