News

New COVID-19 roadmap: Four takeaways

A new report lays out a dozen priorities for the federal government to tackle in the next 12 months. The aim: to help guide the U.S. to the pandemic’s ‘next normal.’

• Health Communication

Dolores Albarracín Named American Academy of Political and Social Science Fellow

As the 2022 Harold Lasswell Fellow, Professor Albarracín joins a cohort of distinguished scholars whose research elevates prominent policy discussions.

A novel theory on how conspiracy theories take shape

In a new book, Dolores Albarracín, Kathleen Hall Jamieson, and colleagues show that two factors—the conservative media and societal fear and anxiety—have driven recent widespread conspiracies, from Pizzagate to those around COVID-19 vaccines.

• Culture & Media
• Health Communication
• Political Communication

Mandates Likely Work to Increase Vaccine Uptake

Rather than causing a backlash, vaccination requirements will succeed at getting more people inoculated, according to research from PIK Professor Dolores Albarracín and colleagues at Penn.

• Health Communication

In Rural America, Religious Attendance and Norms Reduce Compassion for People Who Use Opioids

A new study found that religious individuals in Appalachian and Midwestern states were more likely to support punitive drug policies.

• Health Communication
• Political Communication

Misplaced Trust: When Trust in Science Fosters Pseudoscience

Believing in science isn't enough to protect people from misinformation.

• Health Communication

Dolores Albarracín Appointed Penn Integrates Knowledge University Professor

A world-renowned social psychologist, she will be jointly appointed at the Annenberg School and Penn Nursing.

• Health Communication

Vaccine Science and Side Effects: How News Messages Affect Views on Vaccination

News about vaccine safety increases public acceptance of vaccines, but less so when juxtaposed with a personal narrative about side effects.

• Health Communication

When the Message Matters, Use Science to Craft It

The new Message Effects Lab aims to understand and develop communication around what motivates specific behaviors for specific populations, including COVID-19 vaccination.

• Health Communication

Concerns over Infecting Others Matter More for Vaccination in Sparsely Populated Areas

Concerns over infecting others play a greater role in people’s willingness to be vaccinated in sparsely populated areas than dense urban ones, according to a new study.

• Health Communication