Videos Highlight Behavior and Health

Behavior and social factors play key roles in illness and health. NIH has released new videos that highlight outstanding findings in behavioral and social science research.

“Understanding our behavior and making better decisions puts us in charge of our own health,” says Dr. Robert Kaplan, director of NIH’s Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research. “These short films highlight some of the benefits of behavioral and social science research—both for us as individuals and for society as a whole.”

The videos feature prominent scientists describing their work. They focus on mindless eating, risk-taking related to substance abuse, diabetes management and the evolution of skin pigmentation. The videos are available at obssr.od.nih.gov/video and on the NIH YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/user/NIHOD.

“There are personal take-aways in each of these films, ”Kaplan says, “but they also demonstrate both the excitement and reward of behavioral and social science research. I hope every viewer learns something useful. And I hope we’re engaging the next generation of researchers to enter this dynamic and productive field.”