Behavioural Sciences
Homelessness and language difficulties
Dr Graham Pluck of Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Ecuador, is a psychologist with an interest in cognitive research and neuroscience. His most recent research has focused on the relationship between homelessness and language in Quito, Ecuador. Here, we take a closer look at his findings, suggesting that homeless adults in Quito perform well below the levels that would be […]
Understanding farmers’ behaviour to better control avian influenza
Dr Alexis Delabouglise, based at the International Center of Agricultural Research for Development (CIRAD), France, and Dr Maciej Boni, at the Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics of the Pennsylvania State University, USA, want to understand how small-scale poultry farmers make management decisions involving their birds’ health. In case of an outbreak of avian influenza, for example, understanding the farmer’s views […]
Brand governance in National Sport Organizations
How can non-profit National Sport Organizations in Canada create effective brands, especially on social media, from which they can co-create value with stakeholders such as athletes, fans, sponsors, and the media? In a three-phase project funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, Marijke Taks, Benoit Séguin (University of Ottawa) and colleagues examined the challenges faced in […]
Globalization and the erosion of geo-ethnic checkpoints
Understanding the ecology of complex adaptive systems, such as organisms, societies, and languages, poses many challenges. Dr Chris Girard, Associate Professor of Sociology with the Department of Global and Sociocultural Studies at Florida International University, has developed an evolutionary model, known as coevolving informatics, that offers a transdisciplinary approach to understanding complex adaptive systems. Coevolving informatics employs complexity and evolutionary […]
Emerging enterprises: Transformational leadership and customer-centric approaches
Micro enterprises and start-up enterprises (SUEs) are a critical part of the commercial environment and global business models in emerging markets. These enterprises have high growth potential by effectively administering their competitive advantages in a short period of time as compared to more established and bureaucratic organisations. However, many emerging organisations do not realise their full potential due to leader-centred […]
How sleep may be key to antisocial behaviour in young people
Sleep is vital to our health and yet remains understudied in young people and especially in its links to behaviours. Professor Alexander Vazsonyi at the University of Kentucky is focused on highlighting the role of sleep in problem behaviours in adolescents. His work on sleep unearths some important influences on deviant behaviour but also points to ways that young people […]
Phones down, eyes up: Tackling media misbehaviour in the classroom
In the age of smartphones, teachers must compete for the attention of students against a world they possess in their pockets. And the stakes are high for educational outcomes. When pupils are glued to their phones in class, they disrupt their own learning as well as that of others, while increasing the teacher’s stress and risk of burnout. So how […]
Effective communication in times of risk and crisis: The IDEA model for translating science to the public
From biosecurity and food security to earthquakes and health pandemics, disaster alerts and warning messages can mean the difference between life and death. The COVID-19 crisis for example can at least in part be ascribed to failed risk communication. At the University of Central Florida, Prof Deanna Sellnow and Prof Timothy Sellnow, experts in strategic communication, are tackling this issue. […]
Income segregation and incomplete integration of Islam in the Paris metropolitan area
By law in France no data about ethnicity or religion is recorded in official statistics. The homegrown, pseudo-religious Islamically-inspired terror attacks of the 21st Century have, in part, been seen as a result of a lack of geographical and economic integration among Muslim populations. The research of Lucas G. Drouhot, research fellow at the Max Planck Institute for the Study […]
Taking care in business: Making jobs work for older employees
The workforce is ‘greying’, but this is no grey sky for business. Older employees bring loyalty and experience, prized assets for the modern company. However, age comes with needs and limitations that may conflict with the duties of work. Shattering misconceptions on this matter is Dr Silvia Dello Russo, Associate Professor at Toulouse Business School. Her research reveals that the […]