Behavioural Sciences
Understanding the initiative paradox
For any organisation to function, its staff must work together – but humans are complex creatures with different personalities. Proactive behaviours can drive innovation and meaningful change, but they can also pose a threat or a source of worry to leaders who display high levels of neuroticism. Antje Schmitt, an assistant professor of organisational psychology at the University of Groningen, […]
Documenting Japan’s scarecrow village: A living museum to rural life beyond growth
An ageing society and rural depopulation are ongoing issues in Japan. At Brock University, Canada, Dr Atsuko Hashimoto, Dr David J Telfer, and Sakura Telfer (Brescia University College) explore the use of tourism to rejuvenate rural communities. The remote village of Nagoro (Shikoku Island) has less than 30 residents remaining, most of whom are over the age of 70. Thanks […]
Using agent-based modelling to understand social phenomena
Agent-based modelling (ABM) is used to understand the behaviour of a system and establish what governs its outcomes. Professor Shigeaki Ogibayashi, from the Chiba Institute of Technology, Japan, proposes that, if the agent-based model is constructed entirely bottom-up, it should be possible to build a model where the causal relationship emerging from the artificial society is the same as that […]
Invoking human rights to stop ivory tower bullies
Higher education institutions are not immune to workplace bullying. In fact, research shows that they can be virulent breeding grounds for a particularly pernicious form of bullying – one cloaked in popular perceptions of civility. In higher education, bullying is even delegated to subordinates. However, because workplace bullying inhabits a grey legal area, prosecuting cases is challenging. Dr Leah P […]
Can deeply religious people be intellectually humble?
Intellectual humility – the conscious awareness of the limits and fallibility of one’s intelligence – is a virtue in the search for wisdom. But is what’s true for philosophers also true for deeply religious people whose humility is tied to unquestioning deference to the divine? It is a question that both baffles and inspires those studying the psychology of religion. […]
Self-concept and social support: A key psychological relationship influencing academic success for male African American undergraduates
The significant strides to address racial and gender imbalances on university campuses in the United States may have borne fruit, but with unintended consequences. One of those is the shortfall in research into why males – African American males in particular – may underperform at university. Professor James Morris III, formerly at Lewis University, has explored a neglected area of […]
How can we understand photo-sharing decisions on social media, and how can we curb its dangers?
Photo sharing is a cornerstone of social media, but for those appearing in the photos spreading across the internet, the attention is not always invited, nor appreciated. Professor Bennett I Bertenthal has joined researchers in the fields of psychology and computer science – Apu Kapadia, Kurt Hugenberg, Mary Jean Amon, Rakib Hasan – to get a better understanding of why […]
Technology-facilitated sexual assault of children and adolescents: A retrospective audit
Dr Jo Tully and Dr Janine Rowse of the Victorian Forensic Paediatric Medical Service (VFPMS) have undertaken a vital retrospective audit of what they have termed technology-facilitated sexual assault (TFSA) of children, where a sexual assault occurs following initial online contact. They found that TFSA forensic caseload has increased over the last 14 years. Victims were most likely to be […]
The problem of targeted sympathy in justice for sex workers
Professor Chrysanthi Leon, Associate Professor of Sociology & Criminal Justice and founding member of the Center for the Study and Prevention of Gender-based Violence at the University of Delaware, and Professor Corey Shdaimah, Daniel Thursz Distinguished Professor of Social Justice at the University of Maryland School of Social Work, research prostitution diversion programs (PDPs). These programs ostensibly offer a more […]
The uses of social power in early childhood
Dr Sandra Della Porta from Brock University in Ontario, Canada, investigates the use of social power in early childhood. Her most recent research demonstrates how children’s use and effectiveness of power strategies develops over time, but can also be influenced by birth order. The study involved analysis of naturally occurring family conflict, to ensure complex family dynamics such as parent–child […]