Ava DuVernay’s miniseries about the so-called Central Park Five illustrates, with excruciating clarity, the consequences of dehumanizing language.

It’s no secret that, throughout history, sex workers have been dehumanized by both police and society. But a relatively modern police acronym was used to denote those deemed not important enough to be considered legitimate victims of crime — including sex workers.

As protests against the deaths of Eric Garner and Mike Brown at the hands of police spread across the United States, Nick Broomfield’s documentary Tales of the Grim Sleeper could not be more timely.

While most people find jargon (not to be confused with slang) to be annoying, it remains a staple of the modern workplace. It does have its uses — for example, air traffic controllers use the phonetic alphabet for clarity and accuracy. But, according to the authors’ research, jargon can also result from insecurity and a desire for professional status. If you’re concerned about the potential negative effects of jargon on you or your organization, there are four steps you can take to mitigate them. First, be aware of context to know whether jargon might be helping or hurting you. Second, ask yourself if there’s a simpler way to communicate the same idea or if the audience commonly uses the same jargon. Third, use executive communications that use clear and unambiguous language to set the tone for the organization. Finally, send a message by letting others know why you or your organization don’t espouse excessive jargon.

NYU Langone researchers find that those with schizophrenia are three times more likely to die of COVID-19 than those without the disorder. Learn more.

With more than half a million COVID-19 deaths in the U.S., educators worry about how to help grieving students heal.

The wave of attacks against Asian American and Pacific Islander communities over the last year fits into a long history of violence driven by rhetoric portraying Asians as disease ridden, writes Prof. Michael Kraus.

The minute we make any decision—I think COVID-19 is serious; no, I’m sure it is a hoax—we begin to justify the wisdom of our choice and find reasons to dismiss the alternative.

Modern dating has become akin to window shopping, with the promise that their algorithms guaranteed to find your perfect match. But does this really work? Dr. Samantha Joel's research suggests the answer may be No.

An overwhelming demand for professional counseling has spawned slickly marketed companies promising a service they cannot possibly provide.

Sometimes in my writings on transgender issues, I will mention the “Dregerian narrative.” This article is a brief “explainer” for those…

Your dog can get vaccinated for Lyme. You cannot.

I’ve reported on behavior and mental health for 20 years. As I exit, I can’t help but wonder why researchers have placed so little emphasis on helping people in distress today.

A common piece of advice for presentations and winning over audiences is to be funny. After all, research shows that leaders who use humor are able to increase their employees’ performance and job satisfaction. And hearing something funny or being amused can reduce stress, improve social relations, generate a positive mood, and increase motivation. But new research shows that these outcomes may only apply to men. After watching videotaped presentations by both male and female actors, the man was given higher ratings when he used humor, while the woman who did was given lower ratings. One participant noted that the humorous woman showed “poor judgment in jokes” and another noted that she tried “to cover up her lack of real business acumen by making little jokes.” In contrast, participants who saw the humorous male presentation commented that “he is witty and likes to use humor to not seem like a stern speaker” and another said that “he adds a touch of humor to break up the monotony of his presentation.” These findings don’t mean that women should stop being funny, however; it does mean that organizations and managers should instead increase awareness of this prejudice.

The books banned in US prisons are often seemingly harmless — and many are valuable educational resources.

After years of struggling to uncover the genetic basis of diseases, genome-wide association studies were heralded as a revolution in genetics.

Women are three times more likely to suffer from the invisible illness than men.

Despite the fact that mental illness is quite common, it’s still heavily stigmatized across cultures and sometimes even challenging to diagnose and treat. Even if you are lucky enough to have good behavioral health care, your doctor has to combine…

"Sadly enough, 75 years after the Holocaust, this is a time to remind people what words can do,” one survivor said.

Scientific papers containing lots of specialized terminology are less likely to be cited by other researchers.

Cariol Horne acted to keep a white officer from using what she saw as excessive force. Fifteen years later, a judge said her firing was wrong.

Women face greater risk of obesity, earlier menstruation and possibly breast cancer if their grandmothers were exposed to DDT during pregnancy, researchers say.

"Mistakes like this show how implicit biases can creep into everyday decision-making without us ever knowing it."

One officer involved in the city's massive corruption scandal said officers kept the replicas "in case we accidentally hit somebody or got into a shootout, so we could plant them."

These alternatives can help keep communities safe for everyone.

Sandra Laing was born black, but to white parents. It would have been strange anywhere - but in apartheid South Africa it was disastrous. Rory Carroll reports from Johannesburg.