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Paper: Don’t rely on mixed messages to change health behaviors
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Self-improvement edicts to lose weight, quit smoking or eat more fruits and vegetables can fall on deaf ears if the intervention message is mixed, says new research co-written by a University of Illinois expert in social psychology. When recommending multiple behavior changes, it’s more effective if the messages are framed along similar […]
Paper: Even after debunking, misinformation and ‘fake news’ persist
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — “A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its boots on,” Winston Churchill once famously said. Or was it the infinitely quotable Mark Twain who said it first? Jonathan Swift … ? Or Alexander Pope … ? Once it’s unleashed, the effects of misinformation – […]
Is our flood insurance model broken?
Losses from Hurricane Harvey are projected to be in the billions of dollars, likely making it the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history. Craig Lemoine is a professor at the College of ACES and director of the Financial Planning Program. Lemoine, also a certified financial planner, spoke with News Bureau business and law editor Phil […]
Paper: Decision to claim Social Security benefits influenced by ‘framing’
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — With Social Security benefits representing at least half of the retirement income for 65 percent of beneficiaries, the decision to claim benefits early or later is one that’s fraught with substantial financial consequences for the elderly. And according to research co-written by a University of Illinois expert who studies the intersection of […]
Should states be in the lottery business?
A Massachusetts hospital worker recently claimed the record-breaking $758 million Powerball jackpot. The buzz surrounding the potential payout helped drive ticket sales, but at what cost to states and taxpayers? Craig Lemoine is an associate teaching professor at the College of ACES and director of the Financial Planning Program. Lemoine, also a certified financial planner, […]
How do employers combat a resurgent white supremacy movement?
University of Illinois labor and employment relations professor Michael LeRoy is an expert on immigration and employment policy. In an interview with News Bureau business and law Editor Phil Ciciora, LeRoy discusses his research about confronting a resurgent white supremacy movement. What is your paper about? It looks at the ways to update the Ku […]
States find rewards from high-tech investments, given time and patience
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — States have spent millions to develop high-tech industry, with its promise of good jobs and economic growth. But does the public investment pay off? A national study of such investments in the 1980s and 1990s suggests it does – including in places where prospects for high-tech seems less than ideal. The key […]
Political ideology and social norms can play a role in donation decisions, study says
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Stereotypes of “bleeding heart liberals” and “heartless conservatives” may still persist in popular culture, but according to new research from a University of Illinois expert in consumer behavior and global marketing, when it comes to charitable giving, conservatives can be motivated to align their donation decisions with the same perceived generosity of […]
Research suggests sexual appeals in ads don’t sell brands, products
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Could it be that sex actually does not sell? An analysis of nearly 80 advertising studies published over more than three decades suggests that’s the case. “We found that people remember ads with sexual appeals more than those without, but that effect doesn’t extend to the brands or products that are featured […]
Fracturing social networks among business elites empower shareholder activism
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — By mounting high-profile campaigns that have successfully unseated corporate titans and won shareholder-friendly reforms, activist investors have become increasingly successful in agitating for change in publicly held companies. And according to new research from a University of Illinois expert in social network analysis, there’s little that business leaders can do to blunt […]
Increased number of female engineers in managerial roles brings unintended consequences
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Research from a University of Illinois expert who studies identity and meaning in occupations and organizations says a purposeful increase of female representation in the managerial ranks of the male-dominated profession of engineering may foster some unintended consequences, and may even add another layer of sex segregation on top of the one […]
Paper: State of Illinois’ middle class shrinking
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — A new report from a University of Illinois expert in urban development and local economies found that the share of middle-income households in the state of Illinois has fallen steadily from nearly 60 percent in 1970 to below 50 percent in the current, post-Great Recession period. The large middle class in Illinois […]