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Annenberg School for Communication
Study finds surprising source of social influence
Study finds surprising source of social influence
A new study co-authored by ASC’s Damon Centola finds that as prominent and revered as social influencers seem to be, they are unlikely to change a person’s behavior by example, and might actually be detrimental to the cause.
The Panoptic Sort: Surveillance Q&A with Oscar Gandy
The Panoptic Sort: Surveillance Q&A with Oscar Gandy
With the second edition of his classic 1993 book “The Panoptic Sort” recently published, Gandy discusses the past, present, and future of surveillance.
P.O. Box 34: Students connect with incarcerated writers
P.O. Box 34: Students connect with incarcerated writers
Incarcerated writers who participate in the P.O. Box 34 program are paired up with a Penn undergraduate student who corresponds with them about their work.
Dolores Albarracín appointed Penn Integrates Knowledge University Professor
Dolores Albarracín appointed Penn Integrates Knowledge University Professor
Albarracín will be the Alexandra Heyman Nash University Professor, with joint appointments in the Annenberg School for Communication and the Department of Family and Community Health in the School of Nursing.
Having a strong life purpose eases the loneliness of COVID-19 isolation
Having a strong life purpose eases the loneliness of COVID-19 isolation
Those who felt their life was guided by meaningful values or goals were more willing to engage in COVID-19 protective behaviors.
The multilayered challenges of broadband expansion
The multilayered challenges of broadband expansion
Penn professors identify the challenges ahead for expanding broadband access to people who need it, in areas both rural and urban.
Correcting misperceptions about—and increasing empathy for—migrants
Correcting misperceptions about—and increasing empathy for—migrants
Americans dramatically overestimate the number of migrants affiliated with gangs and children being trafficked.
2021 cohort of Postdoctoral Fellows for Academic Diversity named
2021 cohort of Postdoctoral Fellows for Academic Diversity named
The competitive program, managed by Office of the Vice Provost for Research, is designed to support early career researchers and scholars while enriching the Penn community.
Inaugural Presidential Ph.D. Fellows announced
Inaugural Presidential Ph.D. Fellows announced
Drawing from the most accomplished and diverse Ph.D. trainees, the 2021 Presidential Ph.D. Fellows come from across the nine schools at Penn that offer Ph.D. programs.
Hope and help for wrongfully incarcerated Pennsylvanians
Hope and help for wrongfully incarcerated Pennsylvanians
With Project HOPE, President’s Engagement Prize winners Carson Eckhard, Natalia Rommen, and Sarah Simon will address the lack of support to wrongfully incarcerated people in Philadelphia and across the state.
In the News
The New York Times
How to get things done when you don’t want to do anything
Damon Centola of the Annenberg School for Communication authored a 2016 study that found competition can motivate behavioral change.
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Fast Company
Want to go viral? Influencers won’t be much help if you’re trying to spread a complex idea
Damon Centola of the Annenberg School for Communication spoke about findings from his recent study showing that social influencers may be ineffective when it comes to changing people’s beliefs and behaviors. Rather, he said, “every network has a hidden social cluster in the outer edges that is perfectly poised to increase the spread of a new idea by several hundred percent.”
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The New York Times
Trust in health agencies and Fauci remains strong, a poll finds, but personal doctors score higher
A survey from the Annenberg Public Policy Center found that the vast majority of adults polled were confident in the trustworthiness of COVID-19 information from the CDC, the FDA, primary care providers, and Anthony Fauci.
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Axios
Conservative media diets tied to distrust in health officials
Kathleen Hall Jamieson of the Annenberg Public Policy Center spoke about the politicization of public health information on COVID-19 in the U.S. "When you begin to reduce trust in experts and agencies telling you that vaccines are safe, you're creating all kinds of susceptibilities that can be exploited for partisan gain," she said.
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NPR
More retailers are using AI. What does this mean for privacy?
Joseph Turow of the Annenberg School for Communication weighed in on how machine learning and automation are shaping the job market and consumer privacy.
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