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Receiving work-related communication at home takes greater toll on women

March 9, 2011 coms 0

Communication technologies that help people stay connected to the workplace are often seen as solutions to balancing work and family life. However, a new study in the March issue of the Journal of Health and Social Behavior suggests there may be a “dark side” to the use of these technologies for workers’ health—and these effects seem to differ for women and men.

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Stanford study shows how metaphors shape the debate about crime fighting

March 4, 2011 coms 0

Imagine your city isn’t as safe as it used to be. Robberies are on the rise, home invasions are increasing and murder rates have nearly doubled in the past three years. What should city officials do about it? Hire more cops to round up the thugs and lock them away in a growing network of prisons? Or design programs that promise more peace by addressing issues like a faltering economy and underperforming schools?

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Workers with freedom report higher employee satisfaction

February 23, 2011 coms 0

Workers who feel they have autonomy – that they are free to make choices in the workplace and be accountable for them – are happier and more productive according to an extensive research literature review. Yet there’s no universal cross-cultural definition of autonomy.

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MSNBC reports women are dominating social media

February 22, 2011 coms 0

Thomas Roberts from MSNBC Live interviews Johanna Blakley, the Deputy Director of the USC Annenberg Norman Lear Center on February 9, 2011. Blakley speaks about how women are dominating the social media sphere.

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What your TV habits may say about your fear of crime

February 18, 2011 coms 0

What’s your favorite prime-time crime show? Do you enjoy the fictional world of “CSI” or “Law & Order,” or do you find real-life tales like “The First 48” or “Dateline” more engrossing? Your answers to those questions may say a lot about your fears and attitudes about crime, a new study finds.

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Swear Words Less Offensive on Cable Than Broadcast TV

February 7, 2011 coms 0

Four letter words may offend you more depending on which television channel you watch, according to a recent study out of Florida State University and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. This study, published in the January issue of Mass Communication and Society, found that some TV viewers believe swearing on premium channels and cable is less offensive than vulgarity on broadcast channels. Similarly, viewers are more tolerant of swearing on the premium channels than they are on the advertiser supported cable channels. This differs from previous research, which found that how swear words reach people does not affect how offensive they are.