#controversial-social-science-research

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Silicon Valley
fromwww.theguardian.com
1 hour ago

Porn, dog poo and social media snaps: the taskers' scraping the internet for Meta-owned AI firm

Scale AI, part-owned by Meta, employs thousands to train AI using personal data from social media, raising ethical concerns about data scraping.
US news
fromwww.npr.org
4 hours ago

AI in the mental health care workforce is met with fear, pushback and enthusiasm

AI tools are increasingly adopted in mental health, raising concerns about job replacement and the quality of care.
#social-media
Social media marketing
fromForbes
3 hours ago

The Next Disruption In Social Media: Impact Over Attention

Future social networks will prioritize action-oriented platforms that foster real-world collaboration and value creation using AI and impact-based rewards.
Social media marketing
fromForbes
3 hours ago

The Next Disruption In Social Media: Impact Over Attention

Future social networks will prioritize action-oriented platforms that foster real-world collaboration and value creation using AI and impact-based rewards.
Media industry
fromNatesilver
1 day ago

Social media is turning into a freak show

Social media's influence on content quality and publisher success has led to a crisis in foreign policy and political communication.
fromApaonline
1 day ago

How to Deal with Online Virtue Signaling

Virtue signaling often manifests in social media posts that aim to elevate one's moral standing without genuine commitment to the cause, leading to frustration among observers.
Philosophy
Mindfulness
fromPsychology Today
15 hours ago

Two Minutes Could Change How Officers See People They Serve

Hypervigilance in police can harm personal relationships; Just-Like-Me meditation may enhance connection and prosocial behavior.
Psychology
fromPsychology Today
21 hours ago

Stop Pretending to Be Happy

Emotional acceptance leads to healthier processing of feelings, while suppression prolongs negative emotions and creates incongruence between feelings and expressions.
fromPsychology Today
18 hours ago

Why We Distinguish Suicide Clusters From Pacts

On February 1, 2026, a man associated with Ivaylo Kalushev received a message from him: 'Goodbye, friend, we are very tired and have no more strength.' The next day, police found the bodies of three middle-aged men at Kalushev's burnt lodge in western Bulgaria.
Russo-Ukrainian War
#communication
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
2 days ago

Psychology says people who reply to messages within seconds aren't just efficient - they've built their sense of safety around being reachable, because somewhere in their past, being slow to respond had consequences - Silicon Canals

Instant responses to messages often stem from a psychological need to mitigate perceived threats rather than mere efficiency.
fromJezebel
4 days ago
Psychology

Every Year, Human Beings Speak Fewer Words than They Used To, Study Suggests

A steady decline in spoken conversation has been observed over the past 14 years, with people speaking significantly fewer words each year.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
5 days ago

Psychology says people who command the most respect in a room aren't the loudest or most confident - they're the ones who can disagree without making others feel stupid for having believed something different - Silicon Canals

Respectful disagreement fosters genuine influence and encourages open dialogue.
Deliverability
fromEntrepreneur
5 days ago

These Are the Hidden Cues That Make or Break a Conversation

Pre-communication is essential for effective conversations, enhancing motivation and preparedness among participants.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
2 days ago

Psychology says people who reply to messages within seconds aren't just efficient - they've built their sense of safety around being reachable, because somewhere in their past, being slow to respond had consequences - Silicon Canals

Instant responses to messages often stem from a psychological need to mitigate perceived threats rather than mere efficiency.
Psychology
fromJezebel
4 days ago

Every Year, Human Beings Speak Fewer Words than They Used To, Study Suggests

A steady decline in spoken conversation has been observed over the past 14 years, with people speaking significantly fewer words each year.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
5 days ago

Psychology says people who command the most respect in a room aren't the loudest or most confident - they're the ones who can disagree without making others feel stupid for having believed something different - Silicon Canals

Respectful disagreement fosters genuine influence and encourages open dialogue.
fromFast Company
1 day ago

