On Wall Street, analysts with short-term or long-term orientations may issue different financial forecasts for the same company, says Yong Yu, professor of accounting at the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin.

In new research with Shuping Chen, professor of accounting at Texas McCombs, Yu finds those differences are partly cultural, depending on analysts’ cultures of origin. Analysts whose inferred ancestral cultures place greater emphasis on long-term orientation make more and better long-term earnings predictions. Their stock picks average 0.30% higher monthly returns than those of analysts from less long-term-oriented cultural backgrounds.

Scientists have analyzed how fear is used in anti-smoking campaigns by the U.S.-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), identifying five key strategies that make such messaging effective. Their findings show that when fear is combined with real-life stories, statistics, expert credibility, and clear calls to action, it can significantly influence people to quit smoking or avoid starting.