Society & Culture - Dec 18, 2009 16:44 - 1 Comment

Orphanages: ‘viable option’ or ‘last resort’?

DUKE (US)—Children in institutional orphanages fare as well or better than those who live in the community, new research shows. (more…)

Society & Culture - Dec 17, 2009 14:52 - 13 Comments

Loving partners sculpt like Michelangelo

NORTHWESTERN (US)—Just as a sculptor chisels and polishes away flaws in stone to reveal an ideal form, skillful partners support each other’s dreams and aspirations and nurture traits they hope to develop. (more…)

Society & Culture - Dec 17, 2009 13:56 - 6 Comments

Hey, you never know—or do you?

EMORY (US)—Playing the lottery may be a good bet, but it’s almost always a bad investment. (more…)

Society & Culture - Dec 11, 2009 10:59 - 1 Comment

Religious identity shapes voters’ views

CORNELL (US)—How Americans vote is strongly linked to their religious identities, but it is not an independent influence that transcends race, socio-economic class, and gender. (more…)

Society & Culture - Dec 11, 2009 9:00 - 1 Comment

Living well down on the farm

U. ILLINOIS (US)—“Rural” is often synonymous with low incomes, limited economic opportunity, and poor schools, but much of rural America is actually prosperous, particularly in the Midwest and Plains, a new study finds. (more…)

Society & Culture - Dec 10, 2009 19:01 - 1 Comment

Politicians mean what they say—really!

PENN STATE (US)—Although politicians are often criticized for making empty promises, when it comes to their voting records, their words may carry more weight than previously thought. -

Society & Culture - Dec 9, 2009 11:43 - 7 Comments

Googling God

PENN STATE (US)—Online searches of a spiritual nature are not on the decline in the United States despite that fact that most search engines perform poorly in response to religious queries, researchers find. (more…)

Health & Medicine, Society & Culture - Dec 8, 2009 13:21 - 6 Comments

Fit teen boys smarter, better educated

USC (US)—Cardiovascular health in teen boys correlates to higher scores on intelligence tests, and more education and income as adults. (more…)

Society & Culture - Dec 4, 2009 17:22 - 2 Comments

Pedestrians: Ditch the phone, keep the iPod

U. ILLINOIS (US)—How apropos that a research team led by two native New Yorkers would take a fresh look at the dangers of trying to cross a busy street while talking on a cell phone or listening to music on an iPod. (more…)

Society & Culture - Dec 2, 2009 17:32 - 8 Comments

Trust in government gets a no-vote

U. BUFFALO (US)—Ballot initiatives, long thought to encourage democratic citizenship, may actually have the opposite effect of fostering distrust in state government, a new study finds. (more…)

Society & Culture - Dec 2, 2009 13:02 - 8 Comments

Bias colors opinion on Obama policies

UC IRVINE (US)—Racial prejudice plays a role in driving reactions to President Obama and his policies, psychologist Eric Knowles has found. (more…)

Society & Culture - Dec 1, 2009 18:38 - 2 Comments

Proud black teens less depressed

NORTHWESTERN (US)—Ethnic pride may be as important as self-esteem to the mental health of young African-American adolescents. (more…)

Society & Culture - Dec 1, 2009 16:57 - 5 Comments

Facebook profiles reveal true self

TEXAS-AUSTIN (US)—Online social networks such as Facebook are being used to express and communicate real personality, instead of an idealized virtual identity, according to new research from psychologist Sam Gosling. (more…)

Society & Culture - Dec 1, 2009 16:13 - 3 Comments

Loneliness can be infectious

U. CHICAGO (US)—Loneliness, like a bad cold, can spread among groups of people, new research shows. (more…)

Society & Culture - Nov 30, 2009 18:27 - 52 Comments

God’s beliefs mirror our own

U. CHICAGO (US)—Religious people tend to use their own beliefs as a guide in thinking about what God believes, but are less constrained when reasoning about other people’s beliefs, according to a new study. (more…)

Society & Culture - Nov 30, 2009 17:42 - 2 Comments

Antidote for kids’ antisocial behaviors

U. OREGON (US)—A school-based intervention program for young children who display an antisocial behavior pattern or show clear signs of developing one has proven effective at encouraging positive interactions with teachers, parents, and peers, according to a new study. (more…)

Society & Culture - Nov 25, 2009 13:27 - 0 Comments

Thanksgiving’s grain of truth

U. COLORADO (US)—The oft-told story of the Pilgrims and the Indians celebrating and befriending each other is more myth than truth, says scholar Chris Lewis. The two groups tolerated each other out of necessity. (more…)

Society & Culture - Nov 23, 2009 18:24 - 2 Comments

Skin tone through a political lens

NYU (US)—Political beliefs may affect perceptions of skin tone. People perceive lighter skin tone to be more representative of a candidate with whom they share political ideology than darker skin tone, a new study finds. (more…)

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