News by Subject Social & Behavior

Don't feel so bad for binge-watching a political drama -- it might lead to more civic participation, as long as the show features a female lead character. A survey of fans of the TV shows 'Madam Secretary' 'The Good Wife' and 'Scandal' found that viewers who felt most connected to the storyline and characters also reported increased political interest and participation. The findings are published online in the Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media.

As states around the country move to stiffen punishments for animal cruelty, Michigan State University researchers have found a correlation between the types of animal abuse committed and the perpetrator's relationship to an animal and its owner.

Studies have shown women are more risk-averse than men, a trait experts say could help to explain the persistent wage gap between men and women. New research suggests those gender differences are shaped by culture and the social environment and that those differences can shift, at least in children.

A recent study finds that older adults feel younger when they feel that they have more control over their daily lives, regardless of stress or health concerns. However, stress and health -- not a sense of control -- play a significant role in how old younger adults feel.

Peer approval is the best indicator of the tendency for new college students to drink or smoke according to new research from Michigan State University. This new finding is key to help universities address the problems of underage or binge drinking.

Academics at the University of Bristol have taken the first long-term look at potential factors that could lead to suicide attempts in high-risk young people.

New research from Cornell University sheds light on the types of statistical and narrative evidence that are most effective at persuading people to pay attention to global issues.

Self-confidence is critical for teens as they prepare for the challenges of adulthood, and both families and schools may together play a vital role in boosting adolescents' confidence even in the face of difficulties with family, according to researchers.

LGBT+ teachers who taught in schools during the late 1980s and 1990s remain scarred by the effects of Section 28 of the Local Government Act in England -- a piece of legislation introduced in 1988 banning the 'promotion' of homosexuality in schools -- according to new research published in the journal Sex Education.