The workers secretly influencing their companies' AI usage

Estefania Angel noticed that while her company helped other enterprises set up AI, it did not use those systems internally. She began using AI apps in Slack, Outlook, and Google to track assignments, which garnered attention from her superiors.
Artificial intelligence
Cancer
fromNature
1 day ago

Engaging the head and the heart: why scientists turn to poetry

Poetry and medicine intertwine, enhancing the healing process and providing emotional support in palliative care.
Writing
fromwww.theguardian.com
1 day ago

The kindness of strangers: I was taken aback by a rude remark. Then it hit me she was absolutely right

Perspective can transform challenges into opportunities for growth and gratitude.
fromwww.theguardian.com
3 days ago

It's official: scientists aren't funny. But it doesn't have to be this way | Helen Pilcher

The findings confirm research that I conducted more than 20 years ago. Under the guise of the Comedy Research Project, Timandra Harkness and I performed a randomised clinical trial to assess whether or not science can be funny.
Humor
fromEurekAlert!
4 days ago
Online Community Development

Why some people change only when enough others do

Understanding individual thresholds for change and social networks can help overcome resistance to adopting new behaviors like climate change solutions.
Women in technology
fromScary Mommy
3 days ago

Study Finds Men Who Want #TradWives Also Have High Levels Of "Hostile Sexism"

The #tradwife movement is supported by men with hostile sexism, who view women negatively and expect traditional homemaking roles.
Design
fromDesign Milk
3 days ago

OUTSIDERS Investigates the Space Between Society and Solitude

Modern design challenges conventional public seating to enhance social interaction and presence in urban spaces.
Mental health
fromPsychology Today
4 days ago

This Theory Explains Why Neurodivergents Are Burning Out

Neurodivergent individuals experience higher burnout rates, necessitating accommodations to balance job demands and resources.
NYC parents
fromPsychology Today
4 days ago

Is Mandated Reporting Racist? What Families Must Know

Low reporting standards and systemic racism lead to unjust CPS reports, disproportionately affecting Black and Brown families.
OMG science
fromNature
1 week ago

Daily briefing: Are boys really in crisis? What the science says

Concerns about boys should be viewed in the broader context of all young people.
#artificial-intelligence
Intellectual property law
fromNature
6 days ago

Hallucinated citations are polluting the scientific literature. What can be done?

Artificial intelligence is generating non-existent academic references, leading to hallucinated citations in scholarly publications.
Intellectual property law
fromNature
6 days ago

Hallucinated citations are polluting the scientific literature. What can be done?

Artificial intelligence is generating non-existent academic references, leading to hallucinated citations in scholarly publications.
Remote teams
fromInfoQ
5 days ago

How to Handle Trusts and Psychological Safety When Scaling Organizations

Trust must be built team by team; it cannot be replicated as organizations scale.
Law
fromPoynter
6 days ago

Like journalists, prosecutors shaped a distorted view of crime. They can help fix it, too. - Poynter

Prosecutors and journalists both contribute to misleading public perceptions of crime, but prosecutors possess crucial data to tell a more accurate story.
Marketing
fromFortune
6 days ago

Liking corporate BS may be a sign you're bad at decision-making, Cornell expert finds | Fortune

Corporate jargon can mislead and impair decision-making, as shown by research on receptivity to corporate bulls-t.
Parenting
fromSilicon Canals
5 days ago

Psychology says the 1960s and 70s accidentally produced one of the most emotionally durable generations in modern history - not through better parenting but through benign neglect that forced children to develop internal regulation instead of waiting for adult intervention - Silicon Canals

Children in the 70s thrived on unstructured play and minimal parental intervention, fostering independence and problem-solving skills.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
1 day ago

Research suggests that high intelligence doesn't protect against bad decisions - it makes people better at constructing convincing justifications for the bad decisions they were already going to make - Silicon Canals

