COVID-19 Press<\/h3>\n\n\n\n![\"Two](\"https:\/\/ubwp.buffalo.edu\/gabriellab\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/65\/2025\/04\/covid-1024x683.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nThe social distancing required during the early days of COVID-19 was necessary for physical health but had implications for people\u2019s abilities to connect to others. Our research into social flexibility was relevant to understanding how people could stay mentally healthy as they protected their physical health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- March 2, 2020. The CBC: <\/em>Why watching historical dramas is good for you according to psychologists<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- March 19, 2020. The Emporia Gazettte<\/em>: Comfort food for uncomfortable times<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- March 25, 2020. WGRZ Channel 2<\/em>: UB psychology professor says now is the time to indulge in guilty pleasures<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- April 2020. Interview with Dr Gabriel on the podcast Happy & Healthy<\/em>: Coronavirus Help | Beating Loneliness<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- April 3, 2020. The Wall Street Journal<\/em>: The Comfort-Food Recipes We Need Right Now<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- April 3 2020. The CBC:<\/em> Why watching comedies is ‘important medicine’<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- April 16, 2020. The Washington Post: <\/em>Those calendar alerts reminding us of canceled events can cause real anxiety<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- April 17, 2020. Earth.com News: <\/em>Watching TV or reading a book can satisfy social needs<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- April 19, 2020. Everyday Health: <\/em>How to Get Through the Loss of Rituals During the Pandemic<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- April 22, 2020. The Greater Good Magazine: <\/em>What Happens When We Lose Our Social Rituals?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- April 27, 2020. The Sun: <\/em>Eating junk food while watching telly could actually be GOOD for your mental health, study suggests<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- May 4, 2020. PBS radio WHYY: <\/em>The importance of finding joy during our coronavirus quarantine<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- May 8, 2020. EcoWatch: <\/em>What Happens When We Lose Our Social Rituals\u2014and How to Make New Ones<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- May 14,2020. Elemental: <\/em>The Health Benefits of Revisiting Your Favorite Books and TV Shows<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- May 18, 2020. The Washington Post: <\/em>Home-delivered muffulettas, deep-dish pizza, brisket and more bring iconic American tastes to your table<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- May 26, 2020. Video featuring interview with Dr Gabriel on social media news service Attn: <\/em>Benefits of Binge-watching shows<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- May 30, 2020. JSTOR Daily<\/em>: A Brief History of Comfort Food<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- June 3, 2020. The Philadelphia Enquirer: <\/em>Water ice is Philly\u2019s precious taste of summer<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- March 6, 2021. CNN: <\/em>Vaccine selfies are everywhere. That’s actually a good thing.<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- March 8, 2021. Vox<\/em>: How boomers got so good at Zoom<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- March 12, 2021. CNN: <\/em>How a year of living almost exclusively online made the internet weird again<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- April 15, 2021. WGRZ: <\/em>The return of sports during COVID-19<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Yahoo: Here’s why experts say rereading your favourite novel could actually benefit your mental health<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- The Boston Globe<\/em>: Unmute that zoom call: Embrace the background noise of other people\u2019s loves<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Popula: How to Get By<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- The Washington Post<\/em>: Large events can be cesspools of germs. Here\u2019s why we ache for them, anyway<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Huffpost: Wait, What The Heck Is A ‘Parasocial Relationship’?<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
![\"woman](\"https:\/\/images.unsplash.com\/photo-1544476333-4982d8f6c688?ixlib=rb-1.2.1&ixid=eyJhcHBfaWQiOjEyMDd9&auto=format&fit=crop&w=1000&q=80\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nFrom “Love Actually” to love, actually <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The sociometer takes every kind of fuel <\/strong>(Paravati, Naidu and Gabriel, 2020) Click here to view this article<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\nMarch 28, 2020. Article in Psychology Today<\/em>: It\u2019s Possible to Find Happiness in Times of Social Isolation<\/a>
April 17, 2020. Science Daily<\/em>, From watching reruns to relationships, there are many ways of feeling connected<\/a>
April 19, 2020. PsychCentral:\u00a0Can binge-watching your favorite show meet your social needs?
