As church membership declines in the United States, a recent study from Rice University’s Boniuk Institute for the Study and Advancement of Religious Tolerance reveals that working women, regardless of their affiliation with conservative or liberal congregations, don’t perceive sufficient support from their clergy and churches. The study delves into the sentiments of working women regarding their church communities, spanning activities, sermons, and pastoral support. Religious support Researchers conducted over 200 hours of interviews with 107 Christian women across the country who attended re ..read more

As AI becomes more integral to our daily lives and is expected to make significant changes, there are mixed opinions worldwide about embracing it. To fully tap into the advantages of AI, it’s crucial to grasp the psychological barriers hindering its widespread adoption. Harvard research delves into the conflicting attitudes people have toward a wide range of AI tools, including robots, large language models like ChatGPT, self-driving cars, speech recognition programs, virtual assistants, and recommendation systems. Sources of resistance The researchers identified five main ways we don’t like a ..read more

Staying active and social in old age seems to do good things for a key part of the brain linked to memory, called the entorhinal cortex. This part tends to get messed up in people with Alzheimer’s, even in the early stages. We already know that regular exercise is good for our health, protecting against things like heart problems, diabetes, and obesity. Healthy aging But what about different activities—like physical exercise, socializing, and using our brains? Researchers from the University of Zurich decided to find out. They looked at data from a big study on how the brain and behavior chang ..read more

Researchers from the Center for Homelessness, Housing, and Health Equity at USC recently shared a report on a six-month study. They’re looking into how giving money and support affects 103 homeless people in LA County and the SF Bay Area. The early findings from the Miracle Money study show that folks getting $750 a month were less likely to stay without shelter. They also got closer to covering all their basic needs compared to those using regular homeless services. Miracle Money Miracle Messages, a non-profit, is running this study. They’re known for helping homeless people rebuild their fri ..read more

Feeling stressed and overworked can make you less dedicated to your job and impact your performance. Many companies recognize this issue and invest in professionals to take care of their employees’ mental health. However, there’s a simpler and more cost-effective solution to boost satisfaction and efficiency. Research from Ruhr-Universitaet-Bochum found that cutting down on social media use by just 30 minutes per day improved participants’ mental health, job satisfaction, and commitment. A major factor Social media is a big part of many people’s lives, not just the younger generation. Differen ..read more

Some faces, like those with a frown or a serious look, can make people seem untrustworthy even if they’re not really like that. This affects how we treat each other in everyday life and even big decisions like who we choose for jobs or vote into office. A study from Columbia shows that we can do something about these judgments. The study involved four experiments with 1,400 volunteers. It found that if a person’s face looks untrustworthy, they are more likely to get the death penalty instead of life in prison. Mock jurors also tended to give harsher verdicts to made-up cases with people who lo ..read more

While studies on sustainability often delve into food-related subjects such as food security and culinary heritage, social sustainability has emerged as a crucial aspect across various research fields. This facet, alongside environmental and economic sustainability, forms one of the three pillars of sustainability. Social sustainability encompasses concerns about social justice, resource distribution, recognition, and political participation of marginalized groups at the local community level. In Japan, studies on social sustainability have typically focused on how communities preserve their c ..read more

New research from the University of Sydney Business School and Lund University proposes a simple trick to get people talking in meetings: appoint a devil’s advocate. The study, based on interviews with 18 academics from a leading Western business school, aims to figure out why some folks hesitate to speak up during meetings. “Everyone has experienced the frustration of hearing people complain in private about an issue at work after staying silent in a meeting with leaders and decision-makers,” the researchers explain. “We found that a fear of career damage and a sense that nothing would c ..read more

Recent research from Binghamton University, State University of New York, reveals that certain workplace gossip might actually decrease the chances of employees leaving, consequently enhancing an organization’s overall effectiveness. “Organizations should be aware of the impact of positive gossip because turnover can be a very important factor in dictating an organization’s success,” the researchers explain. “To make employees participate in positive gossip, the organization should do the right things by treating their employees well, and being aware their behaviors can show they care abo ..read more

Scientists at the University of Houston say that big changes in how states treat the rights of women and LGBTQ+ people are influencing what folks think about moving between states. This might not be good for states’ economies and job markets, according to the researchers. After the Supreme Court decided in 2022 to limit abortion rights, the researchers surveyed over 1,000 people with different backgrounds. They wanted to know what these folks thought about moving to a state with rules about abortion, gender-related medical care, transgender people in sports, teaching about gender and sexuality ..read more