It’s become fashionable to suggest that generational designations are arbitrary or a ‘myth.’ But social scientists can pinpoint generational and cultural changes with a surprising degree of accuracy.
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?
Research has found people with relationship experience, all else being equal, tend to be more romantically desirable than people without relationship experience.
The thousands of Wells Fargo low-wage employees who defrauded customers likely knew how it felt to face unfair overdraft fees or a deteriorating credit rating. So why did they do it?
Talking about food is a productive way to understand a complex world. The dinner table is a place where the shame of poverty is most acutely experienced.
On Twitter’s 10th birthday, we look at how researchers have used the platform for a range of studies, from predicting the next flu outbreak to identifying the happiest city in America.
It’s a common quirk of human psychology to make the mental leap that the way things are is the way things ought to be. New research into how we explain the world around us sheds light on the phenomenon.
The relationship between social science research and advocates and policymakers is undermined if they cherry-pick evidence that supports their goals, ignoring the wider field.
Faith Kearns, University of California, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources
Scientists need to be comfortable dealing with subjective views, rather than empirical data, and people’s feelings to make progress in addressing climate change.
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.
Larisa Hussak, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
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?
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.
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…
Centenary Research Professor, Institute for Governance and Policy Analysis, University of Canberra; Professor of Political Science, London School of Economics and Political Science