Higher intelligence can lead to greater polarization rather than alignment on contested facts.
fromThe Atlantic
3 days ago

How Some People Became So Averse to Hype

Anna Holmes defines 'hype aversion' as a reflex against being told what to like, suggesting that popularity can create pressure rather than signal quality. This feeling can lead to a deliberate choice to resist mainstream culture.
Media industry
#ai-ethics
Writing
fromFast Company
3 days ago

A New York Times critic used AI to write a review, but good criticism can't be outsourced

Using AI for book reviews raises ethical concerns about originality and the role of critics in engaging with art.
Writing
fromFast Company
3 days ago

A New York Times critic used AI to write a review, but good criticism can't be outsourced

Using AI for book reviews raises ethical concerns about originality and the role of critics in engaging with art.
fromSearch Engine Roundtable
1 week ago

Block of Citations Tested Beneath AI Overview Summary

The format has ginormous link cards at the bottom of the AI summary, which include a thumbnail of no apparent value, the site name, favicon, description, and title.
Typography
OMG science
fromArs Technica
5 days ago

Research roundup: 7 cool science stories we almost missed

Raccoons exhibit flexible problem-solving skills, thriving in human environments by successfully navigating complex puzzles.
fromThe Conversation
5 days ago

AI's fluency in other languages hides a Western worldview that can mislead users a scholar of Indonesian society explains

The response was in Indonesian but shaped by values that centered individual autonomy over the consensus-building, social harmony and collective family dynamics that tend to matter more in Indonesian social life.
Philosophy
LGBT
fromLGBTQ Nation
4 days ago

Is "gender exploratory therapy" just conversion therapy with a new name? - LGBTQ Nation

Gender exploratory therapy is a controversial approach that some view as pathologizing non-binary identities while others see it as a cautious exploration of gender identity.
Mental health
fromNature
6 days ago

Struggling to focus on research when the world is 'on fire'? Some ways to cope

Global news events are causing burnout and mental exhaustion among researchers, impacting their work and personal lives.
Arts
fromHyperallergic
1 week ago

Social Malpractice in the Age of Cultural Compliance

Socially engaged art faces challenges in a world increasingly hostile to independent thought and public expression.
Silicon Valley
fromwww.bbc.com
6 days ago

'We're having a moment' - fear and denial in Silicon Valley over social media addiction trial

Meta and YouTube were found liable for designing addictive platforms that harmed a young woman's mental health.
Data science
fromNature
2 weeks ago

How I squeeze fresh science from public data

Utilizing existing data can lead to significant discoveries and collaborations in research.
fromHarvard Gazette
6 days ago

Writing us back from the brink - Harvard Gazette

"We're talking about political leaders who were moved by an enormous sense of responsibility and fear for the world."
Russo-Ukrainian War
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
2 days ago

Some people don't cancel plans because they're flaky. They committed when one version of their energy was available and the person who wakes up that morning is operating on a completely different reserves system. The commitment was real. The capacity isn't. - Silicon Canals

Cancelled plans reveal a flawed assumption about self-consistency and commitment, suggesting a need for a new understanding of social expectations.
Relationships
fromSilicon Canals
2 days ago

Most people don't realize that the dishonest people in their lives rarely lie about facts - they lie about their intentions, and that specific distinction is why you keep feeling confused rather than simply hurt - Silicon Canals

Intention lies involve sharing true facts with hidden motives, making them difficult to detect.
#ai
Mental health
fromSilicon Canals
5 days ago

Psychology says the reason aging people feel like they don't matter isn't about what they've lost - it's that society defines mattering as productivity and visibility, and the moment you step outside those narrow roles, your value becomes invisible even to people who love you - Silicon Canals

Retirement and aging can lead to feelings of invisibility and worthlessness due to society's narrow definitions of productivity.
Women in technology
fromThe Atlantic
5 days ago

It's Not Gambling, It's 'Girl Math'

