Anna Song

Anna Song is an assistant professor of Psychological Sciences in the School of Social Sciences, Humanities, and Arts (SSHA) at the University of California, Merced. Her area of speciality is health psychology and psychological epidemiology. Specifically, her research focuses on psychosocial factors that influence adolescent and young adult risk behavior decision-making. Risk behaviors that are of interest to Dr. Song include a) smoking initiation, progression, and cessation, b) sex initiation, c) gambling, and d) unhealthy eating patterns. She is also interested in adolescents' and young adults' beliefs about risks, benefits, and future consequences associated with behaviors, as well as cultural factors that might explain and reduce health disparities. In this regard, she is currently involved in research to help improve methods used to identify and explain health disparities.