April 21, 2020. Forbes:\u00a0How to be social without people<\/a>
April 21, 2020. Yahoo!:\u00a0Binge watching TV and other \u2018guilty pleasures\u2019 are as valuable as seeing family and friends, says study<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n
\n![\"five](\"https:\/\/ubwp.buffalo.edu\/gabriellab\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/65\/2025\/04\/social-792x1024.avif\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nSocial surrogates, social motivations, and everyday activities<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The case for a strong, subtle, and sneaky social self <\/strong>(Gabriel, Valenti, & Young, 2016) Click here to view this article<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\nFeb. 14, 2017. WBFO Buffalo\u2019s NPR News Station: Loneliness Can Be Bad for Your Health<\/a>
Jan. 23, 2017. The Cut: Protests, Parties, and Sports Games All Fill the Same Human Need<\/a>
Sept. 15, 2008. Time: Celebrity Worship: Good for Your Health?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n
\n![\"ladling](\"https:\/\/ubwp.buffalo.edu\/gabriellab\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/65\/2025\/04\/soup-300x197.avif\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nChicken Soup Really Is Good for the Soul<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\u201cComfort Food\u201d Fulfills the Need to Belong<\/strong> (Troisi & Gabriel, 2011) Click here to view this article<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\nJan. 24, 2018. NBC News: Why We Crave Comfort Foods<\/a>
April 3, 2015. The Atlantic: Why Comfort Food Comforts<\/a>
March 27, 2015. University at Buffalo MD Physicians\u2019 Group: Love the cook, love the food: Attraction to comfort food linked to positive social connections<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n
\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/ubwp.buffalo.edu\/gabriellab\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/65\/2025\/04\/read.avif\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nBecoming a Vampire Without Being Bitten<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The Narrative Collective-Assimilation Hypothesis<\/strong> (Gabriel & Young, 2011) Click here to view this article<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\nJuly 27, 2018. Electric Lit<\/em>: Science Says Reading a Book Makes You a Better Friend<\/a>
July 2018. Bustle<\/em>: Reading Can Alleviate Loneliness For A Very Specific Reason, According To A New Study<\/a>
Sept. 7, 2011. The Guardian<\/em>: Reading fiction \u2018improves empathy\u2019, study finds<\/a>
April 29, 2009. Live Science<\/em>: Lonely Hearts Find Comfort in TV Characters<\/a>
April 27, 2009. The Hollywood Reporter<\/em>: Studies: TV Pushes Away Loneliness<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n
\n![\"Washington](\"https:\/\/ubwp.buffalo.edu\/gabriellab\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/65\/2025\/04\/capital.avif\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nFrom Apprentice to President<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The Role of Parasocial Connection in the Election of Donald Trump<\/strong> (Gabriel, Paravati, Green, & Folmsbee, 2018) Click here to view this article<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\nApril 30, 2018 The Atlantic:\u00a0The Problem With Calling Trump a \u2018Reality-TV President\u2019<\/a>
March 29, 2018 Pacific Standard:\u00a0Trump\u2019s Secret Electoral Weapon: The Bond He Formed With TV Viewers<\/a>
March 20, 2018 The Legislative Gazette:\u00a0Cynthia Nixon\u2019s hope may lie to Gov. Cuomo\u2019s left, experts say<\/a>
March 14, 2018 Media Post: Our Parasocial Bond With Donald J. Trump<\/a>
March 5, 2018 University at Buffalo Now:\u00a0Reality TV Played Key Role in Taking Trump from \u2018Apprentice\u2019 to President<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Press Featuring Dr. Gabriel We are excited to share our research with others. Below are some of our research areas and examples of media coverage those studies have received. COVID-19 … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":203,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-125","page","type-page","status-publish"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ubwp.buffalo.edu\/gabriellab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/125","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ubwp.buffalo.edu\/gabriellab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ubwp.buffalo.edu\/gabriellab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ubwp.buffalo.edu\/gabriellab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/203"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ubwp.buffalo.edu\/gabriellab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=125"}],"version-history":[{"count":39,"href":"https:\/\/ubwp.buffalo.edu\/gabriellab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/125\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":608,"href":"https:\/\/ubwp.buffalo.edu\/gabriellab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/125\/revisions\/608"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ubwp.buffalo.edu\/gabriellab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=125"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nThe