Social & Behavior

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 22-Jun-2026 13:15 ET (22-Jun-2026 17:15 GMT/UTC)

20-Jan-2026

Cannabis legalization is driving increases in marijuana use among U.S. adults with historically lower consumption rates

Boston College
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new study led by Boston College School of Social Work Professor Summer Sherburne Hawkins found that recreational cannabis legalization in the United States is driving increases in cannabis use among adults with historically lower consumption, as opposed to increasing use among those who already consumed cannabis.

Journal

American Journal of Preventive Medicine

20-Jan-2026

Not all memories are created equal: Study by NUS and Duke shows how motivation shapes our memory

National University of Singapore, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers from the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore (NUS Medicine) and Duke University have proposed a neuroscience framework explaining how different types of motivation fundamentally reshape what and how the brain remembers.

Journal

Annual Review of Psychology

20-Jan-2026

   

Bubble netting knowledge spread by immigrant humpback whales

University of St. Andrews
Peer-Reviewed Publication

New research from the University of St Andrews has found that the social spread of group bubble-net feeding amongst humpback whales is crucial to the success of the population’s ongoing recovery.

Journal

Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences

20-Jan-2026

 

Drones reveal how feral horse units keep boundaries

The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI
Peer-Reviewed Publication

How do feral horses maintain inter-group boundaries in an open field without territories?

Researchers used drones to observe groups in Portugal. They discovered that horses actively shift group shape to maintain inter-group spacing in shared spaces. Randomization analysis confirmed this avoidance was not random but likely to be intentional. However, a unique "friendly pair" of groups was found frequently mixing, suggesting a rare social bond.

Funder

Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Japan Science and Technology Agency

20-Jan-2026

 

Continuous care from community-based midwives reduces risk of preterm birth by 45%

King's College London
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Women who receive continuous care from community-based midwives have a significantly reduced risk of preterm birth in comparison to those who receive standard care. This care model also significantly reduced risks of preterm births in women who are at greatest social risk of adverse outcomes.

Journal

BJOG An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology

Funder

NIHR Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care South London

20-Jan-2026

Cannabis may help some communities cope with gun violence

Association for Psychological Science
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new study examines the role of cannabis on the health of Black Americans living in Wilmington, Delaware, who are often surrounded by violence, incarceration, and social chaos. 

Journal

Clinical Psychological Science

20-Jan-2026

Bring a friend: Financial and peer support increase women’s reproductive agency in India

University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Despite improvements in economic and social empowerment, women in many countries still have little control over their own fertility and reproductive health. A new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign explores a program reducing barriers to family planning by providing financial and peer support to women in Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populated state.

Journal

Journal of Development Economics