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Using emoji to measure health

Researchers argue that emoji-based language systems can improve communication between patients and physicians, particularly for vulnerable populations such as those with stroke or vocal impairments. The use of emoji can condense surveys and questionnaires, increasing response rates and appealing to patients.

SourceUniversity of California - Riverside·JournalJAMA Network Open·TypeSurvey·DateJun 13, 2023

Are you prone to feeling guilty? You may be less likely to take a bribe

New research published in Social Psychological and Personality Science found that guilt-prone people are less likely to accept bribes, especially when the act would cause obvious harm to other people. The study highlights the importance of assessing candidates' guilt proneness in personnel selection, particularly for leadership positions.

SourceSociety for Personality and Social Psychology·JournalSocial Psychological and Personality Science·TypeExperimental study·DateMay 22, 2023

Tetris reveals how people respond to unfair AI

A Cornell University-led study using the Tetris game found that players who receive fewer turns perceive their partner as less likable, regardless of whether a human or AI allocates the turns. The researchers also discovered that machine allocation behavior can lead to worse performance and gameplay when fairness is not guaranteed.

SourceCornell University·JournalComputers in Human Behavior·DateMay 15, 2023

The science of attraction: why do we fall for certain people?

A Boston University-led study discovered that self-essentialist reasoning plays a crucial role in attraction. When individuals assume others share an underlying essence, they're more likely to form connections with them. However, this flawed thinking can restrict who we find attractive, as it's based on superficial similarities.

SourceBoston University·JournalJournal of Personality and Social Psychology·TypeObservational study·DateMay 11, 2023

Concussion in women’s rugby going unreported

A new study by sports experts at Staffordshire University explores how social identity influences concussion disclosure in elite women's rugby. The research found that brain injury is often underreported or not disclosed due to a strong sense of teamwork and obligation to play while injured.

SourceStaffordshire University·JournalFrontiers in Sports and Active Living·TypeSurvey·DateMay 9, 2023

Debunking false beliefs requires tackling belief systems

A new study by Dartmouth College researchers found that biased prior beliefs played a significant role in how people from both political parties updated their fraud beliefs after the 2020 U.S. presidential election. The study used a probability-based computational model to analyze survey data and found that Democrats and Republicans te...

SourceDartmouth College·JournalNature Human Behaviour·TypeSurvey·DateApr 24, 2023

Study shows human tendency to help others is universal

A new study found that people of diverse cultures, including those from England, Italy, Poland, and Russia, tend to help others in everyday life. The researchers analyzed video recordings of social interactions in 350 individuals from eight languages and cultures and found that the human tendency to help others is a universal principle.

SourceUniversity of Sydney·JournalScientific Reports·TypeObservational study·DateApr 19, 2023

Positive experiences in close relationships are associated with better physical health, new research suggests

A new study suggests that positive experiences in close relationships are associated with lower stress, better coping, and lower systolic blood pressure reactivity. The findings also indicate that variability in negative relationship experiences can predict outcomes like stress and physiological functioning.

SourceSociety for Personality and Social Psychology·JournalSocial Psychological and Personality Science·TypeSurvey·DateMar 27, 2023

Attending live sport improves wellbeing – study

New research by Anglia Ruskin University found that attending live sporting events boosts life satisfaction and sense of life being worthwhile, while reducing loneliness. The study used data from over 7,200 adults living in England and suggests that watching live sport can be an effective public health tool.

SourceAnglia Ruskin University·JournalFrontiers in Public Health·DateMar 17, 2023

Do you see me? New study examines how women of colour experience invisibility in the workplace

A recent landmark study found that women of color experience invisibility in traditionally white and male professions, with four distinct forms of invisibility identified. The study also reveals how different social power levels influence responses to invisibility, ranging from withdrawal to approach or pragmatic tactics.

SourceUniversity of Western Ontario, Ivey Business School·JournalJournal of Applied Psychology·TypeSurvey·DateMar 7, 2023

Rewarding accuracy instead of partisan pandering reduces Republican-Democrat divide over the truth – study

A new study by University of Cambridge researchers found that offering tiny cash rewards for accuracy can increase people's ability to distinguish between misinformation and the truth. The study suggests that fake news thrives due to a motivational imbalance, where users have more incentive to get clicks than to spread accurate content.

SourceUniversity of Cambridge·JournalNature Human Behaviour·TypeExperimental study·DateMar 6, 2023

Insights into the evolution of the sense of fairness

Researchers have found that long-tailed macaques reject inferior rewards more frequently when provided by a human than an automatic feeder, indicating social disappointment. This behavioral pattern is consistent with frustration towards the experimenter's decision, rather than a comparison of rewards with conspecifics.

SourceDeutsches Primatenzentrum (DPZ)/German Primate Center·JournalRoyal Society Open Science·TypeExperimental study·DateMar 2, 2023

What distinguishes fans from celebrity stalkers?

A survey study of U.S. college students found that individuals who frequently think about their favorite celebrities, feel compelled to learn more about them, and are prone to boredom are more likely to engage in celebrity stalking behaviors. These factors were not associated with anger or thrill seeking.

SourcePLOS·JournalPLOS ONE·TypeSurvey·DateMar 1, 2023

Social media use linked to symptoms of muscle dysmorphia among Canadian boys and young men

A recent study from the University of Toronto found that greater screen time is associated with more symptoms of muscle dysmorphia among Canadian young people. The researchers analyzed data from over 2,500 adolescents and young adults and found that social media use, texting, TV watching, and video chatting were linked to muscle dysmor...

SourceUniversity of Toronto·JournalEating and Weight Disorders - Studies on Anorexia Bulimia and Obesity·DateFeb 15, 2023

The relationship between ghosting and closure

A recent study found nearly two-thirds of participants have ghosted someone, and individuals with a high need for closure reported even lower needs satisfaction after being ghosted. On the other hand, those who wanted closure felt more positive when recalled times they were acknowledged by their partner.

SourceUniversity of Georgia·JournalJournal of Social and Personal Relationships·DateFeb 13, 2023

Neanderthals hunted elephants: Earliest evidence found of humans killing elephants for food

Neanderthals deliberately hunted down and slaughtered European straight-tusked elephants over 125,000 years ago, providing a significant source of nutrition. The study reveals that Neanderthals came together in larger social groups than previously assumed, with adult male individuals being overrepresented in the assemblage.

SourceJohannes Gutenberg Universitaet Mainz·JournalScience Advances·DateFeb 2, 2023

Financial strain and material deprivation linked to increased child behavioural difficulties More nuanced measures of economic hardship required to help address cost-of-living crisis and its effects on children

A new study by researchers at Trinity College Dublin found that financial strain and material deprivation are associated with higher child behavioral difficulties. The study suggests that more nuanced measures of economic hardship are required to accurately understand the effects of economic hardship on households and their children.

SourceTrinity College Dublin·JournalJournal of Youth and Adolescence·TypeCase study·DateJan 13, 2023