The Science Of Friendship

Library Citizen Science Series

The Santa Cruz Public Libraries (SCPL), a network of 10 neighborhood library branches throughout Santa Cruz County, today announced that the Science of Friendship is scheduled for the next Citizen Science discussion at the downtown branch library.

A lifelong passion for understanding interpersonal connections led Christine Brooks, Ph.D. to co-found the Science of Friendship project, a research and information hub. According to Christine, the motivations, behaviors, and skills necessary to make and maintain friendships help build self-knowledge and enhance emotional intelligence. According to current research:

• Strong friendships in childhood are a better indicator of professional success in adulthood than IQ scores.
• Older adults ward off depression at greater rates when regularly engaged in social interaction.
• Loneliness is bad for your health: We are wired for friendship: The field of neurobiology has shown that our brains and nervous systems repair themselves via interactions with others.

Christine Brooks will discuss her research and offer practical tips about processes of befriending. The discussion will also include initial findings from her recent qualitative study on best friendship. According to Library Director Janis O’Driscoll, “The emotional wellbeing of our community is important, and we are delighted to support people with the knowledge and tools to create positive social networks.”

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Thursday February 4, Downtown Library, 224 Church Street, Santa Cruz

The Citizen Science program is an ongoing series for teens and adults conducted in partnership with the Santa Cruz Children’s Museum of Discovery, the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History and UC Santa Cruz. The program includes a science-focused presentation by a local expert followed by a question and answer session.

Christine Brooks, PhD, is a coach and educator with over 20 years experience integrating creativity and self-awareness practices into her own work and in supporting the work of others. She has a doctorate in psychology with specializations in clinical psychology and transformative education and research. Christine co-founded the Science of Friendship Project in 2012 because she believes that our capacities for interaction and connection are our greatest commodities. In addition to her coaching practice, Christine does independent research on friendship, teaches at the California Institute of Integral Studies, and runs workshops and trainings on friendship and social & emotional intelligence.

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To find out more about Christine Brooks: Website: http://scienceoffriendship.com/ Linked In: www.linkedin.com/in/sofchristinebrooks/