News by Subject Social & Behavior

Results from a new study show that many Americans remain fiercely loyal to their like-minded communities, even when their health is on the line -- an important lesson for future pandemics.

Researchers have found that clickbait -- headlines that often rely on linguistic gimmicks to tempt readers to read further -- often did not perform any better and, in some cases, performed worse than traditional headlines.

Instagram users who detect self-promotion or corporate marketing in a post embracing the body positivity movement may be turned off by that dual messaging, new research suggests.

Study of almost 3 million Facebook and Twitter posts from US media and politicians finds posts about the "outgroup" get double the shares. Each word referencing an opposing political figure or idea - typically to attack or deride - is linked to an average share boost of 67% for the post. Researchers say the study highlights "perverse incentives" driving social media systems that reward animosity.

Anti-science attitudes and political ideology often go hand in hand, a new USC study finds, which means machine-analyzed data on platforms such as Twitter could offer clues as to where diseases like COVID-19 might spread.

The fast-food industry spent $5 billion on advertising in 2019, and the advertisements disproportionately targeted Black and Hispanic youth, according to new research published today by the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at the University of Connecticut. The new report, Fast Food FACTS 2021, finds that the industry's annual ad spending in 2019 increased by over $400 million since 2012, and that children and teens were viewing on average more than two fast food TV ads per day.

Study on smartphone bans in the workplace reveals possible benefits of 'soft' bans -- research project involving the University of Konstanz.

As threats against female journalists rise, a researcher examines the damage done by the Hollywood trope of the unethical female reporter who trades sex for information.

Focus groups were conducted with teenagers to examine their responses to exposure to online and media-based vicarious racism and to explore coping strategies that may be used to combat negative emotions.