Articles tagged with Human Behavior
A new study suggests that taxpayers are more willing to pay their taxes when they recognize how their dollars contribute to the greater good. The research, conducted across multiple countries and demographics, found a positive correlation between tax payment and perceived social benefits.
Researchers at Princeton University have developed models to identify internal states of the brain in fruit flies. By analyzing song patterns and behavioral changes, they discovered three distinct strategies - Close, Chasing, and Whatever - linked to specific neurons controlling these shifts.
Researchers at UMass Amherst and Stanford have designed a new framework for fairer, safer machine learning algorithms. The Seldonian framework allows users to specify safety and fairness constraints, enabling the development of more responsible AI applications.
A new framework for designing machine learning algorithms helps prevent undesirable behavior, including biases in medical diagnoses and financial predictions. The approach shifts the burden from users to designers, making it easier to create 'well-behaved' algorithms without requiring extensive domain knowledge or complex data analysis.
Researchers found that financial therapy improves couples' overall well-being and financial stability by understanding how financial behaviors are tied to feelings and beliefs. Nearly all participants wanted to learn more about their financial behaviors and communicate better after sessions.
A new study uses deep neural networks to accurately assess neurological disorders in rats and mice, identifying key features of motor impairments. This breakthrough technology has the potential to standardize diagnosis and monitoring of neurological disorders, enabling early interventions and improved patient outcomes.
Research reveals that walking changes how we perceive our environment, especially in the peripheral visual field, which enhances processing for navigation. This shift in visual preference makes sense due to the role of peripheral input in tracking movement and direction.
A Danish study found that teenagers with cleanliness rituals and poor insights into their condition are more likely to struggle with OCD despite standard cognitive behavioural therapy. Almost 60% of the patients experienced a worrying relapse after three years.
Researchers observed a dramatic shift from chaotic to ordered motion in jackdaw mobs as they grew in density. The birds initially follow 'topological' rules for winter roosting but switch to 'metric' rules for predator avoidance, leading to the emergence of organized behavior.
Researchers have found that the cerebral cortex can directly control the activities of globus pallidus neurons in a manner that depends on the type of neuron. This discovery could improve our understanding of why certain symptoms occur in movement and learning behavioural disorders, such as Parkinson's disease.
A study on mice has created a set of objective measurements for personality, revealing the connection between genes, behavior, and individual traits. The researchers found that each mouse had a unique personality that consistently informed its behavior.
A study in mice shows that chemotherapy affects gut bacteria, inflammation, and cognitive problems. Researchers found correlations between changes in the gut microbiome and brain inflammation, which could lead to new interventions for cancer patients.
A new USC study found that training robots with a human adversary significantly improves their grasp of objects, leading to better performance in manipulation tasks. The researchers discovered that this approach helps robots learn more stable grasps and succeed more often in real-world environments.
Researchers found genes linked to autism spectrum disorder may play a role in people with uncontrolled eye movements. The study suggests the Down Syndrome Cell Adhesion Molecule-Like 1 gene is crucial for normal eye movements.
A team of international researchers has developed a new control algorithm that reduces the complexity of bilateral teleoperation systems while maintaining their performance. The proposed composited stated convergence scheme achieves this by reducing communication channels, resulting in better transient performance.
Computational modeling suggests delayed neural communication underlies anticipatory behaviors, such as tapping along with a metronome or coordinating rowing. The study found that non-musicians exhibit a larger anticipatory tendency than musicians due to pruned attention towards external stimuli.
Researchers found that strong relationships between regulators and firms improve monitoring quality initially, but eventually lead to negligence and collusion. The study suggests an optimal duration for relationships may exist, with mandatory auditor rotation programs potentially reducing failures in some cases.
A Cornell University study reveals that discrimination may occur faster than the blink of an eye, especially when money is scarce. Under conditions of economic scarcity, participants took significantly longer to process black faces than white faces, allocating less money to black recipients.
A team of researchers led by Ben Wilkowski analyzed goal-related words used by English speakers to categorize human goals. They identified four components: prominence (social status), inclusiveness (acceptance of diversity), negativity prevention (avoiding negative outcomes), and tradition (upholding cultural institutions).
A UB researcher's study using 26,000 books suggests that the learning environment plays a significant role in shaping language behavior. The researchers analyzed data from 10 different studies involving over 1,000 participants and found that culture-specific books explained much of the variance in the data.
