Menu Close

Articles on Social sciences

Displaying 41 - 60 of 69 articles

Walt Disney used defaults to get children to eat healthier foods, but not all nudges have consumers’ interests at heart. Gary Kazanjian/AP Photo

‘Default’ choices have big impact, but how to make sure they’re used ethically?

Defaults are powerful tools that policymakers and marketers can use to nudge us to make certain choices, whether in our interest or in theirs. How do we ensure they’re used responsibly?
Women are more likely to be attracted to a man who has been “chosen” before. from www.shutterstock.com.au

Why we’re more likely to date someone who has an ex

Research has found people with relationship experience, all else being equal, tend to be more romantically desirable than people without relationship experience.
Of course, science, technology, engineering and mathematics research are important, but social sciences research creates huge benefits to society in multiple ways. Leo Grübler/Flickr

Focus on STEM risks sidelining social science innovation

Research in the humanities, arts and social sciences is often driven by philosophies of social justice and public benefit, which don’t always sit comfortably with commercialisation.
We jump to conclusions that there must be a reason one’s a ‘have’ and one’s a ‘have-not.’ Benjamin Disinger

Life’s not fair! So why do we assume it is?

It’s human nature to assume there must be a valid reason for inequalities in society. What’s the psychology behind why we believe there’s something fundamentally different between haves and have-nots?
Forget the doom and gloom about the humanities: employment and research in the sector continues to rise. Smithsonian American Art/Flickr

Are the humanities in crisis? In Australia, the sector is thriving

There’s plenty of hand-wringing about the humanities being in crisis – but is that actually the case? In Australia, the sector is thriving, and policy should be made on that basis.
Tons of social media there for the taking… but is it truly representative of real life? Jürgen Pfeffer

Studying society via social media is not so simple

Behavioral scientists have seized on social media and their massive data sets as a way to quickly and cheaply figure out what people are thinking and doing. But some of those tweets and thumbs ups can…

Top contributors

More