Prediction markets like Kalshi and Polymarket are primarily male-dominated, despite attempts to attract female users through social media campaigns.
Scala
fromMedium
3 weeks ago

Rage Against the (Plurality of) Effect Systems

Open-source effect systems provide genuine benefits for safe parallel programming but create systemic problems through their pervasive, infectious nature that spreads throughout entire codebases.
fromPhilosophynow
6 days ago

Life Sacrifice

The widespread practice of showing the Eid Al Adha slaughtering to children can desensitize them to violence, as many families take pride in this tradition.
Philosophy
Artificial intelligence
fromEntrepreneur
4 days ago

How to Draw the Line Between AI Insights and Human Decisions

High-performance teams leverage clear ownership and decision velocity to enhance AI-informed decision-making in competitive environments.
Mindfulness
fromPsychology Today
3 weeks ago

Ideas We Aren't Ready to Understand-Yet

Collect ideas you don't understand but sense are important, as they trigger deeper cognitive processing and eventual insight through incubation.
Science
fromBig Think
4 weeks ago

The right way to be a scientific contrarian

Scientific advancement occurs through incremental improvements and revolutionary paradigm shifts that replace foundational understanding with entirely new conceptions of natural phenomena.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
3 days ago

Psychology says the loneliest people in life aren't the ones nobody likes - they're the kind, helpful people everyone appreciates but nobody thinks to check on because they seem so self-sufficient - Silicon Canals

Highly capable, helpful individuals often feel lonely because their strength creates an illusion that they do not need support.
Psychology
fromPsychology Today
3 days ago

Why Do We Read Reviews for Things We've Already Experienced?

People read reviews post-decision to validate experiences and alleviate inner conflict, not to gather new information.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
3 days ago

People who grew up being told they were too sensitive didn't become less sensitive. They became editors. Every reaction now passes through a filter that decides whether the feeling is proportionate enough to be allowed out, and that filtering process is so automatic they genuinely believe they're calm when they're actually curating. - Silicon Canals

Sensitive children often suppress their emotions, leading to automated behaviors that mask true feelings.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
4 days ago

The people who say 'I'm fine with whatever you want to do' in every social situation aren't easygoing. They've simply never been in an environment where stating a preference didn't start a negotiation they couldn't afford to lose. - Silicon Canals

People who appear easygoing may actually be practicing conflict avoidance as a survival strategy learned from past experiences.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
4 days ago

9 subtle behaviors that reveal someone grew up in a household where money was discussed in whispers, and why those behaviors persist long after financial security has arrived - Silicon Canals

Financial behaviors are shaped by early experiences and trauma, not just knowledge or information gaps about money.
Philosophy
fromPsychology Today
3 weeks ago

Why Some Scientific Debates Never End

Complex questions involving values cannot be definitively settled by evidence alone, as different priorities lead experts to emphasize different findings from the same data.
fromwww.theguardian.com
4 days ago

Original Sin by Kathryn Paige Harden review are criminals born or made?

Harden's research outlines genetic patterns associated with a higher risk of substance abuse and risk-taking behaviors, framing her work as an exploration of the genetics of sin.
Psychology
Philosophy
fromPsychology Today
3 weeks ago

What Is the 'Critical' in Critical Thinking?

Critical thinking is the ability to analyze, evaluate, and make judgments for decision-making, not merely critiquing or criticizing ideas.
Psychology
fromCornell Chronicle
5 days ago

Rudeness may be rewarded - as a response to rudeness | Cornell Chronicle

Retaliatory incivility may be viewed more leniently than instigated incivility, suggesting context matters in social responses.
Psychology
fromPsychology Today
5 days ago

People Don't Just Update Beliefs, They Test Them

Understanding psychological change requires recognizing the role of control and mastery in actively pursuing change despite familiar limitations.
Psychology
fromFast Company
1 week ago

