Behavioural Sciences
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, […]
Improving children’s attention with focus training and meditation
The widespread use of increasingly sophisticated electronic devices and the vast amount of information accessible through these devices has been linked to a decline in people’s ability to pay attention to a single task or stimulus for prolonged periods of time. This might be particularly true for children who grew up in the digital era, as a growing number of […]
New doesn’t always mean better: Do consumers prefer older drugs?
With new drugs being approved and released every year, Dr Yun Jie, Assistant Professor of Marketing at the School of Business, Sun Yat-sen University China, in collaboration with Professor Ye Li from the School of Business at The University of California, Riverside, have investigated the effect of launch time on consumer choice. Using a series of studies, Dr Jie has […]
Exploring mental benefits of the natural environment
Natural environments affect behavioural and neural processes, facilitating increased positive emotions and creativity, and reducing stress and impulsive decision-making. Kerry Jordan of Utah State University explores this domain, focusing on impulsive decision-making. With limited neurological literature on mental benefits of natural environments, she recently employed event-related potentials and attention restoration theory in an electrophysiological exploration of implicit decision-making when viewing […]
Classism in education still exists: Here’s what to do about it
Distinguished Research Professor in the School of Social Sciences at Cardiff University, Valerie Walkerdine has spent four decades studying class-related issues. In particular, her interests lie in exploring classism within higher education and finding ways to increase inclusivity, especially on the most well-respected courses, at elite universities, and at higher levels of study. Professor Walkerdine is also chair of the […]
Social context shapes age-crime distributions
Professors Steffensmeier, Lu and Na present evidence from diverse societies with vastly different sociocultural practices and beliefs, which show clear differences in age-crime relationships. These differences are discussed with reference to the social contexts which appear to protect adolescents from becoming involved in crime. These researchers put forward a research agenda for better understanding nations where crime is most heavily […]