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

Social & Behavior

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 22-Dec-2025 11:11 ET (22-Dec-2025 16:11 GMT/UTC)

24-Jun-2025

Just press play: Virtual dog therapy can improve mental wellbeing

University of British Columbia Okanagan campus
Peer-Reviewed Publication

While it’s well known that spending time with dogs can ease stress, new research shows that watching a short video of a dog can have a similar comforting effect.

Led by Dr. John-Tyler Binfet, Professor in UBC Okanagan’s School of Education, and Dr. Christine Tardif-Williams, Professor at Brock University, this latest research builds on an earlier study examining whether in-person interactions with therapy dogs would translate just as well to a virtual setting—opening the doors for community members to benefit.

Journal: Human-Animal Interactions

24-Jun-2025

Just press play: Virtual dog therapy can improve mental wellbeing

University of British Columbia Okanagan campus
Peer-Reviewed Publication

While it’s well known that spending time with dogs can ease stress, new research shows that watching a short video of a dog can have a similar comforting effect.

Journal: Human-Animal Interactions

24-Jun-2025

Conspiracy theorists unaware beliefs are on the fringe

Cornell University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Overconfidence is a hallmark trait of people who believe in conspiracies, and they also significantly overestimate how much others agree with them, Cornell University research finds. The study indicates that belief in conspiracies may be less about a person’s needs and motivations and more about their failure to recognize that they might be wrong.

Journal: Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin

24-Jun-2025

UC research reveals complex roots of disordered eating in college students

University of Cincinnati
Peer-Reviewed Publication

There is a common misconception that eating disorders predominantly affect white, affluent, teenage girls. Disordered eating, however, is far more demographically widespread with multiple causes. According to the National Eating Disorders Association, young adults have the highest prevalence of eating disorders. To better understand and treat disordered eating among young adults, a multi-institutional research team conducted a study among college students.

Journal: Journal of Eating Disorders

24-Jun-2025

Empowering scientists to inform policy: George Mason researcher leads new civic science initiative

George Mason University
Grant and Award Announcement

As the need for evidence-based policymaking grows, so does the importance of scientists being able to clearly communicate their research to decision-makers. K.L. Akerlof, associate professor in the Department of Environmental Science and Policy at George Mason University, has received funding from the Rita Allen Foundation to lead a national initiative titled, “Training Researchers to Communicate Science for Policy as a Key Dimension of Civic Science.” The project aims to equip researchers with the tools and training needed to engage effectively in the policymaking process.

Funder: Rita Allen Foundation

24-Jun-2025

Rethinking the demographic race: What is the future economic potential of India and China?

International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis
Peer-Reviewed Publication

In 2023, India surpassed China as the most populous country in the world, and is likely to retain this status for the remainder of this century. In a recent study, IIASA researchers explored whether India could also surpass China in terms of broader socio-economic potential, given the country’s rapid economic growth in recent decades.

Journal: Population Research and Policy Review

24-Jun-2025

E-cigarette and cannabis social media posts and adolescent substance use

JAMA Network
Peer-Reviewed Publication

In this survey study of California adolescents, exposure to e-cigarette or cannabis posts was associated with adolescent e-cigarette, cannabis, or dual use. Improvement of social media community guidelines and greater policy attention to co-use and marketing of e-cigarettes and cannabis may help prevent youth substance use.

Journal: JAMA Network Open