Life Skills

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  • A young woman holding pliers as she makes jewelry

    Commentary

    Why More Young Workers Are Relying on Financial Help from Parents

    Aug 31, 2017

    As today's young adults grapple with a difficult job market, high tuition costs, and rapidly rising rents, parents are increasingly providing financial support and other forms of assistance.

  • Vial and syringe providing immunization from Truth Decay

    Article

    How to Increase Immunity to Truth Decay

    May 16, 2018

    Americans have always held differing views about policy issues. But more and more, they disagree about basic facts. This is a symptom of what RAND calls “Truth Decay,” and it's doing severe damage to democracy in the United States.

Explore Life Skills

  • News Release

    News Release

    U.S. Journalism Has Become More Subjective

    U.S.-based journalism has gradually shifted away from objective news and offers more opinion-based content that appeals to emotion and relies heavily on argumentation and advocacy.

    May 14, 2019

  • Newspapers and social media terms in LED display, photos by artisteer/Getty Images and phive2015/Adobe Stock

    Research Brief

    Facts vs. Opinions: How the News Is Changing in the Digital Age

    Technology has transformed how people get information. But it has also affected the way that information is produced, shared, and disseminated. How much has the presentation of news actually changed over the last three decades?

    May 14, 2019

  • Close-up of a person reading/texting on their smartphone, photo by sam thomas/Getty Images

    Blog

    RAND's Analysis of News in the Digital Age: Three Takeaways

    How has the rise of digital technology shaped the way that news is presented? RAND researchers conducted an empirical study to find out. Here's what you need to know from their findings.

    May 13, 2019

  • Person scrolling through the news on a smartphone, photo by Adobe Stock/terovesalaine

    Report

    News in a Digital Age: Comparing the Presentation of Information over Time and Across Platforms

    In what ways has news reporting in print, on television, and online changed over the last 30 years? Overall, there has been a shift toward more-subjective reporting, but many of the changes have been subtle.

    May 13, 2019

  • Hand flipping wood cubes to change the word fact to fake

    Commentary

    What Role Should Schools Play in Teaching Pupils to Spot Fake News?

    Since social media is not regulated in the same way as traditional news media, anyone can convey information with little fact-checking. So how do we help children develop critical literacy skills to enable them to interpret the media correctly?

    Nov 28, 2018

  • Report

    Report

    An evaluation of Dance4Life's social franchising and empowerment models

    Dance4Life, an international NGO working with young people on health and promotion of safe sexual choices, asked RAND Europe to conduct a process evaluation of the NGO's new implementation and social franchising pilots.

    Nov 20, 2018

  • Screenshot of RAND Education Assessment Finder tool

    Tool

    RAND Education Assessment Finder

    This tool is an online database with information on assessments of K-12 students' interpersonal, intrapersonal, and higher-order cognitive competencies, including associated descriptive and evaluative information.

    Nov 1, 2018

  • Asian female teacher teaching diverse group of kids reading book sitting on library floor in classroom

    Report

    Building a Repository of Assessments of Interpersonal, Intrapersonal, and Higher-Order Cognitive Competencies

    This report describes the development of an online repository of more than 200 assessments of K--12 students' interpersonal, intrapersonal, and higher-order cognitive competencies, including associated descriptive and evaluative information.

    Nov 1, 2018

  • Jennifer Kavanagh and William “Pat” Getty discuss “Truth Decay” at RAND, September 20, 2018

    Blog

    Conversation at RAND: Truth Decay

    The recent erosion of public trust in facts and institutions is not the first period of Truth Decay in U.S. history. What's different this time is the increasing disagreement about objective facts. Jennifer Kavanagh and William “Pat” Getty discussed the trend and how to stop it.

    Oct 2, 2018

  • Audio Podcast of Truth Decay Event at RAND

    Multimedia

    Truth Decay and Community Engagement

    In this Events @ RAND podcast, RAND political scientist Jennifer Kavanagh and William "Pat" Getty, president of the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation, discuss Truth Decay's consequences on community engagement and resilience.

    Sep 20, 2018

  • Periodical

    Periodical

    RAND Review: September-October 2018

    This issue spotlights RAND's research on social and emotional learning; workforce development in Appalachia; and the effects of marijuana ads on adolescents and young adults.

    Sep 4, 2018

  • Dissertation

    Dissertation

    Choose Wisely: A Study of College Major Choice and Major Switching Behavior

    This dissertation explores the college major decision-making process, both for initial and subsequent major choices, and analyzes the associations between major choice behaviors and student outcomes such as time to degree and probability of graduation.

    Aug 31, 2018

  • Dissertation

    Dissertation

    Financial Education among Financially Vulnerable Populations in the United States

    Examines if state-mandated financial education improves debt-related and college-going behaviors among economically vulnerable young adults.

    Aug 29, 2018

  • Woman working in florist shop

    Research Brief

    Many Americans Follow Nontraditional Paths to Retirement

    Most U.S. seniors don't follow the “standard” pattern of retirement. For example, many stay in full- or part-time posts past age 70. Health and economic factors, cognitive abilities, and personality traits can shape Americans' retirement paths.

    Jul 30, 2018

  • Oakland Athletics second baseman Jed Lowrie hits a home run during the eighth inning against the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field, July 7, 2018

    Commentary

    Truth Decay, America's Latest Pastime

    Detailed data and complex analysis are the foundation of decisionmaking in baseball and many other professions and occupations. But facts are out of favor in current U.S. political and civil discourse, and the public policymaking that accompanies it.

    Jul 12, 2018

  • Word truth written with wooden letters on rustic surface

    Commentary

    In Reckoning with Today's Truth Wars, Look to America's Past

    The declining regard for factual evidence may be a defining characteristic of our current age. Previous eras suggest it is within society's power to restore respect for objective facts. Humankind just needs to put it on the agenda.

    Jun 19, 2018

  • Audio Podcast of Truth Decay Event at RAND

    Multimedia

    Truth Decay and Trust in Institutions

    In this Events @ RAND podcast, the Pew Research Center's Carroll Doherty joins RAND's Jennifer Kavanagh for a discussion about the causes and consequences of Truth Decay and declining trust in institutions.

    Jun 7, 2018

  • Michael Rich discussing RAND's "Truth Decay" research

    Multimedia

    Truth Decay: A Narrated Video

    "Truth Decay" is the diminishing role of facts and analysis in American public life. RAND is studying the causes and consequences of this phenomenon, and how they are interrelated. We invite other research organizations and individuals to join us in finding potential solutions and responses.

    May 16, 2018

  • Journal Article

    Journal Article

    Cognitive Ability, Personality, and Pathways to Retirement: An Exploratory Study

    This paper explores the utility of two prominent psychological variables - cognitive ability and personality - as predictors, while also substantially expanding the detail with which retirement pathways can be characterized.

    Apr 3, 2018

  • Vaccinations at a community clinic

    Commentary

    Open Science and a Culture of Health: You Two Should Talk

    By working together, the Culture of Health and Open Science movements could increase their potential to accelerate the use of scientific evidence to address impediments to population health and collective well-being.

    Mar 7, 2018

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