Social Studies

Unless your employer is Lumon Industries, where the "Severance" workday never ends, a canceled meeting can feel like a gift of limitless time. A Rutgers University study published in the Journal of the Association for Consumer Research explains why: Unexpectedly gaining time alters our perception of how that time passes,... Read more

During a widespread crisis, negative emotions don't simply go away once the workday begins. Organizational scholars who study how emotions affect employees tend to assume that negative emotions equal negative outcomes. That isn't always the case, according to new research from David Lebel, associate professor of business administration in the... Read more

New research finds the addition of a thousand new immigrants in a metropolitan area reduces elderly mortality by about 10 deaths than would be typical. Why? Because among the newcomers are foreign-born health care workers who are arriving amid a critical nationwide shortage, according to the study's authors, who hail... Read more

Aliah Zewail, a graduate student in psychological and brain sciences in the College of Natural Sciences (CNS), has led research for a new paper examining the confluence of artificial intelligence (AI), large language models (LLMs), morality, and cultural diversity.... Read more

To engage audiences and help keep their attention, many public speakers sprinkle their speeches with a little humor. It's a useful tool, but something that scientists rarely use, according to a report into humor at science conferences published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B. And when jokes are told,... Read more

Past behavior matters, especially in law enforcement where certain pre-hire misbehavior by law enforcement candidates sharply increases the likelihood of police misconduct once they are hired, according to research titled "The Importance of Not Looking the Other Way: Prehire On- and Off-the-Job Misbehavior Predicts Subsequent Police Misconduct," published in the... Read more

Burnout is at an all-time high, with some studies saying two-thirds of employees now cite job burnout as a major challenge. Overwork and chronic stress do not just drain energy, they can erode health, contributing to a wide range of psychological and physical problems, including depression, anxiety, cardiovascular disease and... Read more

"Ultimately, the bond of all companionship, whether in marriage or friendship, is conversation," wrote Oscar Wilde.... Read more

Rudeness, whether real or perceived, can deeply affect cooperation, trust, and workplace culture. But judgments of what we consider rude aren't confined to specific disrespectful words or phrases—they are shaped by the listener's emotional processing, attention to non-verbal cues, and underlying moral stance.... Read more

Many people have felt the subtle pressure to be "man enough" or "woman enough" in the eyes of others. And research has shown this pressure can have personal and social consequences.... Read more

During Women's History Month, University of Delaware Associate Professor Lauren P. Bailes is taking a closer look at why males continue to outnumber females in school leadership roles, despite equivalent years of experience. "To our knowledge, this is the first study that examines assistant principals' applications when they are still... Read more

Is it any wonder ancient people thought lightning came from the gods? Even today, a close lightning strike feels like a terrifying brush with the supernatural.... Read more

A new study has suggested that the transformation of Twitter into X under Elon Musk marks the rise of a new, illiberal regime of governing social media platforms, which can be controlled by one person and used to push their own political agenda. Alongside researchers from the WZB Berlin Social... Read more

Youth in foster care often experience family instability, which can disrupt the continuity of their relationships and social connections. Therefore, the strength and stability of their social support networks can play a critical role in shaping their lives.... Read more

Chosen families are evolving but remain a cherished—and vital—lifeline for many. Mention "communal living" and the image that may spring to mind is the free-love, back-to-the-earth hippy communes of the 1960s, complete with bandannas and fringed suede vests. But communal living is once again very much part of the zeitgeist—albeit... Read more