The University of California, Davis, offers experts on ideas for coping during the holiday season, whether that be last-minute shopping or travel, talking with relatives and friends or having questions about mental or physical health. The following researchers and practitioners offer advice and even explain why people might feel the way they do. 

Think before you speak

Andrew Todd, associate professor of psychology, studies egocentrism, which is the tendency for people to believe others think and feel the same as they do. Anxiety increases our tendency to default to egocentrism, which during the holidays may cause us to assume that friends and loved ones know, believe and like the same things we do. His research finds that overcoming egocentrism requires us to stop, think and ask questions so we can really know the people around us. Read a full story on the College of Letters and Science website.  Contact: atodd@ucdavis.edu

Strategies to cope; seasonal affective disorder

Gloria Petruzzelli is a clinical psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at UC Davis Health. She can discuss strategies for coping with stress during the holidays. Petruzzelli can also talk about seasonal affective disorder, a type of depression that can start in the autumn and last through the winter months. Contact: hs-publicaffairs@ucdavis.edu

Procrastination

Psychologist Yuko Munakata can talk about the factors that might cause us to procrastinate on holiday shopping and what we can do to overcome them. Munakata’s most recent paper reviewed the research literature on procrastination in adults and children. A story on that research can be read on the College of Letters and Science website here. Contact: ymunakata@ucdavis.edu

Dynamic pricing in holiday shopping

Rachel Chen, professor of management and an expert on operations and supply chain management, can talk about dynamic pricing. Dynamic pricing happens when retailers feature prices on items that change daily, or even more often. Large retailers monitor and adjust prices to keep up with and beat their competitors’ prices. Airline ticket pricing is one example of how dynamic pricing can benefit consumers, said Chen, a professor at the Graduate School of Management. This means people who want to travel during peak times will pay extra, while those with more flexibility to travel off-season or during non-peak times will be able to save money. It also helps companies manage inventory, leading to better product availability. 

“Dynamic pricing also incentivizes companies to stock and manage inventory better, which can lead to more consistent product availability,” Chen said. Contact: Rachel Chen, rachen@ucdavis.edu

What’s the risk of getting sick?

Is it too late to get a flu or COVID vaccine? Should I wear a mask to my holiday dinner? Physician Dean Blumberg, professor and chief, Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, UC Davis Health can discuss these issues. Contact: hs-publicaffairs@ucdavis.edu