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

Social & Behavior

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 7-May-2025 13:10 ET (7-May-2025 17:10 GMT/UTC)

11-Mar-2025

New book co-authored by associate professor David MacAlister reflects recent case law and legislation

Simon Fraser University
Book Announcement

A new edition of the bestselling book “Criminal Law in Canada: Cases, Questions, and the Code”, co-authored by associate professor David MacAlister and the late professor emeritus Simon Verdun-Jones recently hit the bookshelves. This latest version brings readers up to date with the latest developments in the criminal area, featuring expanded discussion on sentencing, partial defences, bail reform, and more.

The book has long served as the standard text for second-year undergraduate criminology and criminal justice course on criminal law in various colleges and universities across Canada. MacAlister undertook the task of updating the material by reviewing five years' worth of cases and incorporating some fresh pedagogical features that were missing from previous editions.

11-Mar-2025

Inequality destroys the benefits of positive economic growth for the poor

University of Johannesburg
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A unique analysis of district-level data reveals why inequality is so destructive to the household consumption welfare of people living below the poverty line. During negative economic growth, the welfare of the poor should be the main focus area.

Journal: Journal of African Economies
Funder: African Economic Research Consortium (AERC)

11-Mar-2025

Social media use amplifies delusional disorders: SFU study

Simon Fraser University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new study from Simon Fraser University researchers has found a close link between high levels of social media use and psychiatric disorders that involve delusions, such as narcissism and body dysmorphic disorder.

According to the recently published study in BMC Psychiatry – a systematic review of all available academic literature including scrutiny of over 2,500 publications on social media use and psychiatric disorders – forms of delusions were by far the most prevalent type of psychiatric disorders related to high social media use. These disorders include narcissistic personality disorder (delusions of superiority), erotomania (delusions that someone famous loves you), body dysmorphic disorder (delusions of flaws in some part of one’s body) and anorexia (delusions about body size).

Journal: BMC Psychiatry

11-Mar-2025

UK’s wealthiest citizens may be rich with climate-positive potential

PLOS
Peer-Reviewed Publication

UK’s wealthiest citizens can invest in green tech, voice climate concerns and sow sustainable seeds among their networks to accelerate the country’s pursuit of net-zero carbon emissions, according to survey data published February 26, 2025 in the open-access journal PLOS Climate by Hettie Moorcroft from the University of Bath and colleagues. However, members of this population are unmotivated to sacrifice quality of life for carbon savings.

Journal: PLOS Climate

11-Mar-2025

Study: Social media doesn't always bring people together, even when they have shared goals for democracy

University of Kansas
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers from the University of Kansas interviewed women who took part in Algeria's 2019 "Hirak" protests. They reported experiencing misogyny and intimidation on social media from groups who were protesting the same cause. The findings suggest social media's touted ability to bring disparate groups together around a common cause may not be as powerful as commonly thought.

Journal: Social Media + Society

11-Mar-2025

USPSTF statement on screening for food insecurity

JAMA Network
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Bottom Line: The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) concludes that the current evidence is insufficient to assess the balance of benefits and harms of screening for food insecurity on health outcomes in the primary care setting. According to survey data, 12.8% of households experienced food insecurity in 2022, with 7.7% of households experiencing low food security and 5.1% experiencing very low food security. Nearly one-third of households with incomes below the federal poverty threshold are food insecure. Food insecurity is one among a multitude of medical, psychological, and social conditions common among economically disadvantaged households. The USPSTF routinely makes recommendations about the effectiveness of preventive care services. This is a new USPSTF topic.

Journal: JAMA

11-Mar-2025

Good parenting helps, but has limits under major deprivation

Washington University in St. Louis
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Parenting skills can make a big difference in fostering a newborn’s language acquisition and cognition, but there may be a limit to how far parenting can go to make up the challenges to developing this skill in those born in highly disadvantaged backgrounds.