Social and Behavioural
Explore Social and Behavioural
Dr Aminath Sudha | Beyond the Pay Rise: Rethinking Motivation in Public Service
When governments want public services to run better, one common solution is simple: pay people more. But new research led by Dr Aminath Sudha suggests the reality is far more complicated. Her study of civil servants in the Maldives offers a timely reminder that motivation in public service doesn’t always follow private-sector logic.
Professor Magnus S. Magnusson | The Surprising Similarities Between Human Cells and Societies
For most of history, humans lived in small groups. Then, almost overnight in evolutionary terms, billions of us began cooperating in vast, complex societies, something unmatched in the animal kingdom. How did this happen? Professor Magnus S. Magnusson of the University of Iceland believes the answer lies in an unexpected place: inside our cells. His research shows striking parallels between the way that DNA segments (called genes), form specialized proteins, and the way that text segments, called curricula, form specialized individuals.
Dr Charlotte Parham – Dr Louis Nadelson | Lessons in Connection: What School Desegregation Meant for Black Students in the American South
Intrauterine adhesion is a common gynecological condition – one of the main diseases of the reproductive system. This uterine disorder is characterized by a partial or complete adhesion between the anterior and posterior walls of the uterine cavity and/or the cervical canal. It has a debilitating impact on the quality of life for women of childbearing age. Intrauterine adhesion can form when the lining of the uterus becomes damaged, leading to scarring or even obliteration of the uterine cavity. It can result from intrauterine infections and from operations such as dilatation and curettage after miscarriage or termination of pregnancy.
Dr Ori Soltes | The War Within: How Our Search for Meaning Can Unite or Divide Us
Religion has long helped people make sense of the world, but as Dr Ori Soltes argues in a recent paper, this guidance comes with deep complications. Even the word religion contains a puzzle. It stems from the Latin religio, meaning ‘to bind back’, which immediately raises the question of what we are trying to reconnect with in the first place. That act of binding back is ultimately tied to a search for meaning – a deep human need to understand our place in the world and how we relate to everything around us. Across history, people have turned to religion to navigate existence, mortality, and uncertainty. But trying to understand that source of meaning, and then expressing it through the limitations of human language, is where the real trouble begins.
Dr Luca Nitschke | A Social-Ecological Model of How Daily Routines Intertwine with Nature
Everyday activities such as gardening or commuting might not seem like they have much to do with global environmental crises – but a new study led by Luca Nitschke argues otherwise. He and his colleagues, Lukas Sattlegger and Immanuel Stieß at the Institute for Social-Ecological Research (ISOE), introduced the idea of ‘social-ecological practices’ to show how our daily routines are deeply connected to the integrity of the natural world.
Dr Sunny Sui-Kwong Lam | Running Together Apart: How a Runners’ Group Stayed Connected During Lockdown
When Hong Kong went into pandemic lockdown, the city’s bustling harbourfront became relatively quiet, with only lone runners wearing masks. However, one local running group refused to let social isolation stop them. The Hong Kong Harbour Runners – a community of recreational joggers who met weekly for “harbour runs” – found creative ways to stay active and connected, even as restrictions shut down public gatherings. In a new study, Dr Sunny Sui-Kwong Lam of Hong Kong Metropolitan University explored how this community-led recreational running group kept its members motivated and emotionally supported.
How Chinese Words Transform When They Enter Mongolic Languages
When languages come into contact, they often borrow words from each other. But what happens if the donor-recipient language pairs are similar but set in different sociolinguistic contexts? Do they develop the same strategies, or do they find their own unique paths? Dr Julie Lefort of Ca’ Foscari University of Venice examines how Chinese adjectives are integrated into two Mongolic languages spoken in China: the Dörbed Mongolian Community Language (or ‘DMCL’ for short), spoken in Heilongjiang, and the Dongxiang language, spoken in Gansu.
Dr Tim Wharton | Understanding the Role of Emotions in Human Communication
Emotional communication is fundamental to human interaction, and plays a key role in the way humans connect with each another. However, precisely what emotions communicate and how they do so remains little understood. Dr Tim Wharton, a linguist based at the University of Brighton, is leading an ambitious research project that aims to change that. Drawing together insights from pragmatics – the study of utterance interpretation – linguistics, psychology, and neuroscience, his team’s work seeks to better understand the role of emotions in human communication.
Dr Johanna Lynch | Promoting Patients’ Sensations of Safety Can Transform Healthcare
What if the key to better healthcare wasn’t just treating symptoms, but helping people feel fundamentally safe? Dr Johanna Lynch at the University of Queensland, alongside her international research team, has developed what is now called the ‘Sense of Safety Theoretical Framework’ – a comprehensive approach that recognises feeling safe as a fundamental prerequisite for health. Their project involved transdisciplinary research into the neuroendocrinology, psychophysiology, and population impacts of threat, and extensive conversations with healthcare practitioners, mental health clinicians, and people with lived experience of illness across Australia and beyond.
Dr Cees Hamelink | Conflict is Inherent to Humanity, But How Can We Stop It Escalating into Violence?
Humans have a great capacity to care for the needs of others. Despite this, disagreements and disputes are an inherent part of human existence. So, what if the key to preventing conflicts from spiralling into mass violence isn’t avoiding disagreement altogether, but learning to communicate with compassion? New research from Dr Cees Hamelink at the University of Amsterdam suggests that, while we cannot eliminate human conflict, we can learn to tame its most destructive potential. His research challenges the widespread belief that conflicts can and should always be prevented, arguing instead that conflict often serves positive purposes in science, democracy, and personal development.
This video provides information to help you navigate emergency department visits to ensure your loved one receives effective care. The focus will be on how to manage seizure emergencies – either seizures arising for the first time or those caused by epilepsy.
Professor Olya Bryksina | The Unexpected Power of Helping Others: What Drives Us in Groups
We often assume that people are most motivated by activities that help them generate their own progress towards the goals they are aiming to achieve. In the context of personal goals, such as advancing one’s own career it is certainly true, as the benefits are direct and obvious. But research by Professor Olya Bryksina of the University of Winnipeg suggests that this common belief misses something powerful: in group settings, when working towards collective goals and outcomes, we may be more motivated by helping others than by helping ourselves.
Dr Monica Pauls | Understanding Collective Identity Among Youth Activists Online
Can collective identity among social movement actors develop online? Do social media platforms foster genuine relationships, or do meaningful connections require face-to-face interaction? New research by Dr Monica Pauls at Mount Royal University aimed to find out. Her latest study dives into the digital lives of youth activists to explore whether social media can foster a genuine sense of belonging and shared purpose.
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