This series provides researchers in the social and behavioral sciences whose work has been mischaracterized by lawmakers the opportunity to set the record straight about the value and potential of their work-- and confront misconceptions about social science research funded by the federal government.

COSSA: Describe your research project in your own words. 

KIMBERLEY PHILLIPS: My scientific goals include understanding how exercise may alleviate the terrible burdens of neurodegenerative diseases such as multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease. Burgeoning research indicates that persons suffering from such diseases might benefit from exercise, and understanding the ways in which exercise affects these diseases could lead to improved treatments. Research into the mechanisms underlying the therapeutic effects of exercise has been hampered by the inability to directly measure how specific exercise regimens affect the molecules, chemicals and brain cells in humans. We therefore undertook the research in question, reported in the article Take the Monkey and Run, which developed a paradigm for safely and effectively engaging marmoset monkeys in exercise.

This series provides researchers in the social and behavioral sciences whose work has been mischaracterized by lawmakers the opportunity to set the record straight about the value and potential of their work-- and confront misconceptions about social science research funded by the federal government.

COSSA: Describe your research project in your own words.

LISA NEFF: Our project compares the relationship coping strategies of older and younger couples, both married and dating, to examine potential age-related changes in how we approach relationship conflicts, as well as the implications of different coping strategies for emotional and physical well-being. We are particularly interested in the relationship experiences of older (age 60+) dating couples. Recent decades have seen a dramatic rise in the prevalence of dating in later life. Despite these societal trends, our understanding of how older adults maintain satisfying dating relationships is limited. Although research on marriage and dating has much to say regarding the coping behaviors that create happier, healthier relationships, this research has focused overwhelmingly on the relationships of young adults. Thus, we don't know how well these findings generalize to an older population. Our project hopes to fill this gap and provide a better understanding of the factors that promote healthy relationships in later life.

Setting the Record Straight on "Wasteful Research"

This series provides researchers in the social and behavioral sciences whose work has been mischaracterized by lawmakers the opportunity to set the record straight about the value and potential of their work-- and confront misconceptions about social science research funded by the federal government.

COSSA: Describe your research project in your own words.

STEPHANIE TONG: Our project examines how people perceive and react to the technology embedded in online dating websites. Online and mobile dating systems are changing the ways in which people form romantic connections, either by giving them access to a large pool of potential partners, or by making recommendations on whom to date. With over 30 million people using online or mobile dating in their search for love, these systems have an immense potential to affect the process of romantic relationship formation. Online and mobile dating platforms are silently altering people’s attention, changing expectations about potential partners, and subtly influencing their decisions about which partners to pursue. If a culture is dependent on its social bonds, then we must know more about how these systems are changing the ways that people are forming those bonds—and whether or not the users of these systems are aware of the effects on their own relational behavior.