News by Subject Social & Behavior

A new study suggests that as little as two weeks of compassion meditation training -- intentionally cultivating positive wishes to understand and relieve the suffering of others -- may reduce the distress a person feels when witnessing another's suffering. The findings may have implications for professions in which people routinely work with others who are suffering, like doctors, law enforcement officers and first responders.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) caused by traumatic military experiences is associated with feelings of anxiety, anger, sadness and/or guilt. New Penn State research is evaluating how PTSD symptoms increase risks for academic difficulties as well.

People feel very differently about owning physical books versus e-books, a recent study shows. While stereotypes suggest that younger consumers prefer digital books, that is not actually the case, researchers found.

An MIT study indicates eye movement can reveal the proficiency of people reading English as a second language.

A new study shows that the ability to distinguish truth from lies is diminished in people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) -- putting them at greater risk of being manipulated.

A new study co-authored by researchers at Michigan State University and Case Western Reserve University found that 'growth mindset interventions,' or programs that teach students they can improve their intelligence with effort -- and therefore improve grades and test scores -- don't work for students in most circumstances.

Theoretical and experimental results demonstrate a new insight for optimizing rTMS, one of the common non-invasive magnetic brain stimulation therapies used to treat brain disorders such as depression and neuropathic pain.

Preschoolers can learn from educational television, but younger toddlers may learn more from interactive digital media (such as video chats and touchscreen mobile apps) than from TV and videos alone, which don't require them to interact. That's the conclusion of a new article in the journal Child Development Perspectives that also notes that not all children learn to the same degree from these media.

Studies have shown that for young people, simply being around peers from different ethnic and racial backgrounds may not be enough to improve attitudes toward other groups. Instead, children and adolescents also need to value spending time and forming relationships with peers from diverse groups. A new study examined how friends in middle school affect each other's attitudes about interacting with peers of different ethnicities and races, finding that they significantly influence each other's racial and ethnic views.