Behavioural Sciences
Geopolitics of the illicit global economy
‘Black spots’ are the safe havens that offer a base of operations for transnational criminal, insurgent, and terrorist organisations. At the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs of Syracuse University, USA, Professors Stuart Brown and Margaret Hermann are attempting to shed greater light on these geopolitical places by looking at the intra-regional, cross-national, and international linkages among them. Their […]
Randomised control trials: Are they really the gold standard?
Randomised control trials (RCTs) have become a dominant methodology in research. However, issues with RCTs, including their failure to take account of history, context, or relevant findings, bring into question the superiority of the method. Professor Naila Kabeer, at the London School of Economics, highlights these issues in her research and discusses how the overfocus on RCT methods has led […]
Asynchronous horizons durable-strategies dynamic games
Professor David Yeung from Shue Yan University, China, and Professor Leon Petrosyan from St Petersburg State University, Russia, are using game theory to understand responses to climate change. They have identified two critical features of real-life problems that involve strategic interactions – durable strategies and participants’ asynchronous horizons – and have developed a new class of dynamic games to solve […]
Eyewitness testimony: How much alcohol is too much?
It is widely believed that alcohol-intoxicated witnesses, victims, and suspects are not credible, and therefore should not be trusted in legal investigations. However, the research by Dr Angelica Hagsand and colleagues has shown that this may not be the whole story. Their research findings could have important implications for the police and other legal organisations to understand when witnesses can […]
Regulating emotions in young adulthood
Young adults with complex mental health needs often find it difficult to regulate their emotions and manage impulsive behaviour. Dr Kate Hall and her collaborators from Deakin University, Australia, have developed and evaluated an intervention that has applicability across diagnostic categories of mental health and substance use needs, and can be delivered alongside existing treatments. This intervention teaches young people […]
Adaptive thinking as a heuristic in evolutionary psychology
Recently, in evolutionary psychology, many theorists have employed adaptive thinking as a heuristic as it generates hypotheses that can later be tested using the standard scientific procedure. A heuristic is a pragmatic method that, while not being complete or optimal, provides sufficient approximate results for later use. Professor Shunkichi Matsumoto of Tokai University, Tokyo focuses his research on the use […]
Linking theory with social research: A philosophical and evidence-based approach
Throughout his career, Derek Layder, Emeritus Professor of Sociology at the University of Leicester, has taken a unique approach to linking theory and social research. He strongly believes that incorporating abstract philosophical ideas alongside more practical everyday issues is essential to generating theory from data and evidence. He illustrates this principle using the ‘Theory of Social Domains’, which explores human […]
Intimate communication through co-creating uniqueness
Dr John Stewart proposes that people can fulfil the deep human need for connection with others in dialogic conversations. At the heart of this process lies the concept of individual ‘uniqueness’. This can be co-constructed by the partners in dialogic conversation, as each takes turns sharing unique aspects of themselves and helping the uniqueness of the other to emerge. Getting […]
Gendered digital divides: Enhancing inclusivity
Professor Campbell has three decades of practice and research experience in analysing and challenging gender-biased educational design that excludes women. Her recent work presents an in-depth analysis of the multiple layers of barriers women and others with multiple oppressions face in learning with technology and entering science and technology disciplines, which has significant implications within an increasingly digital learning and […]
Master and counter narratives: Same facts – different stories
The research of Professor Michael Bamberg of Clark University is dedicated to understanding narratives and the dynamics of narratives. His studies outline how dominant narratives emerge and how counter narratives get created and believed. Through the analysis of narrative practices, Professor Bamberg proposes that we can intentionally begin to present stories that enable social change, by looking beyond the story, […]