2018

International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies

Robert S. Laufer Ph.D. Memorial Award for Outstanding Scientific Achievement

2019

Society for Personality and Social Psychology

Application of Personality and Social Psychology Senior Career Contribution Award

Social Responsibility Award

2015

School of Social Ecology, University of California, Irvine

Daniel Stokols Award for Interdisciplinary Research

2014

International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies

Frank Ochberg Award for Media and Trauma Study

Awarded with Highest Distinction and Honors

American Psychological Association 

Association for Psychological Science

International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies

Society of Experimental Social Psychology

Society for Health Psychology

Society for Personality and Social Psychology

Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues

The Novel Coronavirus (COVID-2019) Outbreak: Amplification of Public Health Consequences by Media Exposure

Associations between exposure to childhood bullying and abuse and adulthood outcomes in a representative national U.S. sample

Exposure to prior negative life events and responses to the Boston marathon bombings.

What Might Have Been: Near Miss Experiences and Adjustment to a Terrorist Attack

When are assumptions shaken? A prospective, longitudinal investigation of negative life events and worldviews in a national sample

Supported by funding from the National Science Foundation since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, Roxane Cohen Silver focuses her research on how major tragedies – both mass violence and natural disasters – are depicted in the media and how this may affect the health – physical and mental – of consumers. 

After the events of 9/11, there have been a series of events that have allowed the Distinguished Professor of psychological science, medicine and public health and her research team to continue their important work: the war in Iraq, which began in March 2003; the bombing at the Boston Marathon in April 2013; the Ebola virus outbreak in 2014; the shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida, in June 2016; and, most recently, the COVID-19 pandemic and then the war between Russia and Ukraine. 

In this UCI Podcast, we talk to Professor Silver about her findings and why graphic images leave an indelible mark on those who see them, how social media adds a new layer to the availability of that content, and what people can do to decrease the negative consequences that too much exposure to gruesome photos and videos can have on their health. 

This episode was recorded in the podcast studio in the ANTrepreneur Center. The music, titled “Invisible Beauty,” was provided by Aakash Gandhi via the audio library in YouTube Studio.

UCI Podcast: Managing media intake amid traumatic times

Foundations of Health Psychology

In 1965, the University of California, Irvine was founded with a mission to catalyze the community and enhance lives through rigorous academics, cutting-edge research, and dedicated public service. Today, we draw on the unyielding spirit of our pioneering faculty, staff and students who arrived on campus with a dream to inspire change and generate new ideas. We believe that true progress is made when different perspectives come together to advance our understanding of the world around us. And we enlighten our communities and point the way to a better future. At UCI, we shine brighter.

UC Irvine

Roxane Cohen Silver, Ph.D., is a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Psychological Science, the Department of Medicine, and the Program in Public Health, and Associate Director of the ADVANCE Program for Faculty and Graduate Student Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in the Office of Inclusive Excellence at the University of California, Irvine, where she has been actively involved in research, teaching, and administration since 1989. An international expert in the field of stress and coping, Silver has spent almost four decades studying acute and long-term psychological and physical reactions to stressful life experiences, including personal traumas such as loss, physical disability, and childhood sexual victimization, as well as larger collective events such as terror attacks, war, and natural disasters across the world (e.g., U.S., Indonesia, Chile, Israel). Her research has been funded by the National Science Foundation, the National Institute of Mental Health, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Public Health Service. She has guided governments in the U.S. and abroad in the aftermath of terrorist attacks and earthquakes and served on numerous senior advisory committees and task forces for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, providing advice to the Department and its component agencies on the psychological impact of disasters and terrorism. She has also testified at the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Science and given several briefings to policymakers at the White House and on Capitol Hill on the role of social science research in disaster preparedness and response and the impact of the media following disasters. Silver is the President of the Federation of Associations in Behavioral & Brain Sciences (FABBS) and was the 2016 President of the Society of Experimental Social Psychology. She was also a founding Director and Chair of the Board of Directors of Psychology Beyond Borders, an international nonprofit organization that facilitated research, intervention, and policy development in the prevention, preparedness, and response to terror attacks, conflict, or natural disasters across the world.

Health Psychology

Stress

Traumatic Events

Coping

Social Psychology

UCI Faculty Profile

Silver Stress and Coping Lab Website

NCCU Profile

Psychology Beyond Borders Profile

ResearchGate Citations

Google Scholar Citations

The latest news? Not right now, thanks.

Graphic imagery online can lead to psychological harm, UC Irvine experts say

The Trump Assassination Attempt Caused Psychological Distress and Fueled Polarization

Psychologists in the news

A man plunged to his death in front of me. I can’t get it out of my mind.

The impact of bad news, compassion fatigue, and the psychology of whistleblowing

Graphic images from catastrophic events have the potential to affect our mental and physical health

Why we can't stop watching gruesome, graphic war videos on the internet

Fifty Years Later, the Orphans of Flight 723 Return to the Scene

Bad behavior at ‘Barbenheimer’ reflects a worrying trend

Psychological Science and COVID-19, Interview with Roxane Cohen Silver

Social isolation, mental health, and COVID-19: A media briefing

Using the psychological science of crisis leadership and communications to navigate the Coronavirus: A webinar for public officials

About the University of California, Irvine: Founded in 1965, UCI is the youngest member of the prestigious Association of American Universities and is ranked among the nation’s top 10 public universities by U.S. News & World Report. The campus has produced three Nobel laureates and is known for its academic achievement, premier research, innovation and anteater mascot. Led by Chancellor Howard Gillman, UCI has more than 36,000 students and offers 224 degree programs. It’s located in one of the world’s safest and most economically vibrant communities and is Orange County’s second-largest employer, contributing $7 billion annually to the local economy and $8 billion statewide. For more on UCI, visit www.uci.edu.

The UCI Podcast

Distinguished Professor of Psychological Science

http://www.DocuThesis.com
Following a personal experience with a friend, Professor Roxane Silver of UC Irvine became inspired to study the mental processes behind those exposed to traumatic disasters and tragedies. She challenges general assumptions regarding those who are affected and why, and seeks to promote further understanding of the diversity of emotions regarding personal trauma.

Coping with Traumatic Life Experiences

Media Exposure to Mass Violence Events

Featuring Social Ecology professor Roxane Cohen Silver.

Enriching Modern Life - Roxane Cohen Silver

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