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Social & Behavior

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 13-Jun-2026 14:15 ET (13-Jun-2026 18:15 GMT/UTC)

Recordings of local forest soundscapes help to improve wellbeing

University of Surrey
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Listening to one-minute-long audio recordings of forest soundscapes has positive effects on people’s short-term wellbeing, new research finds. Improvements to wellbeing were found to be more significant when soundscapes came from local temperate forests, compared to more exotic tropical forests.

Journal: Journal of Environmental Psychology

Species and languages worldwide threatened by the consequences of European colonialism

University of Vienna
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Human activities have always shaped both biological and cultural diversity. An international team led by the University of Vienna has now investigated the link between the threat to species and that to languages. Linguists and biodiversity researchers identified a common key factor: European colonialism. The study has recently been published in the journal People and Nature.

Journal: People and Nature

Terrence Sejnowski wins inaugural World Digital Technology Academy Award

Salk Institute
Grant and Award Announcement

Salk scientist Terrence Sejnowski will receive the inaugural World Digital Technology Academy Scientific Breakthrough Award alongside Nobel Laureate Geoffrey Hinton for their foundational development of the Boltzmann machine—a precursor to modern AI tools. The WDFT Awards were launched in 2025 at the United Nations World Summit for Social Development in Doha to celebrate “groundbreaking contributions across science, engineering, societal impact, and global collaboration in the era of digital technologies.”

Low screen time alone not associated with better language skills without active conversation

Estonian Research Council
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Young children who spend more time on screen-based activities and less time talking with adults tend to have weaker language skills, according to a recent study from the University of Tartu. The findings highlight that daily interaction – rather than screen limits alone – plays a key role in early language development.

Journal: Frontiers in Developmental Psychology
Funder: Estonian Research Council

Toddlers’ pretend play ability linked to better mental health

University of Sydney
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Stronger pretend play ability at ages two to three linked to fewer mental health difficulties in early primary school

Links remained after accounting for family income, mother’s mental health, language ability and parent-child attachment

Mental health difficulties affect about 14 percent of Australian children, yet prevention efforts focus on later childhood or adolescence.

Journal: Early Childhood Education Journal
Funder: National Health and Medical Research Council, Serpentine Foundation

NTU Singapore and Max Planck Society establish first Max Planck Centres in Southeast Asia to advance research in data-driven chemistry; relationship between culture and biology

Nanyang Technological University
Business Announcement

Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) will house the first two Max Planck Centres in Southeast Asia, the Max Planck – Singapore Centre for Data-Driven Chemistry and the Max Planck – NTU Singapore Centre for Biocultural Worlding.

These centres are flagship collaborative research initiatives between the Max Planck Society (MPG) in Germany and leading international research institutions. They serve as hubs of scientific excellence, bringing together top researchers from around the world to address frontier questions across diverse disciplines.

The Max Planck – Singapore Centre for Data Driven Chemistry aims to study how the complex volume of chemical research data can be digitalised and analysed effectively to better understand chemical processes and shed light on new reactions.

The Max Planck – NTU Singapore Centre for Biocultural Worlding will study how the close connection between nature and human cultures shape the future of our planet, and what kinds of knowledge and approaches are needed to respond effectively.

Widely used food preservative implicated in recent uptick in UK suicide deaths

BMJ Group
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A chemical widely used in food preservation is implicated in an uptick in recent UK deaths by suicide, with a disproportionately high number of cases among young people and boys/men, finds a comprehensive analysis of available data for the period 2019-24, published in the open access journal BMJ Public Health. There’s now an urgent public health need to review unrestricted access to this source, to avoid further preventable deaths, say the researchers.

Journal: BMJ Public Health
Funder: William Harvey Foundation

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