Behavioural Sciences
Do we feel free when we make hard decisions? A psychological perspective on feelings of freedom in decision-making
Dr Stephan Lau, a Junior Professor at the Federal University of Applied Administrative Sciences in Berlin, is one of the first researchers to investigate experiences of freedom from a psychological perspective. Over the past decade, Dr Lau and his colleagues have conducted much research using a wide array of novel techniques to explore different factors which influence our experiences of […]
The Wales Adoption Cohort Study: Childhood Risk and Resilience
Professor Katherine Shelton and Dr Amy Paine from the School of Psychology at Cardiff University have been conducting research examining the mental health of adopted children in Wales. This research tracks the children across a four-year period and assesses emotional, behavioural, and cognitive factors at different points in time. It also examines how parenting impacts adopted children’s mental health problems. […]
The periphery: Where radical innovation occurs
Gino Cattani is Professor of Management and Organization at the Stern School of Business, and Simone Ferriani is Professor of Entrepreneurship at the University of Bologna. Both professors have researched creativity and entrepreneurship independently but they’ve come together for a common goal: to solve the Core-Periphery Conundrum. Why is it that resources are concentrated among those who conform, when the […]
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 […]