Social Sciences + Humanities

CORVALLIS, Ore. – In 1957 Celilo Falls, a fishery that was pivotal to the lives of many Native Americans along the Columbia River, was lost when it was flooded and destroyed by the construction of The Dalles Dam.

A new children’s book by Warm Springs Elder Linda Meanus captures those life-altering events from her perspective. The book, “My Name is LaMoosh,” will be published by Confluence and OSU Press in June.

CORVALLIS, Ore. — For adolescents who may get stuck in negative thought spirals, refocusing on mental imagery is a more effective distraction than verbal thoughts, a recent study from Oregon State University found.

A short-term distraction can break up the thought spiral, which makes room for that person to then seek help from a therapist, friend or parent, said study author Hannah Lawrence, an assistant professor of psychology in OSU’s College of Liberal Arts.

CORVALLIS, Ore. — People’s cultural worldviews play a part in how they respond to wildfire risk, and should be taken into account in efforts to get homeowners to engage in pre-fire mitigation efforts such as adjusting landscaping and preparing an evacuation plan, an Oregon State University study found.

The study tapped into participants’ cultural worldviews and perception of risk to help predict which communication strategies work best to convince different types of people.

CORVALLIS, Ore. — In a new book published this week, an Oregon State University professor offers study techniques, myth-busting and psychological research to explain why teaching and learning work the way they do.

The book is aimed at high school and college students, as well as teachers and parents who want to know how to help students become more effective learners.

“Study Like a Champ” was co-authored by OSU psychology professor Regan A.R. Gurung, who has been researching teaching and learning for 24 years.

CORVALLIS, Ore. — A new study from Oregon State University found that psychophysiology studies show a significant lack of diversity among their participants, making their results less applicable across different communities and cultures.

Psychophysiology is the study of the intersection between psychological and physiological processes, such as the increase in heart rate or brain activity people experience when feeling heightened emotions.

CORVALLIS, Ore. — A new study published in Nature Energy found that electricity customers often lack awareness of their daily energy-use patterns at home, which could have a serious financial impact as utility companies move toward time-of-use energy pricing models.

If utilities change their pricing structures, consumers need to understand how and when they’re using electricity so they can make informed decisions about billing choices, the study’s authors say.

CORVALLIS, Ore. — When trying to inform college students about campus resources they might explore to help boost their grades, limited email reminders work better than other methods, a recent study from Oregon State University found.

However, those email “nudges” are only the first step, researchers say.

CORVALLIS, Ore. — Oregon State University experts will discuss the recently leaked draft decision from the U.S. Supreme Court overturning the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade case that protected abortion access during a panel from 4-5:30 p.m. Thursday, May 12.