Feature Channels: Behavioral Science

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If you feel overworked and stressed, you’ll be less committed to your job and perform less well. Many companies are aware of this problem and, therefore, spend money on professionals to look after the mental health of their employees. And yet there’s a much simpler and more cost-effective way to increase satisfaction and efficiency: In a one-week study, just 30 minutes less social media use per day improved the mental health, job satisfaction and commitment of the participants.

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An online treatment for insomnia may improve both sleep and problem drinking patterns in people who drink heavily, according to a study in Alcohol: Clinical and Experimental Research.

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Snacks constitute almost a quarter of a day’s calories in U.S. adults and account for about one-third of daily added sugar, a new study suggests.

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Patients with a history of suicidality experience increased risk in the days surrounding menstruation

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A new study led by the University of Portsmouth in England has tested the hypothesis that people are more likely to find someone attractive while drunk, because their face appears more symmetrical.

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Studies on sustainability inevitably touch on food-related topics like food security, culinary heritage, and the sustenance of vulnerable people. Social sustainability is one of the three pillars of sustainability, alongside environmental and economic sustainability, and has become a pivotal topic in various research fields.

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Parents who drank alcohol while watching the Super Bowl were more likely than those who abstained to use aggressive discipline on their children during the game, a new study shows.

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While the holiday season typically brings joy, cheer and celebration, a significant number of people feel lonely.

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It’s fairly well-known that a drought in southern California in the mid-1970s led to a ban on filling backyard swimming pools, and these empty pools became playgrounds for freestyle skateboarders in the greater Los Angeles area.

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The Periodic Assessment of Trajectories of Housing, Health and Homelessness Study (PATHS) — a joint research initiative between the USC Dworak-Peck School of Social Work and UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, focusing on the lives and experiences of people experiencing homelessness (PEH) in LA County — features a representative sample of PEH who were unsheltered, with ongoing monthly survey tracking on housing, health, and well-being even if respondents move into housing or shelter.

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As presented at the Society for Risk Analysis 2023 Annual conference, Patrycja Sleboda from Baruch College – CUNY and her colleagues from the University of Southern California conducted a national food choice experiment to determine how people respond to labels such as “vegan” and “plant-based” compared to “healthy,” “sustainable,” or “healthy and sustainable.”

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A study in Psychology of Addictive Behaviors finds teens who have more demand for cannabis are likely to use it for enjoyment and coping. Understanding motives is important for addiction prevention.

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Natural resource management decisions in protected areas impact more than the wildlife and landscapes they’re charged to conserve.

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Learning that their peers’ alcohol use is declining over time may help reduce young adults’ drinking, according to the first study that tested this approach among community-based participants (versus college students).

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It may feel unforgivably rude to reject an invitation – even one to an event you would much prefer not to attend – but people often overestimate the social consequences of saying no, according to research published by the American Psychological Association.

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The short video themed “Gamified couple at home” was considered as the most suitable one for wide dissemination because of its innovative style and potential effectiveness in changing behavioral intentions of cigarette gifting.

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On the cusp of summer holidays, Aussie kids are looking forward to some well-deserved time off. But too much downtime could create health problems, as new research shows that holidays are the prime time for excessive weight gain in kids.

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Northwestern University researchers have developed new virtual reality (VR) goggles for mice.

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In her recently published research, Yesim Orhun, associate professor of marketing and Michael R. and Mary Kay Hallman Fellow, explores unique insights into what information individuals seek when making important decisions and how policymakers, medical professionals, and business leaders should communicate anxiety-provoking news.

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It's the moooost wonderful time...of the year! Are you looking for new story ideas that are focused on the winter holiday season? Perhaps you're working on a story on on managing stress and anxiety? Perhaps you're working on a story on seasonal affective disorder? Or perhaps your editor asked you to write a story on tracking Santa? Look no further. Check out the Winter Holidays channel.

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Simone Peinkofer, associate professor of supply chain management at Michigan State University, takes a look inside the black box of product returns.

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A new UCLA Health study is shedding light on how using hormonal contraceptive pills may affect women’s responses to stress and their risk for inflammation-related illnesses.

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James Boland, an acoustician for SLR Consulting, employed insights from the field of sensory criminology to better understand the unique acoustic needs inside prison environments. By focusing on speech intelligibility, strategic reduction of noise levels, and the incorporation of privacy considerations, acoustic design can significantly improve the overall prison environment. Creating distinct zones within the prison and balancing moments of quiet with activity are essential to fostering a more comfortable and secure space.

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Researchers at Flinders University and the University of South Australia examined whether attending an event virtually or in-person makes a difference to loneliness and social connectedness.

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A study led by Melinda Tasca, Ph.D., an associate professor in the Department of Criminal Justice and Security Studies at The University of Texas at El Paso, and published in Justice Quarterly, revealed a gender disparity in prison infractions that disproportionately affects women.

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In a unique case study, UniSA researchers have explored the lived experiences of a self-identified persistent bully – a voice that is scarce in literature – to gain a deeper understanding of the factors that may contribute to this anti-social aggressive behaviour.

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A new survey from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine reveals that 91% of Americans have lost sleep to binge-watch TV, and 75% have lost sleep due to online shopping.

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Aging is unavoidable, yet most people can maintain and even improve their health and well-being as they grow older if they make lifestyle changes that align with an integrative health approach, a medical expert says.

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A new study from researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine shows that dopamine release in the human brain plays a crucial role in encoding both reward and punishment prediction errors.

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The latest articles on occupational medicine, workplace culture, and the labor market are in the "In the Workplace" channel on Newswise.

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Almost a year away from the 2024 presidential election, a majority of young people consider themselves extremely likely to vote. Overall, young people remain more supportive of a Democratic candidate and are concerned about major issues like the cost of living, gun violence, and climate change. These takeaways and trends come from the CIRCLE Pre-2024 Election Youth Survey conducted by the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, the preeminent nonpartisan research center on youth civic engagement based at Tufts University’s Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life.

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The U.S. must reduce racial residential segregation if it is to reduce racial disparities in health outcomes, according to a recently published study by researchers at Tufts University School of Medicine.

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Thyrotoxicosis — excess thyroid hormone levels in the body — has been linked to an increased risk of cognitive disorders among older adults, according to a new study from Johns Hopkins Medicine.

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Elizabeth Dorrance Hall, director of MSU’s Family and Communication Relationships Lab, shares five ways to stay emotionally healthy amid the pressure and stress holiday gatherings can bring.

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Research from Michigan State University sheds light on effective strategies for educating consumers about the dangers of buying counterfeits online.

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Lindsey Hoffman, Tufts University alumna, is an occupational therapist with the National Health Service (NHS) in London, working at a hospital helping patients get back on their feet—sometimes quite literally.