The Most Boring Person in the World Discovered by Researchers
The most boring person in the world has been revealed by University of Essex research — and it is a religious data entry worker, who…
Behavioral Science
Scientists Warn of Imminent “Anthropulse” As COVID-19 Travel Restrictions Ease
A leading ecologist from the University of St Andrews calls for coordinated action to investigate the environmental impacts of humanity’s emergence from the Covid-19 pandemic….
New Research Shows That School Uniforms Don’t Improve Child Behavior
Students feel less sense of belonging when uniforms are required. Despite the belief of many parents and teachers, school uniforms don’t seem to have any…
Junk Food and the Brain: How Modern Diets Lacking in Micronutrients May Contribute to Irritability and Anger
Emotional, non-rational, even explosive remarks in public discourse have escalated in recent years. Politicians endure insults during legislative discussions; scientists receive emails and tweets containing…
Watch a Chimpanzee Mother Apply an Insect to Her Son’s Wound
For the first time, researchers observed chimpanzees in Gabon, West Africa applying insects to their wounds and the wounds of others. In a study published…
Loneliness and Social Anxiety Are Driven by Different Brain States
Behavioral interventions targeting social anxiety must be adapted to treat loneliness. Despite similar symptoms, loneliness and social anxiety are driven by different brain states, according…
Chimpanzees Observed Applying Insects to Wounds – A Potential Case of Medication?
Researchers from Osnabrück University now examine a possible pharmaceutical function. A research team from Osnabrück University and the Ozouga Chimpanzee Project has, for the first…
Sextortion: Landmark Research Shows Increase in Online Sex Blackmailing During Pandemic
Men twice as likely to fall victim, with young people, Black, and Native American women, and LGBTQ individuals also at high risk. During the pandemic…
People May Not Always Want Help Sticking to Their New Year’s Resolutions
To Keep or Not To Keep Those New Year’s Resolutions? New research suggests that people may not always want help with sticking to their New…
“Hey, Alexa! Are You Trustworthy?” – Human-Like Social Behaviors Improve Trust in Digital Assistants
The more social behaviors a voice-user interface exhibits, the more likely people are to trust it, engage with it, and consider it to be competent….
How To Ruin the Taste of a Cookie With Just 2 Words – “The Impact Was Really Surprising”
Negative labels influence consumer perception of food, study finds. A rose by any other name may smell as sweet, but a chocolate chip cookie labeled…
Sharing Saliva: The One Clue Babies Use To Tell Who Has Close Relationships
Sharing food and kissing are among the signals babies use to interpret their social world, according to a new study. Learning to navigate social relationships…
Researchers Find the Best Way To Fix a Sad Mood: Whatever You Think Works Best
What’s the best way to improve a sad mood? It may be whatever skill you think you’re best at, a new study suggests. Think you’re…
The Great Reset: Support for Populist Politics “Collapsed” Globally During the COVID Pandemic
Support for populist parties and politicians, and agreement with populist sentiment, has diminished during the pandemic, according to a “mega-dataset” taking in attitudes of over…
Improving Reading Skills by Playing Action Video Games
An Italian-Swiss team demonstrates children reading skills can be improved through a novel child-friendly action video game. Decoding letters into sound is a key point…
Inciting Instead of Coercing: “Nudges” Prove Their Effectiveness in Changing People’s Behavior
A team from the UNIGE demonstrates that certain soft incentive techniques, known as “nudges,” are effective in getting people to change their behavior. Developed by…
Challenging “Rule Breakers” – Children Will Confront Their Peers, but How They Do So Varies Across Cultures
Led by the University of Plymouth, UK, and Freie Universität Berlin, Germany, the study analyzed the behavior of 376 children aged five to eight from…
The Science of Gift Wrapping Explains Why Sloppy Is Better Than Neat
They say appearances can be deceiving. In the case of gift giving, they might be right. Consumers in the U.S. spend billions of dollars a…