social distancing required during the early days of COVID-19 was necessary for physical health but had implications for people\u2019s abilities to connect to others. Our research into social flexibility was relevant to understanding how people could stay mentally healthy as they protected their physical health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- March 2, 2020. The CBC: <\/em>Why watching historical dramas is good for you according to psychologists<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- March 19, 2020. The Emporia Gazettte<\/em>: Comfort food for uncomfortable times<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- March 25, 2020. WGRZ Channel 2<\/em>: UB psychology professor says now is the time to indulge in guilty pleasures<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- April 2020. Interview with Dr Gabriel on the podcast Happy & Healthy<\/em>: Coronavirus Help | Beating Loneliness<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- April 3, 2020. The Wall Street Journal<\/em>: The Comfort-Food Recipes We Need Right Now<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- April 3 2020. The CBC:<\/em> Why watching comedies is ‘important medicine’<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- April 16, 2020. The Washington Post: <\/em>Those calendar alerts reminding us of canceled events can cause real anxiety<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- April 17, 2020. Earth.com News: <\/em>Watching TV or reading a book can satisfy social needs<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- April 19, 2020. Everyday Health: <\/em>How to Get Through the Loss of Rituals During the Pandemic<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- April 22, 2020. The Greater Good Magazine: <\/em>What Happens When We Lose Our Social Rituals?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- April 27, 2020. The Sun: <\/em>Eating junk food while watching telly could actually be GOOD for your mental health, study suggests<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- May 4, 2020. PBS radio WHYY: <\/em>The importance of finding joy during our coronavirus quarantine<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- May 8, 2020. EcoWatch: <\/em>What Happens When We Lose Our Social Rituals\u2014and How to Make New Ones<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- May 14,2020. Elemental: <\/em>The Health Benefits of Revisiting Your Favorite Books and TV Shows<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- May 18, 2020. The Washington Post: <\/em>Home-delivered muffulettas, deep-dish pizza, brisket and more bring iconic American tastes to your table<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- May 26, 2020. Video featuring interview with Dr Gabriel on social media news service Attn: <\/em>Benefits of Binge-watching shows<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- May 30, 2020. JSTOR Daily<\/em>: A Brief History of Comfort Food<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- June 3, 2020. The Philadelphia Enquirer: <\/em>Water ice is Philly\u2019s precious taste of summer<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- March 6, 2021. CNN: <\/em>Vaccine selfies are everywhere. That’s actually a good thing.<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- March 8, 2021. Vox<\/em>: How boomers got so good at Zoom<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- March 12, 2021. CNN: <\/em>How a year of living almost exclusively online made the internet weird again<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- April 15, 2021. WGRZ: <\/em>The return of sports during COVID-19<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Yahoo: Here’s why experts say rereading your favourite novel could actually benefit your mental health<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- The Boston Globe<\/em>: Unmute that zoom call: Embrace the background noise of other people\u2019s loves<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Popula: How to Get By<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- The Washington Post<\/em>: Large events can be cesspools of germs. Here\u2019s why we ache for them, anyway<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Huffpost: Wait, What The Heck Is A ‘Parasocial Relationship’?<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n
\nFrom “Love Actually” to love, actually <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The sociometer takes every kind of fuel <\/strong>(Paravati, Naidu and Gabriel, 2020) Click here to view this article<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
March 28, 2020. Article in Psychology Today<\/em>: It\u2019s Possible to Find Happiness in Times of Social Isolation<\/a>
April 17, 2020. Science Daily<\/em>, From watching reruns to relationships, there are many ways of feeling connected<\/a>
April 19, 2020. PsychCentral:\u00a0Can binge-watching your favorite show meet your social needs?
