EurekAlert! News by Subject: Social & Behavior

Social & Behavior

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 20-Oct-2026 00:17 ET (20-Oct-2026 04:17 GMT/UTC)

14-Oct-2026

Social service agencies need safeguards when using AI

University of Iowa
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A former social worker and a researcher in a new study reports social service agencies need to establish guidelines for how AI is used. In the study, the researcher recommends that agencies keep people involved in decisions, regularly check AI systems for discrimination, and leverage AI to connect vulnerable people with needed resources and services. The study is published in the journal Journal of the Society for Social Work and Research.

Journal: Journal of the Society for Social Work and Research

14-Oct-2026

Researchers identify the main factors in pornography use among adolescents

Universitat Rovira i Virgili
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A study by the Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV) has analysed which factors are most associated with pornography use during adolescence. The results show that the most predictive variable is gender, followed by problematic internet use, cannabis and alcohol consumption, family conflict and engaging in certain risky sexual behaviours. The research, published in the journal Computation, was based on the 2023 ESTUDES survey and worked with a sample of 33,543 adolescents. The aim was to determine which personal, family, digital and behavioural variables are most useful for predicting whether an adolescent reports having viewed or used pornography in the previous 30 days.

Journal: Computation

14-Oct-2026

Depression in OB-GYN residents needs more attention, study suggests

Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan
Peer-Reviewed Publication

One-third of first-year obstetrics and gynecology residents develop depression, and only one-third of those seek treatment, a study with implications for the workforce of the only female-predominant surgical specialty finds.

Journal: American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Funder: Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation

14-Oct-2026

University of Bath study identifies harmful paradox behind well-meaning green efforts

University of Bath
Peer-Reviewed Publication

When hotels replace single-use toiletries with refillable dispensers, or companies strip unnecessary items from product bundles to cut waste, they may expect consumers to hail these changes as environmentally responsible.

However, a new study has identified what the authors call ‘sustainable additive bias’ - a tendency for consumers to view businesses as more sustainable when they add eco-friendly items rather than remove them, even when removal leads to lower waste and a smaller environmental footprint.

Journal: Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science

14-Oct-2026

Frequent abdominal pain in children may be associated with school-related stress and peer harassment

Semmelweis University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Many parents feel reassured when their child’s recurrent abdominal pain is investigated and no underlying organic condition is found. However, a study by researchers at Semmelweis University, published in the International Journal of Pediatrics, suggests that this may be when it is worth asking a few further questions: Does the child experience pain elsewhere in the body? Has the pain persisted for at least a year? If the answer to either question is yes, it may be a warning sign.

Journal: International Journal of Pediatrics

14-Oct-2026

How can AI transform education without leaving anyone behind?

Kumamoto University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

An international research team led by Kumamoto University examined how AI can be responsibly integrated into education. A Delphi study involving 70 professionals from 18 countries identified five priorities: AI competencies, automated assessment and feedback, evolving teacher roles, trustworthy and explainable AI, and equal access. The study shares strategies of AI integration that requires coordinated action of policy makers, researchers and practitioners with attention to pedagogy, policy, infrastructure and equity.

Journal: Computers and Education Open
Funder: Japan Society for the Promotion of Science

13-Oct-2026

Prescriptions for nature shown to ease loneliness

University of Colorado at Boulder
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A study of 320 lonely adults from 12 low-income neighborhoods found that prescriptions for time spent in nature significantly reduced symptoms of loneliness, with lasting impacts. Some countries are now pointing to "nature-based social prescribing" as an antidote to the global loneliness epidemic.