Winter Term 2008

 

How Evolved Motivational Systems
Influence Disease and Well-Being

 

The lectures are open to all. This series is organized by Stephanie Brown.

Co-Sponsored by EHAP and the Center for Behavioral and Decision Sciences in Medicine, Peter Ubel (Director)

 

Thursdays 1:30- 3:00 PM

Location: TBA

 

Overview
The University of Michigan has been a leader in the study of interpersonal influences on health and on the evolution of motivational systems. This lecture series will bring these two areas of research together to ask why evolved motivational systems cause so much disease, and how and when evolved motivational systems can contribute to improved health and well-being. We will expand the discussion to examine the potential moderating role of the broader social environment to better understand the ways that the social environment and culture influence and manipulate evolved motivational systems and thus contribute indirectly to disease. Specifically, to what extent do social policies, media, and technology represent environmental cues for the expression of different evolved motivational systems? To what extent does the expression of different evolved motivational systems have implications that extend beyond disease to include national/global issu es ( e.g., racial disparities in health care, obesity, diabetes, environmental protection, over-population, terrorism, ethnic conflict, etc).

For questions about the series, please send a note to Stephanie Brown at stebrown@umich.edu

To join or leave the list to receive announcements, please send a note to EHAP@umich.edu

 

EHAP is made possible by the College of LSA,

the Department of Psychology, the Department of Psychiatry,

and the Research Center for Group Dynamics at ISR