Emotional abuse and manipulation can cause harm in interpersonal relationships and for society. On this episode, we focus on the science of healing from interpersonal trauma with professional counselor Dr. Amelia Kelley, author of a new book on trauma recovery.  

People who face challenges from intellectual and developmental disabilities comprise important audiences for many public health communication efforts. What are the best ways to support and work with people in those audiences? On this episode, we talk with communication researchers Molly Lynch, Linda Squiers, and Sidney Holt of RTI International about their work with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and CommunicateHealth to improve the ways we engage with people in a range of situations.

As another school year starts in the United States, we have opportunities to support students who are considering dropping out of school. On this episode, we talk with Marie-Hélène Véronneau of the University of Quebec at Montreal about interpersonal factors which seem to help reduce high school dropout. 

Chances are that you or someone you know has a dog in the house. What do we know about the relationships between people and dogs? On this episode, we talk with authors of The Purest Bond: Understanding the Human-Canine Connection, Jen Goldbeck of the University of Maryland and science writer Stacey Colino. 

Social media may play a role in our collective loneliness but researchers now also are attempting to use social media tools to reduce loneliness. On this episode, we talk with two University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill professors, Barbara Frederickson and Allison Lazard, about their new work to improve mental health using new communication tools. 

A new generation of artificial intelligence applications have flooded many workplaces and smartphones. What types of relationships will people have with artificial intelligence technologies? On this episode, we talk about the human dimension of human-computer interaction with Dr. Roshni Raveendhran of the University of Virginia.

Daycare and early childhood education sites are more than vibrant places with children laughing and eating snacks. Such places also offer important opportunities to promote equity and justice. On this episode, we talk with Dr. Iheoma Iruka of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Along with three co-authors, she’s written a new book called We Are the Change We Seek: Advancing Racial Justice in Early Care and Education. 

In recent years, protests and dialog have emerged regarding the roles police units should play in responding to public safety needs. On this episode, we talk with two people involved with producing a new documentary on public safety reform in Durham, NC: Dilsey Davis of RTI International’s Transformative Research Unit for Equity and Ryan Smith, Director of the Community Safety Department for the City of Durham.

Phrases such as “racial equity” and "social equity" have been prominent in recent years. How to evaluate social interventions with equity in mind has received less attention, though. On this episode, we talk with RTI International researchers Daniela Pineda and Brittany Wood about new guidance from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation.

We know that social norms can influence many types of behavior. Can social norms predict corruption? On this episode, we talk with Lisa McGregor of RTI International, Richard Nash of the International Foundation for Electoral Systems, and Cheyanne Scharbatke-Church of Besa Global about their work to understand patterns of corruption around the world.