https://phys.org/science-news/social-sciences en-us The latest news on social sciences, history, political science, psychology and sociology The use of web tracking panel data provides new insights into Germans' online pornography use. According to new research published in Archives of Sexual Behavior, German Catholics, Protestants, and the religiously unaffiliated are as likely to use online pornography as each other. By comparison, members of minority religions in Germany, such as Muslims or Orthodox Christians, are less likely to use online pornography. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-mainstream-christians-non-religious-equally-online.html Social Sciences Fri, 20 Oct 2023 13:21:02 EDT news617026861 If you're older than your boss, you're not alone. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-qa-younger-experienced-bosses-workplace.html Social Sciences Economics & Business Fri, 20 Oct 2023 12:53:04 EDT news617025182 Ireland has formally opened the new women's wing of the Limerick prison. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-prison-ireland-history-penal-reform.html Social Sciences Political science Fri, 20 Oct 2023 11:47:03 EDT news617021221 A new study by Dr. Veronica Lamarche, from the University of Essex Department of Psychology, has discovered that equal consumption is more important than levels of drunkenness. This was the case even when couples had drunk to excess and was the same across sexualities and genders. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-hookups-partner-drunker-assault.html Social Sciences Thu, 19 Oct 2023 17:12:03 EDT news616954322 Flooding in the United States costs communities more than $32 billion each year. As climate change drives increasingly severe and erratic storm events, experts project that figure to rise in coming years: Forecasts estimate that flood risk will increase by more than 26% by 2050. Because of socioeconomic inequalities in flood risk mitigation, flooding disproportionately affects metropolitan areas with larger populations of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) residents. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-machine-highlights-ways-mitigation.html Social Sciences Economics & Business Thu, 19 Oct 2023 14:21:11 EDT news616944068 In a comprehensive analysis of news consumption across the globe, a recent report by Reuters concluded that "interest in news continues to decline, fueling disengagement and selective news avoidance." In the 46 countries surveyed in the report, public interest in news has dropped significantly in the UK, France, the US and Spain over the eight-year period from 2015 to 2023. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-people-experiencing-news-fatigue-voters.html Social Sciences Political science Thu, 19 Oct 2023 13:40:01 EDT news616941106 College students face different, often co-occurring barriers that may prevent them from participating in healthy leisure activities, like exercising or reading for pleasure, according to new research led by Penn State College of Health and Human Development researchers and alumni. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-barriers-college-students-healthy-leisure.html Social Sciences Education Thu, 19 Oct 2023 13:36:21 EDT news616941378 What happens when lonely men, embittered by a sense of failure in the sexual marketplace, find each other and form communities on the internet? The result can be deadly. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-psychologist-genesis-online-groups-sexually.html Social Sciences Thu, 19 Oct 2023 13:06:12 EDT news616939560 Before epilepsy was understood to be a neurological condition, people believed it was caused by the moon, or by phlegm in the brain. They condemned seizures as evidence of witchcraft or demonic possession, and killed or castrated sufferers to prevent them from passing tainted blood to a new generation. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-scientist-decades-dont-free.html Social Sciences Thu, 19 Oct 2023 13:04:32 EDT news616939465 According to common prejudice, fathers below the age of 25 are inherently "risky," uncaring or irresponsible. However, a new research project brings into question popular myths and shows young dads demonstrating their willingness to engage in support services and advocate for policy change on a national level to introduce more father-inclusive practices. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-young-dad-stereotypes.html Social Sciences Thu, 19 Oct 2023 12:33:03 EDT news616937581 As more companies mandate the amount of time to be spent in the office, employee stress levels are on the rise. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-stress-australian-workplaces-highest-workers.html Social Sciences Economics & Business Thu, 19 Oct 2023 12:20:04 EDT news616936801 Discussions around science and technology can become controversial, such as public conversations around climate science or gene-editing tools. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-science-technology-positive-impacts-society.html Social Sciences Political science Thu, 19 Oct 2023 12:05:04 EDT news616935902 Linguistics experts are turning to cutting-edge technologies to revitalize threatened Native American languages—and rejuvenate generations of Indigenous tradition—through new approaches such as children's books and smartphone apps. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-tech-life-endangered-native-american.html Social Sciences Thu, 19 Oct 2023 04:22:50 EDT news616908166 When someone expresses their emotions, they show their passion and authentic individuality. As self-evident as it might seem, this may reflect a cultural bias, says a University of Michigan researcher. