Soyeon

Title:
College kids vs. the world: What differentially predicted social distancing behavior for college students and the general population early in the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract:
Social distancing is critical in preventing COVID-19, which mainly spreads among people who come in close contact. Public health authorities have encouraged social distancing and provided guidance on how to effectively keep your distance. However, there is wide variation in the extent to which someone follows the recommendations to limit physical contact with others. In this talk, I will examine what predicts social distancing behavior (a) across different populations (college students vs. community members) and (b) across time, mainly focusing on how being informed about COVID-19 versus being emotionally threatened about COVID-19 predicts social distancing behaviors.

Julia

Title:
Bad is More Specific Than Good

Abstract:
Previous research suggests that "bad is stronger than good" in the sense that negative stimuli and events are more psychologically impactful than their positive counterparts. In this talk, I will present evidence that bad is also more specific than good. In four studies, we found that when we asked participants rated their dislikes and challenges as being more specific than their likes and advantages.