A University of Michigan study found that minority groups perceive negative news as a call to action, increasing collective effort and long-term change. Negative media depictions can inspire positive behaviors among group members.
A team of Carnegie Mellon University researchers has developed a fully autonomous aerial cinematography system that can learn humans' visual preferences. The system uses deep reinforcement learning to reason about visually interesting scenes, safety, and context, making it useful beyond entertainment and sports applications.
The University of New Mexico-led project, Cognitive Autonomy for Human CPS: Turning Novices into Experts, seeks to develop a framework for improving autonomous technology's adaptability to real-life human behavior. The team will investigate ways to anticipate and mitigate common human-automation interaction problems.
A new study from the University of Arizona suggests that reducing consumption is more effective in improving personal well-being and lower psychological distress compared to green buying. Participants with fewer materialistic values were more likely to engage in reduced consumption and reported higher personal well-being.
Researchers will investigate factors contributing to successful post-adoption development in children adopted from the child welfare system, focusing on household dynamics and physiological mechanisms.
A new study from Oregon State University finds that cats form attachments with their human owners similar to the bonds formed by children and dogs. The majority of cats (65.8%) are securely attached to their caregivers, while 34.2% exhibit insecure attachment behaviors.
A study by University of Michigan wildlife ecologist Nyeema Harris found that human pressures on mammals in West African protected areas are driven primarily by livestock grazing and forest product gathering, not poaching. The research highlights the need for conservation efforts to incorporate livestock husbandry into management plans.
A new international study by Swansea University found that kindness is the top quality people look for in a long-term partner, accounting for 22-26% of their budget. The study also revealed sex differences in mate preferences, with women prioritizing good financial prospects and men favoring physical attractiveness.
Researchers found that Machiavellian employees are more likely to prioritize personal goals over teamwork and civility. This environment can lead to disastrous consequences, as seen in Enron and subprime mortgage crises. Employees with bottom-line mentality tend to act in self-interest, even engaging in unethical behaviors.
A new study found that offering children a variety of vegetables increased their acceptance and consumption. Families who introduced multiple vegetables saw a significant increase in consumption, with parents reporting it as easy to follow the provided instructions.
A new review of scientific literature suggests that medium doses of ADHD medication have the strongest beneficial effects on inhibitory control, a key aspect of impulsiveness. Increasing doses beyond this point may not make a significant difference in symptoms.
A study from the University of Washington found that people exposed to multiple languages can identify words in yet another language better than those who live in monolingual environments. This effect was observed even among those with limited proficiency in other languages, suggesting that ambient exposure plays a role in language lea...
Researchers investigate the neuropsychological basis of body representation in monkeys using a combination of illusions and behavioral tasks. The study reveals how the brain establishes a sense of body ownership, with activity in the premotor cortex correlating with perceived arm position.
A new paper by researchers at the University of Colorado Denver calls for a fundamental shift in how we approach wildfires, from basic recovery to transformation. The study highlights the need for communities to adopt more resilient strategies, such as reducing flammability and promoting prescribed burns.
Researchers have identified a new gene, ADRB1, that regulates sleep duration, found in individuals requiring significantly less sleep. The gene's variant was shown to alter the receptor's function, leading to shorter sleep periods.
A Pitt bioengineer is developing a new approach to improve gait rehabilitation for stroke patients. By understanding how individuals perceive their movement, the researcher hopes to create the illusion of error-free performance during split-belt walking, enabling patients to carry over improvements to daily activities.
Researchers found that dopamine-related changes in the brain stem may influence human behavior and decision-making. Fluctuations in the dopaminergic midbrain have been linked to behavioral variability, suggesting a possible non-random basis for human choices.
By creating a microdevice that mimics the behavior of human airways, researchers have discovered how muscle contraction in the airway causes breathing difficulties in people with asthma. This breakthrough could lead to new treatment strategies for respiratory diseases.
Researchers found that testosterone supplements made people more sensitive to moral norms, contradicting earlier studies that linked high levels of testosterone to immoral behavior. The study suggests that testosterone's influence on behavior is more complex than thought.
New research reveals that prenatal parental stress is a predictor of emotional and behavioral problems in toddlers. The study found that mothers' and fathers' wellbeing before and after birth have a direct impact on their children's behavior by the time they are two years old.
