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Video feature: Q&A on decision-making

Reyna

Most of us have seen it before.  Maybe it was a neighborhood boy riding his bike down the middle of the road, or a group of girls performing stunts on the diving board at the local pool. Whatever the circumstance, it's fairly common knowledge that young people don't always make the best decisions. In fact, it's a topic we've written about here on EBL.  But given the stakes, it's one worth revisiting. Earlier this month, Cornell professor Valerie Reyna -- an expert in decision-making  -- was … [Read more...]

What does the evidence say about risk communication?

health communication

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has published a new report that’s right up our alley. It’s called Communicating Risks and Benefits: An Evidence-Based User's Guide. The introduction offers an explanation of evidence-based health communications that we believe should be the standard for all organizations, from corporations to government agencies to universities. “…Sound communications must be evidence-based in two related ways. One is that communications should be consistent with … [Read more...]

New insights into the teenage brain

teenagers2

We have all heard the frightening statistics before.  Teens ages 15 to 19 are age group most likely to die due to injury – about six times more likely than 10- to 14-year-olds. Crime rates are highest among young males. Teens are also more likely to abuse alcohol and engage in risky sexual behavior compared with people of other ages. Now a new paper published by the National Institute of Mental Health sums up the body of research on the vulnerability of teenagers. Much of the problem, it turns … [Read more...]

Medicine by the numbers: Cornell professor on how we make health care decisions

medical decision

These days, a routine trip to the doctor’s office can easily morph into a complicated calculation of risks and benefits. With the advent of pharmaceutical advertising and the plethora of medical information on the Internet, patients have more choices and responsibility to make decisions than ever before. Enter Cornell professor Valerie Reyna, a faculty member in human development and expert in judgment and decision-making. Her ground-breaking research has shown that medical information is … [Read more...]

Why do you think kids make risky decisions? Bet you’re wrong…

risky youth

On a trip to Dallas last week, I stayed in a large hotel that was playing host to a convention of high school student members of a service organization. A group of boys was roughhousing on a balcony where only a low railing served as a barrier against a 3-floor drop to the lobby, and it looked like a shove in the wrong direction would send someone over the edge. Down swept a small phalanx of chaperones exclaiming what a bunch of idiots the kids were. The young fellows sauntered off, muttering about … [Read more...]