-
Public Policies, Made to Fit People
The New York Times: I HAVE written here before about the potential gains to government from involving social and behavioral scientists in designing public policies. My enthusiasm comes in part from my experiences as an academic adviser to the Behavioral Insights Team created in Britain by Prime Minister David Cameron. Thus I was pleased to hear reports that the White House is building a similar initiative here in the United States.
-
The Battle Over Global Warming Is All in Your Head
TIME: Today the scientific community is in almost total agreement that the earth’s climate is changing as a result of human activity, and that this represents a huge threat to the planet and to us. According to a Pew survey conducted in March, however, public opinion lags behind the scientific conclusion, with only 69% of those surveyed accepting the view that the earth is warming — and only 1 in 4 Americans see global warming as a major threat. Still, 69% is a solid majority, which begs the question, Why aren’t we doing anything about it? ... For some, the answer lies in cognitive science.
-
Childhood bullying ‘damages adult life’
BBC: Bullying in childhood "throws a long shadow" into victims' adult lives, suggests research indicating long-term negative consequences for health, job prospects and relationships. The study tracked more than 1,400 people between the ages of nine and 26. School bullies were also more likely to grow up into adult criminals. The study, from Warwick University in the UK and Duke University in the US, concludes bullying should not be seen as "a harmless rite of passage".
-
Divorce Elevates Risk for Depression, But Only for Some People
A data analysis uncovers some new clues as to why depressive episodes follow divorce for some people, but not others.
-
Do Girls Really Experience More Math Anxiety?
Girls report more math anxiety on general survey measures but are not actually more anxious during math classes and exams, according to new research forthcoming in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science. Existing research suggests that females are more anxious when it comes to mathematics than their male peers, despite similar levels of achievement.
-
Sportfans: Fett durch Niederlagen? (Sportsfans: compensate the loss with a fat frustration menu)
ORF Austria: "Panem et circenses", Brot und Spiele halten die Massen bekanntlich gewogen. Die Spiele sind heute ein bisserl anders als damals, statt mit dem Kurzschwert kämpfen die Gladiatoren der Gegenwart nun um einen Ball. In Europa ist er rund, in den USA eierförmig, die Massen vermag beides zu mobilisieren: Das NFL-Finale 1012 sahen 111 Millionen Menschen im Fernsehen, bei der Fußball-WM zwei Jahre davor waren es gar 2,2 Milliarden. ... Und das Brot? Auch das hat sich verändert, der Mangel ist kein Thema mehr, westliche Industriegesellschaften haben, wenn schon, dann eher ein Problem mit dem Überfluss.