Social & Behavior
Updates every hour. Last Updated: 12-Sep-2025 05:11 ET (12-Sep-2025 09:11 GMT/UTC)
Rates of sports betting and problem gambling increased among monthly gamblers in Massachusetts in 2024
University of Massachusetts AmherstReports and Proceedings
In the latest online gambling surveys conducted by the University of Massachusetts Amherst, monthly gamblers in Massachusetts reported ongoing higher levels of sports betting, gambling intensity and gambling harms, with their attitudes toward gambling continuing to be more negative.
- Funder
- Massachusetts Gaming Commission
MIT researchers show how the brain distinguishes 'things' from 'stuff'
Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyPeer-Reviewed Publication
An MIT study finds parts of the brain’s visual cortex are specialized to analyze either solid objects (things) or flowing materials (stuff) like water or sand.
- Journal
- Current Biology
- Funder
- German Research Foundation, U.S. National Institutes of Health, U.S. National Science Foundation grant to the Center for Brains, Minds, and Machines
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University of Notre DamePeer-Reviewed Publication
- Journal
- Journal of Marketing Research
Mental health problems in children. Can poverty exacerbate them?
SWPS UniversityPeer-Reviewed Publication
Can poverty exacerbate mental health problems among the youngest family members? A new study by an international team, including a researcher from SWPS University, demonstrates that financial problems do not play a significant role, and mental health problems can occur regardless of a family's financial situation.
- Journal
- Current Psychology
Fairness is what the powerful ‘can get away with’ study shows
Staffordshire UniversityPeer-Reviewed Publication
The willingness of those in power to act fairly depends on how easily others can collectively push back against unfair treatment, psychologists have found.
A newly published study by Dr David Gordon at University of Staffordshire (UK) and Dr Mikael Puurtinen at the University of Jyväskylä (Finland), investigated the impact of collective action against those in positions of power, using a multiplayer version of a classic psychological experiment called the Ultimatum Game.
Results suggest that the ease of collective action induces more egalitarian behaviour by individuals in a position of power and makes those without power less willing to accept unfairness.
- Journal
- Social Psychological Bulletin
How the brain learns to care
University of Southern CaliforniaPeer-Reviewed Publication
We’re more likely to empathize with someone when their happiness rewards us.
Once an emotional connection is established, it remains strong even after the rewards stop. The findings may shed light on how to foster empathy in people and shape how AI responds to human emotions.
- Journal
- Psychological Science