Behavioural Sciences

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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Behavioural Sciences

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 […]

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Behavioural Sciences

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 […]

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Behavioural Sciences

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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Behavioural Sciences

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 […]

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Behavioural Sciences

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 […]

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Behavioural Sciences

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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Behavioural Sciences

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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Behavioural Sciences

Considering environmental impact in happiness rankings

Most, if not all, people want to live a happy life, so surely a measure of a country’s success as a nation is how happy its citizens are? Most international success indices rank countries according to how they perform against various measures and include happiness as a key value, but fail to include the cost, especially to others. Emeritus Professor […]

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Behavioural Sciences

Building a psychological toolbox: Actively using neuroplastic methods to develop lasting inner strengths

Social-emotional learning (SEL) makes use of the brain’s neuroplasticity to convert passing experiences into durable psychological resources embedded in altered neural structure or function. But most SEL is passive and inefficient, with limited gains for many people, in part due to the brain’s ingrained negativity bias. Dr Rick Hanson is a leading clinician in the field of emotional intelligence. He […]

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