In the United States, friends often share intimate details of their lives and problems. However, such self-disclosure is much less common in Japan. A new study by an American researcher living in Japan finds that this may be because of the different social systems in the two countries, and in particular the extent to which there are opportunities to make new friends. Read more »
Celebrity Journalism May Contribute Positively to Consumer Health Behaviors
Celebrity journalism is often considered to be without merit, discounted due to its sensational details and lack of news value. MU researchers now say that celebrity journalism may be an underappreciated way to communicate health messages. In a recent award-winning paper, Amanda Hinnant, assistant professor of magazine journalism in the University of Missouri School of Journalism, found some readers of celebrity health stories report that the stories have an impact on their own behavior and how they discuss health issues. Read more »
Texting Statistics and Trends [Infographic]
Text messaging has become one of the most popular forms of communication in the world. In developing countries, the low cost of text messaging plans compared to the high costs of computers has made even face-to-face communication pale in comparison. This infographic shows the texting statistics and trends for the United States and around the world. Read more »
Large gaps found in public understanding of climate change
Sixty-three percent of Americans believe that global warming is happening, but many do not understand why, according to a national study conducted by researchers at Yale University. Read more »
Skin color linked to social inequality in contemporary Mexico, study shows
Despite the popular, state-sponsored ideology that denies the existence of prejudice based on racial or skin color differences in Mexico, a new study from The University of Texas at Austin provides evidence of profound social inequality by skin color. Read more »
Thoughts About Time Inspire People to Socialize
Does thinking about time or money make you happier? A new study published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, finds that people who are made to think about time plan to spend more of their time with the people in their lives while people who think about money fill their schedules with work, work, and—you guessed it—more work. Read more »
Most influential tweeters of all
Tweet this, Ashton Kutcher, Lady Gaga and Britney Spears. Just because you have a ton of followers on Twitter doesn't necessarily mean you're among the most influential people in the Twitterverse, according to researchers from Northwestern University. Read more »
Interactive media improved patients’ understanding of cancer surgery by more than a third
Patients facing planned surgery answered 36 per cent more questions about the procedure correctly if they watched an interactive multimedia presentation (IMP) rather than just talking to medical staff, according to research in the October issue of the urology journal BJUI. Read more »
Inner voice plays role in self-control
Talking to yourself might not be a bad thing, especially when it comes to exercising self control. New research out of the University of Toronto Scarborough – published in this month's edition of Acta Psychologica – shows that using your inner voice plays an important role in controlling impulsive behaviour. Read more »
Researcher finds top reasons for Facebook unfriending
University of Colorado Denver Business School researcher has found the top reasons for unfriending on Facebook. Read more »