April 21, 2020. Forbes:\u00a0How to be social without people<\/a>
April 21, 2020. Yahoo!:\u00a0Binge watching TV and other \u2018guilty pleasures\u2019 are as valuable as seeing family and friends, says study<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n\n\n
\n<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nSocial surrogates, social motivations, and everyday activities<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The case for a strong, subtle, and sneaky social self <\/strong>(Gabriel, Valenti, & Young, 2016) Click here to view this article<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Feb. 14, 2017. WBFO Buffalo\u2019s NPR News Station: Loneliness Can Be Bad for Your Health<\/a>
Jan. 23, 2017. The Cut: Protests, Parties, and Sports Games All Fill the Same Human Need<\/a>
Sept. 15, 2008. Time: Celebrity Worship: Good for Your Health?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n\n\n
\n<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nChicken Soup Really Is Good for the Soul<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\u201cComfort Food\u201d Fulfills the Need to Belong<\/strong> (Troisi & Gabriel, 2011) Click here to view this article<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jan. 24, 2018. NBC News: Why We Crave Comfort Foods<\/a>
April 3, 2015. The Atlantic: Why Comfort Food Comforts<\/a>
March 27, 2015. University at Buffalo MD Physicians\u2019 Group: Love the cook, love the food: Attraction to comfort food linked to positive social connections<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n\n\n
\n<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nBecoming a Vampire Without Being Bitten<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The Narrative Collective-Assimilation Hypothesis<\/strong> (Gabriel & Young, 2011) Click here to view this article<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
July 27, 2018. Electric Lit<\/em>: Science Says Reading a Book Makes You a Better Friend<\/a>
July 2018. Bustle<\/em>: Reading Can Alleviate Loneliness For A Very Specific Reason, According To A New Study<\/a>
Sept. 7, 2011. The Guardian<\/em>: Reading fiction \u2018improves empathy\u2019, study finds<\/a>
April 29, 2009. Live Science<\/em>: Lonely Hearts Find Comfort in TV Characters<\/a>
April 27, 2009. The Hollywood Reporter<\/em>: Studies: TV Pushes Away Loneliness<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n\n\n
\n<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nFrom Apprentice to President<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The Role of Parasocial Connection in the Election of Donald Trump<\/strong> (Gabriel, Paravati, Green, & Folmsbee, 2018) Click here to view this article<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
April 30, 2018 The Atlantic:\u00a0The Problem With Calling Trump a \u2018Reality-TV President\u2019<\/a>
March 29, 2018 Pacific Standard:\u00a0Trump\u2019s Secret Electoral Weapon: The Bond He Formed With TV Viewers<\/a>
March 20, 2018 The Legislative Gazette:\u00a0Cynthia Nixon\u2019s hope may lie to Gov. Cuomo\u2019s left, experts say<\/a>
March 14, 2018 Media Post: Our Parasocial Bond With Donald J. Trump<\/a>
March 5, 2018 University at Buffalo Now:\u00a0Reality TV Played Key Role in Taking Trump from \u2018Apprentice\u2019 to President<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Press Featuring Dr. Gabriel We are excited to share our research with others. Below are some of our research areas and examples of media coverage those studies have received. COVID-19 … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":203,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-125","page","type-page","status-publish"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ubwp.buffalo.edu\/gabriellab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/125","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ubwp.buffalo.edu\/gabriellab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ubwp.buffalo.edu\/gabriellab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ubwp.buffalo.edu\/gabriellab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/203"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ubwp.buffalo.edu\/gabriellab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=125"}],"version-history":[{"count":39,"href":"https:\/\/ubwp.buffalo.edu\/gabriellab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/125\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":608,"href":"https:\/\/ubwp.buffalo.edu\/gabriellab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/125\/revisions\/608"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ubwp.buffalo.edu\/gabriellab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=125"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
- March 19, 2020. The Emporia Gazettte<\/em>: Comfort food for uncomfortable times<\/li>\n\n\n\n