A recent meta-analysis of research on implicit bias found that changing people's biases may not necessarily lead to changes in related behaviors. The study, published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, reviewed 492 studies and found no evidence of a causal relationship between biased thinking and behavior.
A recent study from the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity found that weight stigma in men is associated with harmful health consequences, including depressive symptoms and dieting behaviors. Men who experienced or internalized weight stigma had higher rates of binge eating and lower self-rated health.
Researchers are investigating how to make talk therapy treatment more accessible to all women, particularly those with mild to severe symptoms. The study aims to determine the effectiveness of non-specialist delivered interventions, such as nurses trained to deliver behavioral activation therapy, in improving mental health outcomes.
Scientists have discovered how mosquito brains integrate signals from their olfactory and visual systems to identify and track potential hosts for blood meals. Smelling carbon dioxide triggers changes in the brain that initiate a behavioral response, causing mosquitoes to scan their surroundings with their visual system.
A team of researchers identified a link between ghrelin and episodic memory, finding that blocking ghrelin signaling impaired rats' ability to remember specific events. The study also found that vagal ghrelin signaling influences feeding behavior, with animals eating more frequently but consuming smaller amounts at each meal.
Researchers found that mice eating a high-fat diet who fasted every other day had reduced pancreatic fat and lower blood sugar levels. This suggests that intermittent fasting may be a therapeutic approach to prevent type 2 diabetes by reducing fat accumulation in the pancreas.
Researchers found that electrical stimulation of the vagus nerve increases motivation to exert physical effort for food rewards, potentially providing a novel method to alter motivation. The study involved 81 hungry participants who underwent two sessions: one with vagus nerve stimulation and another with placebo stimulation.
A new study from Penn State College of Medicine suggests that atypical eating behaviors may be a sign a child should be screened for autism. Researchers found that 70% of children with autism exhibit unusual eating habits, including limited food preferences and hypersensitivity to textures or temperatures.
A new epidemic forecast model developed by Texas A&M researchers can accurately predict disease trajectories by taking into account human behavior. This allows for more effective resource allocation during outbreaks, reducing the risk of over-preparation and public mistrust.
Researchers review 200 years of non-human primate interactions with their dead, observing behaviors like defense of deceased companions and emotional responses. The study reveals a complex cognitive understanding of death among primates, including an ability to grasp objects and distinguish between living and dead.
A team of researchers has identified a key link between pre-existing brain circuit function and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) vulnerability. The study found that rats with altered neural circuit connectivity were more prone to fearful responses to threats, shedding light on the underlying mechanisms of PTSD.
Researchers model how octopus arms make decisions, finding a bottom-up decision mechanism that coordinates actions without brain input. The study sheds light on the diversity of cognition in the world and the universe.
Researchers at Stanford University developed a new system that combines demonstrations and user preference surveys to set goals for autonomous systems, achieving better results in simulations and real-world experiments. The system improved upon previous methods, reducing the time required to generate instructions by 15-50 times.
Researchers found that children aged 4-6 struggle to comprehend complex moral lessons in TV shows, leading to increased stigmatization and negative attitudes towards characters with disabilities. Explicit explanations or discussions of lessons presented in the show can help improve children's responses.
Researchers at MIT have developed an algorithm that accurately aligns partial trajectories in real-time, allowing motion predictors to anticipate the timing of a person's motion. This breakthrough enables robots and humans to work together in close proximity without unnecessary pauses or conflicts.
A study from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business finds that people perceive liars as successful and competent in jobs requiring high pressure sales tactics. In experiments, participants were more likely to hire deceivers for these roles, even when their own money was at stake.
Researchers at Ben-Gurion University have developed a new attack called Malboard that mimics a user's keystroke characteristics to evade detection. The attack can be carried out by a remote attacker or an insider using wireless communication, and it is capable of injecting malicious software into the keyboard.
Researchers developed an automated system using facial recognition to predict high-risk behavior in ICU patients, such as removing breathing tubes. The tool achieved moderate accuracy and has the potential to continuously monitor patient safety.
Research suggests both single neurons and large neural assemblies support spatial navigation; a potential link has been discovered between the two, with EEG oscillations potentially constituting the connection.
A new study led by Penn State found that exercise can help teenagers sleep longer and more efficiently. Participants who engaged in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity fell asleep 18 minutes earlier and slept for 10 minutes longer than those who were sedentary. The researchers also found connections between sleep and activity the fo...