Canada is the happiest country in the G7, according to the World Happiness Report edited by a Simon Fraser University professor. 

While Canada remains the only G7 member in the Top 20, the U.S. slides to its lowest-ever position, according to Lara Aknin, distinguished professor of social psychology at SFU and an editor of the report released today. “The U.K. and the U.S. have fallen out of the top 20,” says Aknin. “Canada is one of the great global powers left in the top 20. Nordic countries remain at the top with Finland holding the number one spot for the eighth year in a row.” Other countries, like Mexico, have jumped up in the ranks, she adds.  

Americans have long believed that sports are one area in society that offers kids from all backgrounds the chance to succeed to the best of their abilities. But new research suggests that this belief is largely a myth, and that success in high school and college athletics often is influenced by race and gender, as well as socioeconomic status, including family wealth and education.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly being used in many countries worldwide to provide public social services, assisting in entitlement decisions to state-paid pensions and unemployment benefits, assessments of asylum applications, and assignments of places at kindergartens. AI technology is intended to help apply fairness criteria in the allocation of this kind of support to individuals and to assess potential beneficiaries accordingly. However, fairness criteria vary from country to country. In India, for example, the caste system influences the distribution of social benefits. In China, access to social services is determined by a "good citizenship" score. But the concepts of fairness in terms of access to limited public resources also vary within Europe. These are major findings from the participative research undertaken by members of the AI FORA – Artificial Intelligence for Assessment project, which were published recently in an online open access volume.

A new study from the Research Centre for Child Psychiatry at the University of Turku in Finland screened school-age children for anxiety and examined the efficacy of the Master Your Worries programme developed for treating anxiety among children. The study found that the programme reduced children's symptoms of generalised anxiety, social anxiety, and separation anxiety. The study also found that lighter, fully digital study material can reduce anxiety symptoms in children.

Researchers at the RPTU University Kaiserslautern-Landau have investigated who is discriminated against and under what conditions when applying for a job or promotion. The results show that a high qualification is a good prerequisite for being judged fairly. However, even small pieces of additional information can activate stereotypes – and turn the tide against applicants.