Behavioural Sciences
De-mythologizing and re-branding the traditional drink kava
What do you call journalism, or more importantly research, that is supported by repetitive misinformation, resulting in an accepted but incorrect, narrative? This is the case with the kava plant, named Piper methysticum or ‘intoxicating pepper’ by a naturalist who accompanied Captain James Cook on his voyage to the Pacific some 250 years ago. That name, which inferred that kava […]
The effect of diversity beliefs on friendship formation
For most of us, friendships are an essential part of our lives, and forming them usually comes naturally; we don’t even think about it. In fact, research shows that complex social constructs are at play and influence the choices we make about who we form friendships with. Diverse friendships, for example where people differ in race or religious background, have […]
The Bristol School of Multiculturalism
It’s an exciting moment when like-minds come together and produce insights that create a new paradigm in their subject discipline. A leading academic in Australia believes that moment of synergy has come for a group of political theorists and sociologists associated with the University of Bristol in the UK. So significant is their non-liberal approach to multiculturalism, Geoffrey Brahm Levey, […]
Longevity adjustment of retirement age
The rise in longevity is exerting pressure on public finances with increases in pension and elderly care expenses. Svend E. Hougaard Jensen, Professor of Economics at the Copenhagen Business School, discusses regulating the pension age in line with the average increasing life expectancy. His research also highlights the significance of extending these models to encompass the variability associated with physical […]
9 billion regressions: A multiverse approach to statistical analysis
Researchers never fully know if the statistical method that they choose provides the best possible model for their data. Their choice of how to analyse the data also influences the results. Dr Cristobal Young, Associate Professor of Sociology at Cornell University is using multiverse analysis to offer a rigorous and transparent framework to tackle the intrinsic issues of model uncertainty. Model uncertainty […]
Moral and ethical realism and unbounded organization
Howard Richards, in his recently published article in the Journal of Critical Realism Moral (and Ethical) Realism, offers practical ethics for our times, embedded in findings of the natural sciences. A companion volume written with Dr Gavin Andersson, Unbounded Organizing in Community is a step-by-step guide to realist practice. In other works he develops the fateful consequences of two ‘Staggering Facts.’ […]
Double-suicide in modern Japan: An ageing society’s crisis
Suicide, double-suicide, and homicide-suicide are a significant public health concern in Japan. In particular, double-suicide, which was relatively common among lovers immediately after the Second World War, has re-emerged in Japan among the elderly and their overburdened carers. Professor Fumiko Satoh and colleagues from the Kitasato University School of Medicine have examined prevalence rates and proposed likely reasons for double-suicide […]
In search of the perfect leader: Selecting the next CEO
On most days of the week, the business news will carry a story of at least one Fortune 500 CEO leaving their role; some for the next big role in a gilded career, others less willingly leaving behind the pay and the perks, and thinking about how to make the most of a less than stellar track record. For the […]
Explaining how the mind works: A new theory
How and why do humans think and act in the ways that we do? To answer this question, Dr Paul Badcock and his colleagues have recently proposed a theory of the human brain that combines evidence from evolutionary and developmental psychology, neuroscience, and biology. This theory posits that the human brain is a complex adaptive system, composed of relatively specialised […]
The effects of workplace norms on women’s work behaviour in Japan
Professor Eriko Teramura from the Meikai University Faculty of Economics is a Japanese social scientist who specialises in human resource management and gender theory. Her current research centres around the workplace culture of Japan and the practices specific to Japanese companies that may be affecting the employment of women and their decisions to start a family. Using empirical analysis, Professor […]