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-emotional-fostering-asserting-individuality.html Social Sciences Wed, 18 Oct 2023 16:57:30 EDT news616867048 Married couples and long-term romantic partners typically engage in a variety of behaviors that sustain and nourish the relationship. These actions promote higher levels of commitment, which benefits couples' physical and psychological health. A new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign looks at how such relationship maintenance behaviors interact with satisfaction and commitment. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-relationship-maintenance-accurate-perception-partner.html Social Sciences Wed, 18 Oct 2023 16:57:12 EDT news616867029 Refugee legal reforms will have a disproportionate impact on sexually diverse claimants, academics have warned. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-refugee-legal-reforms-disproportionate-impact.html Social Sciences Political science Wed, 18 Oct 2023 16:49:03 EDT news616866541 More than 4,100 people are currently serving time behind the walls of California's prisons for women. Activist Jayda Rasberry was once one of them. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-impact-long-term-sentencing-california-women.html Social Sciences Political science Wed, 18 Oct 2023 15:38:03 EDT news616862281 Children living in Gaza have never known anything but overcrowding, shortages, conflict and danger. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-gaza-conflict-children-affected.html Social Sciences Political science Wed, 18 Oct 2023 14:13:04 EDT news616857181 American workplaces talk a lot about diversity these days. In fact, you'd have a hard time finding a company that says it doesn't value the principle. But despite this—and despite the multibillion-dollar diversity industry—Black workers continue to face significant hiring discrimination, stall out at middle management levels and remain underrepresented in leadership roles. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-black-scientist-nonprofit-filmmaker-common.html Social Sciences Political science Wed, 18 Oct 2023 14:10:05 EDT news616857001 Sexual harassment encompasses a wide range of inappropriate behavior, from ogling, touching and commenting about body parts, to sexual proposition, coercion, assault and rape. In other words, it is any form of unsolicited and unwanted sexual attention. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-sexual-victims-nigerian-universities-blamedcyberspace.html Social Sciences Political science Wed, 18 Oct 2023 13:59:18 EDT news616856355 The recent AFL Grand Final was a great spectacle. It was also a welcome distraction from the woeful performance of the Wallabies in the rugby union World Cup. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-sports-kinds-decisions.html Social Sciences Wed, 18 Oct 2023 12:37:05 EDT news616851422 A researcher has found that—in the post-COVID era—shoppers now seek functional and transactional value, rather than fun and social interactions when visiting a shopping center. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-traditional-center-covid-.html Social Sciences Economics & Business Wed, 18 Oct 2023 12:36:03 EDT news616851361 University of Queensland research has found being funny or having a good sense of humor doesn't necessarily make you more attractive to potential partners. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-humor-isnt-deal-breaker.html Social Sciences Wed, 18 Oct 2023 12:19:02 EDT news616850341 A two-part training designed to help police officers recognize their implicit bias, revealed some behavior improvement and lowered citizen discrimination complaints in a controlled study. While a small study involving one police department, it is the first-known research to provide evidence that this type of training can produce positive behavioral effects. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-police-implicit-bias-modest.html Social Sciences Political science Wed, 18 Oct 2023 12:15:04 EDT news616850102 If you're aged between 25 and 34, you're part of the age group least likely to take part in volunteering. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-friends-role-volunteering-youre-20s.html Social Sciences Wed, 18 Oct 2023 12:10:06 EDT news616849801 The stats don't lie—the overwhelming majority of start-up companies fail. So, what makes the seemingly lucky few not only survive, but thrive? https://phys.org/news/2023-10-founder-personality-start-up-success.html Social Sciences Economics & Business Wed, 18 Oct 2023 08:28:05 EDT news616836482 People judge members of their own circles more harshly than they judge individuals from other groups for the same transgressions, according to new Cornell University research. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-familiarity-contempt-moral.html Social Sciences Economics & Business Tue, 17 Oct 2023 16:49:04 EDT news616780140 A new article in OMICS: A Journal of Integrative Biology emphasizes the feasibility and importance of making research-based learning in life sciences available to high school youth internationally. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-borders-engaging-high-school-youth.html Social Sciences Education Tue, 17 Oct 2023 15:53:03 EDT news616776781 A new study from Brigham Young University finds that a family's religious beliefs and practices are a key catalyst to promote hope in the future and hope to manage personal challenges, which can help families build resiliency and unity. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-religious-faith-bolsters-family-unity.html Social Sciences Tue, 17 Oct 2023 14:29:45 EDT news616771780 Social media marketers sharing photos of people vacationing in exotic locales or attending events at exclusive venues may actually be driving new customers away, according to a recently published Tulane University study. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-social-media-photos-customers.html Social Sciences Economics & Business Tue, 17 Oct 2023 14:23:04 EDT news616771379