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Self-awareness can help people navigate rocky seas of relationships

November 8, 2010 coms 0

A little self-awareness can help people struggling in the world of relationships, says Jeffrey Hall, assistant professor of communication studies at the University of Kansas. Hall recently completed a study into styles of flirting among dating adults, surveying more than 5,100 people regarding their methods of communicating romantic interest.

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Training away stereotypes

November 3, 2010 coms 0

It may seem difficult to change stereotypical thinking. Perceptions can be very important in forming an individual’s attitudes. Now, researchers at the University of Missouri have found that people conditioned to think in opposition to racial stereotypes are more receptive to people from minority groups starring in commercial advertising.

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Self-Disclosure Used to Strengthen Friendships in the United States, but Not in Japan

October 19, 2010 coms 0

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.

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Celebrity Journalism May Contribute Positively to Consumer Health Behaviors

October 18, 2010 coms 0

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.

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Texting Statistics and Trends [Infographic]

October 15, 2010 coms 0

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.

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Thoughts About Time Inspire People to Socialize

October 12, 2010 coms 0

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.

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Most influential tweeters of all

October 11, 2010 coms 0

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.