Splashing out – or saving for a big holiday? Relaxing on the couch – or working out? Polishing off a whole bar of chocolate – or leaving some for later? Decisions such as these are not easy to make because the urge for immediate gratification has to take a back seat to a longer-term desire. People’s behavior is highly individual here, and there also appear to be differences between cultures. To better understand these types of decisions, psychologists from the University of Bonn are working with researchers in 77 countries to conduct an unusually large online study: Around 15,000 people are set to be surveyed. Interested adults can take part until August 18, 2026: https://www.soscisurvey.de/tricc-project/.

A new study by the Complexity Science Hub and ETH Zurich suggests that the world will have 450 million fewer people living in large cities by the end of the century than current trends indicate. The reason: the growth of large cities slows as countries urbanize.

When does a child begin to reason? When do they develop self-control? Are some mental abilities present from birth, while others are acquired through experience? Questions like these have fascinated philosophers, educators, and scientists for centuries. Yet surprisingly little is known about how ordinary people think about the development of the mind itself. Do people across cultures think about the mind in similar ways? An international study led by researchers from Nagoya University and Rutgers University addresses this question. Surveying adults from six countries, the researchers found that people share a similar picture of how mental abilities develop, even across different cultures and languages.  

research team led by Professor Moon Choi of the Graduate School of Science and Technology Policy quantitatively analyzed “digital ageism” embedded in generative artificial intelligence.

older adults are outwardly described as “wise and caring,” expressions of agency and competence decrease with age.

biases in AI could, through repeated exposure, deepen the social marginalization and digital exclusion of older adults.

Researchers from Italy conducted the SocialMS study, a nationwide questionnaire-based study involving 1,039 adults with MS receiving care at 68 MS centres across the country. Participants were asked about the impact of MS on four key social determinants of health: education, work, financial resources and social life.