New Research Lab on Communication and Social Well-Being Lab is launched at UM
Researchers in the Department of Communication Studies have established a new research lab to study the effects of communication on the health and well-being. "Of course exercise, eating right, and minimizing substance use are important predictors of health and well-being," says Professor Stephen Yoshimura, the lab’s director. "But many studies have convincingly shown that social bridges and bonds that people create with others help determine how healthy people and communities are, and even how long individuals live."
The Communication and Social Well-Being Lab will work with community partners and other researchers to produce information about how communication can affect relationships, businesses, and communities in ways that make people feel or actually become more or less healthy." Everyone wants to feel like they matter and can make a difference when they go to work, come home, or go out and play, and the research we conduct aims to not only show how communication can help make that happen, but also to show how making that happen can predict real health outcomes" says Dr. Yoshimura.
In addition to conducting academic research, the lab researchers will be available to partner with community and private organizations to help them conduct and interpret their own research on issues related to health and well-being. Find out more about the lab and the researchers behind it.