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Social & Behavior

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 28-Oct-2026 16:16 ET (28-Oct-2026 20:16 GMT/UTC)

Workers on the move: How labor mobility is quietly buffering China's economy against heat-driven losses

Chinese Society for Environmental Sciences
Peer-Reviewed Publication

As global temperatures rise, occupational heat stress is emerging as a major threat to economic stability, yet current risk assessments often miss the bigger picture.

Journal: Environmental Science and Ecotechnology

Beyond the 24-hour day: How employee biological clocks and beliefs drive workplace cooperation

Portland State University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Employees’ biological clocks do more than determine when they reach for coffee; they fundamentally shape how, when, and why people help each other at work. A groundbreaking new study introduces the concept of "Time-Extension Self-Efficacy" (TESE) — an individual's belief in their ability to successfully wake up earlier or stay up later than usual. "Most people assume that time is experienced the same way by everyone. We all have 24 hours," said June Ryu, assistant professor of management at Portland State University and lead researcher. "But this research shows that morning people and night owls actually perceive their available time differently, and that difference drives when they choose to help others at work."

Journal: Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes

Congenital heart defects in mothers are associated with developmental problems in children, including physical, lingual, social, and emotional maturity

PLOS
Peer-Reviewed Publication

The children of mothers born with heart defects face a higher risk of being developmentally vulnerable, meaning they face challenges related to physical health, emotional maturity and communication – according to a new study led by Muhammad Zakir Hossin of the Karolinska Institutet, published July 2^nd in the open access journal PLOS Medicine.

Journal: PLOS Medicine

Employment for people with disabilities holds steady

Kessler Foundation
Reports and Proceedings

Employment for people with disabilities held steady in June as job seeking rose notably, pointing to continued resilience in the U.S. labor market amid shifts in the global economy. The finding comes from the July 2026 National Trends in Disability Employment (nTIDE) report issued today.

University of Phoenix study in The Geography Teacher examines how awe and the “overview effect” may shape geography learning

University of Phoenix
Peer-Reviewed Publication

University of Phoenix College of General Studies announces the publication of a new peer-reviewed article in The Geography Teacher, authored by Jacquelyn Kelly, Ph.D., associate dean, College of General Studies; Dianna Gielstra, Ph.D., full-time faculty, Environmental Science Program; Tomáš J. Oberding, Ph.D. full-time faculty, Environmental Science Program; and Niccole V. Cerveny, Ph.D. The article, titled “The Overview Effect and Sense of Place: Awe-Inspired Learning and Connection Through Geography,” examines how awe and sense of place may influence how learners engage with and interpret geographic concepts, with implications for instructional design in online and classroom environments.

Journal: The Geography Teacher

The real effect of digital media on thinking and learning

Estonian Research Council
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Rather than asking whether smartphones and social media simply damage our cognitive abilities, this new paper argues that they may instead recalibrate how we value and allocate mental effort. Repeated exposure to digital environments designed for immediate, low-effort rewards may gradually make sustained, cognitively demanding activities feel less worthwhile, even if our underlying cognitive capacity remains unchanged. By framing digital media use as a shift in effort regulation rather than cognitive decline, the authors offer a novel, mechanistic account that explains inconsistent findings in previous research, generates clear, testable hypotheses, and provides a foundation for developing educational strategies and digital designs that encourage sustained attention and deeper learning.

Journal: Nature Human Behaviour

New book examines how community coalitions work to alleviate digital inequality

University of Illinois School of Information Sciences
Book Announcement

Colin Rhinesmith, associate professor of information sciences at the University of Illinois, has authored a new book examining how community coalitions address digital inequality and strengthen democracy. Digital Equity Ecosystems: How Community Coalitions Reduce Inequality and Strengthen Democracy, published by University of California Press, introduces the concept of "digital equity ecosystems" to describe how community coalitions work to alleviate technological inequity and social injustice. The book is the first in-depth look at how cross-sector coalitions—led by local governments, philanthropic organizations, and community members—address information needs and opportunities. The coalitions' work includes environmental sustainability, featuring examples of technology refurbishers, who provide low-cost computers to individuals and families while keeping e-waste out of landfills.