Society & Culture - Sep 10, 2009 12:09 - 3 Comments

A preschool lesson in parenting

“Parents come to school to find someone to care for their children, and they end up learning ways of taking care of each other,” says sociologist Mario Small.

Society & Culture - Aug 31, 2009 13:12 - 1 Comment

Pay attention, multitaskers!

“When [multitaskers are] in situations where there are multiple sources of information coming from the external world or emerging out of memory, they’re not able to filter out what’s not relevant to their current goal,” says psychologist Anthony Wagner. “That failure to filter means they’re slowed down by that irrelevant information.”

Science & Technology, Society & Culture - Aug 27, 2009 15:23 - 0 Comments

Decoding art’s DNA

Do statues have fingerprints? Do paintings have DNA?

Society & Culture - Aug 26, 2009 14:44 - 2 Comments

What does she see in you?

Split face photo used in evaluation of how women determine facial attractiveness by psychologists Robert Franklin and Reginald Adams. (Credit: Robert Franklin/Penn State)

Society & Culture - Aug 21, 2009 10:33 - 0 Comments

Couples say ‘I don’t’ to divorce

“Based on experience, young adults are well aware that marriage can be fragile and they want to do whatever they can to avoid a failed marriage,” says sociologist Pamela Smock. “For many, that means living with someone before they consider getting married.”

Society & Culture - Aug 18, 2009 4:00 - 2 Comments

Even in small doses, happiness is healthy

“The levels of positive emotions that produced good benefits weren’t extreme. Participants with average and stable levels of positive emotions still showed growth in resilience even when their days included negative emotions,” says study author Barbara Fredrickson.

Society & Culture - Aug 17, 2009 4:00 - 3 Comments

Poverty linked to early sexual activity in kids

IOWA STATE (US)—A study of nearly 1,000 low-income families in three major American cities finds that, on average, children start having sex around age 12. (more…)

Society & Culture - Aug 14, 2009 10:59 - 2 Comments

Virtual economies mirror the real deal

Researchers studied big economic trends—like GDP and inflation—taking place in the online role-playing game EverQuest II and found parallels to real-world economies. (Courtesy: Sony Online Entertainment)

Society & Culture - Aug 12, 2009 4:00 - 1 Comment

To stay healthy, stay married

A new study finds that that people who are divorced or widowed have 20 percent more chronic health conditions, including heart disease, diabetes, and cancer, than married people.

Society & Culture - Aug 12, 2009 4:00 - 0 Comments

Baby brainpower fuels adult success

The Fagan Test of Infant Intelligence, developed more than 20 years ago, measures the response infants have to pictures of novel objects.

Society & Culture - Aug 10, 2009 4:00 - 2 Comments

Report: Federal recruitment in shambles

“The task force sought to identify the complex and changing nature of federal service, while highlighting the ongoing crisis in recruitment and retention—a crisis that’s particularly acute as reports indicate the federal government needs to add approximately 600,000 employees just during President Obama’s administration,” says William Barron Jr.

Society & Culture - Aug 10, 2009 4:00 - 3 Comments

If nudged, most voters flip-flop

“Whether they identify themselves as liberal or conservative, many people are capable and perfectly willing to share the perspective of the other side,” says Christopher Bryan, who spearheaded the recent study. “It’s just a matter of prompting them to do so.”

Society & Culture - Aug 6, 2009 4:00 - 1 Comment

Fertility resurges as countries grow wealthy

“This study provides some ‘light at the end of the tunnel’ for countries that were concerned about population aging and population decline as a result of very low fertility rates,” says study coauthor Peter Kohler.

Society & Culture - Aug 5, 2009 13:10 - 1 Comment

Poverty is a drag for middle-income black youth

“Neighborhoods matter—and matter significantly for the mobility prospects of Americans,” says John Morton, managing director of Pew’s Economic Policy Department. “But black children from middle-income families who often live in poorer neighborhoods, have a much higher likelihood of falling down the ladder as adults.”

Society & Culture - Aug 4, 2009 11:44 - 5 Comments

Kids in jail: time out to hard time

“The adult criminal justice system is a poor and dangerous fit in every way for these young kids. Children should be handled in the juvenile justice system, where they can obtain the rehabilitative services and programs necessary to help them become productive adults. Lawmakers must reconsider and reverse these punitive laws,” says lead author Michele Deitch.

Society & Culture - Aug 4, 2009 10:25 - 0 Comments

Video games: lots of dudes, little diversity

A screenshot from Nintendo’s Wii Sports Resort, released this summer. (Courtesy: IGN Entertainment)

Society & Culture - Aug 3, 2009 11:13 - 0 Comments

Bottom line in business: be nice

Job stress in the United States accounts for $300 billion in losses, and, according to a new book, 80 percent of employees who were victims of insults or bullying in the workplace lost valuable work time worrying about the incident.

Society & Culture - Jul 31, 2009 13:30 - 0 Comments

Southwest’s ‘high society’ led pampered life

Chimney Rock is one of scores of Chaco outliers in the Southwest and perhaps its most dramatic, seated at 7,600 feet in altitude above the San Juan Basin.

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