In the Media

December 12, 2017

Many parents worry that kids who spend hours upon hours on their phones are losing their ability to interact socially away from screens, and are missing out on activities that don't involve smart phones. But Candice Odgers, professor of psychology and social behavior, has done research showing some of the benefits smartphones bring to kids' lives.

"I don't think it's all a doom and gloom story," she told NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt. "I think there are some really positive ways kids are using their phones to connect to people that they love and people who can support them in their lives."

December 8, 2017

A man serving a life sentence in prison insists he was wrongly convicted for a crime he didn't commit. But he doesn't have DNA evidence to prove his innonence.

That story of wrongful conviction is all too common, says Simon Cole, professor of criminology, law and society and director of the National Registry of Exonerations. Cole estimates that thousands or even tens of thousands of people have been wrongly convicted, he told The Atlantic.

December 5, 2017

In recent years, there have been major changes to criminal justice policy in California. In 2014, Proposition 47 downgraded many drug and theft crimes to misdemeanors, while in 2011, the Public Safety Realignment law took effect with the goal of shrinking prison populations.

Those reforms are unlikely to have changed statewide crime trends, says Charis Kubrin, professor of criminology, law and society.

December 1, 2017

An undocumented immigrant who was involved in a murder case in San Francisco that became a flashpoint in the presidential election was recently found not guilty of murder. He was found guilty of illegally possessing a firearm.

In general, immigration does not cause an increase in crime, according to research by Charis Kubrin, professor or criminology, law and society. The Wall Street Journal cited Kubrin's research.

November 25, 2017

Imagine this: a driverless car is cruising down the road when a group of pedestrians walks in front of it. In that moment, the car's algorithms have to make a choice, to either sacrifice the driver and save the pedestrians, or sacrifice the pedestrians and save the driver.

Most people agree the car should do the greatest good for the greatest number of people, and save the group of pedestrians, according to research by Azim Shariff, assistant professor of psychology and social behavior. But people are much less likely to want to buy any car "in which they and their family member would be sacrificed for the greater good," Shariff told USA Today.

November 22, 2017

Most prisoners are not like Charles Manson, a fact that news watchers should bear in mind when thinking about inmates, says Charis Kubrin, professor of criminology law and society.

"There aren’t too many Charles Manson’s roaming around," Kubrin told Fortune. "One would really have to look deeper into the individual circumstances of his family friends, to explain his behavior."

November 20, 2017

Mistaken memories can often be mistaken for lies; the line between a false belief that is sincerely held and an outright lie can get blurry at times, according to Professor Elizabeth Loftus, who was recently quoted in Vogue.

"[It’s] virtually impossible to tell true from false memory without independent corroboration," Loftus said.

November 15, 2017

Many people -- and probably most kids -- don't like eating their vegetables. But what if there was a psychological way to convince them to do so?

Elizabeth Loftus, professor of social ecology, has done studies testing whether false memories can be planted in people, and the effects those memories have, including on eating habits. She was recently quoted in a story in Popular Science on convincing kids to more vegetables.

November 15, 2017

As driverless cars grow more and more common on roadways, automotive engineers, regulators and consumers will have to wrestle with the ethical choices the vehicles are programmed to make, says Azim Shariff, assistant professor of psychology and social behavior. Shariff was quoted in a recent New York Times story.

November 9, 2017

A recent uptick in gang violence in Santa Ana has prompted renewed efforts to prevent gang violence. But why do gangs emerge in some areas and not others?

Gangs are more common in areas with poverty, institutionalized racism, lack of opportunities, poor resources in schools, overextended parents and inadequate supervision, Cheryl Maxson, professor of criminology, law and society, told The Orange County Register.