EurekAlert! News by Subject: Social & Behavior - News by Subject: Social & Behavior

Social & Behavior

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 31-Dec-2025 04:11 ET (31-Dec-2025 09:11 GMT/UTC)

For seniors: the mental health payoff of staying curious

University of California - Riverside
Peer-Reviewed Publication

New UC Riverside research finds that older adults who challenge themselves to learn new things are less likely to experience loneliness or depression, even during times of major upheaval.

Journal: PLOS Mental Health

Adolescent girls who have weight concerns despite not being obese are more likely to also experience depression and suicidality, per Korean survey of more than 50,000 middle and high school students

PLOS
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Adolescent girls who have weight concerns despite not being obese are more likely to also experience depression and suicidality, per Korean survey of more than 50,000 middle and high school students

Journal: PLOS One

Waiting in line: Why six feet of social distancing may not be enough

University of Massachusetts Amherst
Peer-Reviewed Publication

We all remember the advice frequently repeated during the COVID pandemic: maintain six feet of distance from every other human when waiting in a line to avoid transmitting the virus. While reasonable, the advice did not take into account the complicated fluid dynamics governing how the airborne particles actually travel through the air if people are also walking and stopping. Now, a team of researchers led by two undergraduate physics majors at the University of Massachusetts Amherst has modeled how aerosol plumes spread when people are waiting and walking in a line.

Journal: Science Advances

Heroes, victims – and rarely collaborators

Johannes Gutenberg Universitaet Mainz
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Whether in Belgium, Poland, or Ukraine, when asked about their nation's role under Nazi occupation, many Europeans today primarily see their own population as victims – or as heroes. This is the key finding of a cross-national study based on an online survey with 5,474 participants from eight European countries: Austria, Belgium, France, Hungary, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, and Ukraine.

Journal: Political Psychology

PolyU research reveals neurocognitive correlates of testosterone in young men that shape generosity and self-worth

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Hormones affect human physical functions, behaviour and mental well-being, with testosterone, a primary androgen hormone, playing a vital role in shaping male social cognition and behaviour. A research team of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has conducted interdisciplinary research to uncover the neurocognitive correlates of testosterone in the brain function of young men, and their impact on social behaviour. The findings provide valuable insights into potential applications of testosterone therapy in clinical and mental healthcare.

Journal: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

How AI might be narrowing our worldview and what regulators can do about it

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Peer-Reviewed Publication

New study highlights that generative AI systems—especially large language models like ChatGPT—tend to produce standardized, mainstream content, which can subtly narrow users’ worldviews and suppress diverse and nuanced perspectives. This isn't just a technical issue; it has real social consequences, from eroding cultural diversity to undermining collective memory and weakening democratic discourse. Existing AI governance frameworks, focused on principles like transparency or data security, don’t go far enough to address this “narrowing world” effect. To fill that gap, the article introduces “multiplicity” as a new principle for AI regulation, urging developers to design AI systems that expose users to a broader range of narratives, support diverse alternatives and encourage critical engagement so that AI can enrich, rather than limit, the human experience.

New study on hope among U.S. youth reveals key to safer schools this fall

Florida Atlantic University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Amid a growing youth mental health crisis, a new study shows that hope is a powerful protective force for adolescents. Beyond boosting emotional and physical well-being, higher levels of hope significantly reduced bullying and cyberbullying. Hopeful teens – those who believe in their goals and pathways to achieve them – were more than one third less likely to harm others. Those with less hope were more than 50% more likely to engage in such behavior. For parents, educators and policymakers: hope is a critical tool for prevention.

Journal: Frontiers in Sociology