Behavioural Sciences
From T-patterns to T-strings to T-societies: What makes humans unique?
Over half a century ago, Professor Magnus S Magnusson, now at the Human Behavior Laboratory of the University of Iceland, set out to define what separates humans from all other animal species. By detecting and analysing interaction patterns of behaviour from the nanoscale to human scales, he discovered T-societies in both proteins and humans. This breakthrough led to the realisation […]
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A special bond: How equine-assisted services helps families impacted by domestic abuse
For millennia, humans and horses have enjoyed a special relationship. Recent research shows that working with horses can improve human mental health and wellbeing. Professor Ann Hemingway is part of a multidisciplinary team that has demonstrated that equine-assisted services can improve outcomes for families impacted by domestic abuse and mitigate the conditions that fuel it, and believes that the benefits […]
A four-model approach to understanding our evolutionary psychology
Dr James Walter, Emeritus Adjunct Professor at Loyola University Chicago, USA, summarises research in evolutionary psychology focused on the natural selection effects of negative social behaviors that occurred in the Middle and Upper Paleolithic Ages. To this aim, four main factors are considered: natural selection, comparisons with our closest living relative, the chimpanzee, the social behaviors of modern hunter-gatherer societies, […]
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Developing our nature: When and how human aggression and other psychological traits evolved
Dr James Walter, Emeritus Adjunctive Professor at Loyola University Chicago, USA, and PhD student Aasma Khan summarise research conducted by Professor Richard Wrangham and peers on the evolution of human aggression and other psychological traits. Two approaches are used: comparing aggression in different species, and investigating hunter-gatherer cultures. Walter and Khan outline the relationship between aggression and language evolution and […]
Siegfried Streufert: The visionary editor of the Journal of Applied Social Psychology
It’s not often that the expansion of a critical field in science can be traced back to one person; however, that is the case for applied social psychology, which publishes psychological theory and practice in addressing social challenges. The young professor Dr Siegfried Streufert overcame significant academic pushback to found the Journal of Applied Social Psychology. A bold visionary, Streufert […]
Political technology mystifies science communication for general public
Why are scientific organisations so hesitant to communicate information on their large-scale projects to the public, and how can they improve? The answers to this question are explored by scientist, communicator, and essayist Dr Michel Claessens, teacher of science communication at the University of Brussels and spokesperson for the ITER project on nuclear fusion from 2011 to 2015. Claessens discusses […]
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Sloppy science, shortcuts, and COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to one of the most public incidences of a phenomenon known as sloppy science (originally slodderwetenschap in Dutch). Shortcuts and simplifications were made during scientific research, which led to the public declaration of incorrect statements or ‘truthies’. Professor Michael Lissack, from the College of Design and Innovation at Tongji University in China, and Brenden Meagher […]
Madinah House: More than just a shelter
Madinah House in Trinidad operated as a shelter from domestic abuse for 20 years. Upon its closure, former board members Dr Amina Ibrahim-Ali from the University of West Indies and Nura Amina Ali, formerly of the Children’s Authority of Trinidad and Tobago, undertook a systematic investigation, documenting the day-to-day running of this Caribbean safehouse, as well as revealing more about […]
Sensitising science to research involving animals
Dr Rebekah Humphreys, senior lecturer at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, UK, and specialist in applied ethics, considers how it is possible to become desensitised to the use of animals for scientific research. Humphreys explores our emotional responses and moral feelings towards animals within the context of research. She considers those who work in animal research and the […]
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Justice and community: The rationality of learning by doing
Professor Robson addresses fundamental questions of social progress and how societies can experiment with different political and social systems without unduly disregarding tradition. This experimentation enables individuals and groups to learn how to better secure justice and improve society more generally. However, it also requires overcoming constraints associated with rationality, which prevent people and communities from taking the necessary risks […]
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