The University of Konstanz's Cluster of Excellence "The Politics of Inequality" will continue to receive funding in the context of the German Excellence Strategy. The focus of the second funding phase will be on the question of how it can be prevented that inequality in society develops into a self-reinforcing process.

Experts say standardised tests do not guarantee new teachers can handle classroom complexities and may increase the risk of burnout.

Is artificial intelligence (AI) capable of suggesting appropriate behaviour in emotionally charged situations? A team from the University of Geneva (UNIGE) and the University of Bern (UniBE) put six generative AIs — including ChatGPT — to the test using emotional intelligence (EI) assessments typically designed for humans. The outcome: these AIs outperformed average human performance and were even able to generate new tests in record time. These findings open up new possibilities for AI in education, coaching, and conflict management. The study is published in Communications Psychology.

Researchers from Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) and Universidad de Cádiz (UCA) have carried out a study aimed at understanding and addressing the problem of rural depopulation. To tackle this issue, the researchers propose an approach in which the set of policies, regulations and strategies that organize urban and rural development are integrated into the design of local development policies.

When deciding whom to trust, people are more likely to choose individuals who grew up with less money over those who went to private schools or vacationed in Europe, according to research published by the American Psychological Association.

Birth rates are declining worldwide, while dog parenting practices are gaining popularity. What does this growing “furry children” trend reveal about our societies? Researchers from Eötvös Loránd University suggest that, while dogs do not actually replace children, they may, in some cases, offer an opportunity to fulfil a nurturing drive similar to parenting, but with fewer demands than raising biological offspring. Their review, published in European Psychologist, also examines how the shifting roles of dogs within modern family structures are influenced by individual circumstances, but also by cultural norms.