Behavioural Sciences
Debt narratives to break free
For over-indebted individuals in Sweden, getting out of poverty can be tricky because of the country’s debt-reconstruction rules. A new study by Professors Pernilla Liedgren and Christian Kullberg at Mälardalen University, Sweden, finds how debtors tell their story could have a profound effect on whether their application is successful. Heavily indebted individuals living in Sweden may turn to the country’s […]
The child deficit and the changing value of children in Asia
Since the 1960s, Asia has experienced a dramatic decline in fertility rates. Philip Morrison, Professor Emeritus at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand, asks whether this shift has been accompanied by a reduction in the value of children as inferred from the European experience. If so, one might expect a convergence of the ideal and actual family size and a […]
Religiosity, crime and drug use among juvenile offenders
Sung Joon Jang is Research Professor of Criminology and Co-director of the Program on Prosocial Behavior at the Institute for Studies of Religion at Baylor University. His research focuses on the effects of religion on criminal offending and desistance and the rehabilitative effects of faith-based programmes on prisoners. Here, we take a closer look at Dr Jang’s research, which demonstrates […]
The soybean trap: Challenges and risks for Brazilian producers
The growth in the international soybean market has attracted thousands of new farmers as well as foreign capital investments. The highly connected and globalised food commodities market heats up this new agribusiness landscape making soybean producers vulnerable to financial risks whilst tying them into a cycle of investment and debt. Dr Ramon Bicudo and Professor Emilio F. Moran, both from […]
Storytelling across social divides
Dr Joanna Wheeler’s research has been conducted through her role as a Marie Curie Research Fellow at the Centre for Trust, Peace and Social Relations at Coventry University. Her interests lie in increasing inclusion among marginalised groups. To do this, she explores storytelling and other creative methods to bridge social divides. Most importantly, Dr Wheeler advocates for intersectional participatory action […]
On the solvability of the mind–body problem
The mind-body problem is one of the most enigmatic issues in philosophy that has yet to be resolved. Professor Jan Scheffel from KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden analyses the mind–body problem from a physicalist perspective. He finds that consciousness is epistemologically emergent and shows that this result overlaps with the problem of free will. If a theory for consciousness […]
How parent relationships could hold the key to managing type 1 diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is a lifelong condition that can have profound effects on quality of life. Managing it effectively with insulin is key to keeping healthy; however, adherence is often easier said than done, especially with young adults. Prof Cynthia Berg and clinical psychology doctoral student MaryJane Simms Campbell at the University of Utah are leading pioneering research revealing how […]
Decision making under uncertainty: Ambiguity preferences
We all face daily decision making under uncertainty. Everyone has a different tolerance for the level of risk that they are comfortable accepting and the amount of uncertainty they are happy to make decisions within, which is also known as their ambiguity preference. Traditionally, ambiguity preferences have been measured in economic laboratory environments using complicated and time consuming tasks. As […]
Regional revitalization: How the RESAS is overturning a downward trend
Japan is the tenth largest country in the world by population size, but it is on track to become the globe’s first ‘hyper-aged’ society. General depopulation as a result of a low birth and death rate, as well as the relocation of young people from rural to urban areas has led the Japanese government to act to prevent an economic […]
What team communication can tell us about team effectiveness
Meetings. Love them or hate them, they’re a regular feature of working life and there are countless studies on how to plan, run and make the most of them. Few studies, however, take a detailed view of the nature of the communication, interaction and collaboration that take place within meetings, especially team meetings. The research of Marcella Hoogeboom and Celeste […]