Stop trying to 'educate' people into changing. Science proves it doesn't work

False assumptions hinder change; simply providing information does not guarantee behavior change.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
5 days ago

Psychology says the most self-centered people in any room aren't the ones who talk loudest - they're the ones who respond to every story you tell with a story about themselves, so automatically and so consistently that they've long since stopped noticing they do it - Silicon Canals

Conversational narcissism involves shifting focus in conversations back to oneself, often without awareness, hindering genuine connection.
Psychology
fromPsychology Today
6 days ago

New Research: Some People Really Do Fall for Corporate BS

Employees impressed by corporate gibberish perform poorly in decision-making and confuse it with business savvy.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
5 days ago

Psychology says if someone secretly dislikes you they'll almost never say it out loud - but their body will, in the microseconds before they've decided what their face is supposed to be doing, and learning to read those moments is one of the more uncomfortable social skills available to anyone willing to develop it - Silicon Canals

Microexpressions reveal true emotions faster than conscious control, providing insights into feelings that words may conceal.
Psychology
fromPsychology Today
5 days ago

The Negativity Bias Impacts Everything in Our Lives

Humans are evolutionarily predisposed to focus on negativity for survival, but this can lead to harmful cognitive patterns.
Philosophy
Society exists as a real entity distinct from individuals, comparable to how organs form a brain; denying society's existence while acknowledging individuals is logically inconsistent.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
6 days ago

There's a specific exhaustion that belongs to people who spent decades being exactly what everyone needed them to be - and then one day realized they couldn't remember what they needed - Silicon Canals

People-pleasing leads to losing one's identity and can result in profound exhaustion and disconnection from self.
US politics
fromPsychology Today
1 month ago

When Everyone Agrees, Nobody Sees

A multicultural military harnesses immigrant experiences and diverse perspectives to strengthen national defense and improve collective decision-making.
fromNature
6 days ago

Dopaminergic mechanisms of dynamical social specialization - Nature

Social foraging strategies illustrate the balance between competition and cooperation, where individuals either produce resources or exploit the efforts of others, navigating ecological and social constraints.
Psychology
Psychology
fromPsychology Today
6 days ago

Why We Don't Change-Even When We Know What's Wrong

Insight alone is insufficient for change; real experiences are necessary to challenge ingrained beliefs and expectations.
Psychology
fromCornell Chronicle
1 week ago

Why we're skeptical of the emotions we see on our screens | Cornell Chronicle

Emotional expressions on social media are often viewed as less authentic and persuasive in political discourse.
Higher education
fromPsychology Today
1 month ago

Why "Do Your Own Research" Is Bad Advice

Research requires at least a rigorous literature review; reading to inform oneself is educating, not full research, which demands specific review skills and evaluation.
Psychology
fromPsychology Today
2 weeks ago

What's Behind the Fake Review

Fake content spreads rapidly due to emotional triggers and biases, necessitating critical thinking over social proof in decision-making.
Higher education
fromwww.mercurynews.com
1 month ago

Opinion: Sociology is taking it on the chin. Here's how we can preserve this critical field of study.

Sociology faces politicized attacks, curricular exclusion, and erosion of departmental standing despite teaching critical thinking, inequality analysis, interdisciplinary synthesis, and scrutiny of power.
Psychology
fromPsychology Today
1 month ago

Are We Hard-Wired to Be Xenophobic?

Out-group animosity stems from both upbringing and evolutionary survival pressures, but can be managed through conscious awareness and behavioral control.
Philosophy
fromPsychology Today
2 months ago

How and Why We Use, Downplay, or Ignore Evidence

The scientific method, though imperfect, remains the best tool for critical thinking and for defending democratic justice against misinformation and cognitive biases.
Psychology
fromPsychology Today
1 month ago

Reimaging Psychology or Revitalizing the Humanities?

The psychological humanities integrates psychological science with art and literature to create a more comprehensive understanding of human behavior and improved mental health care practices.
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