{"@attributes":{"version":"2.0"},"channel":{"title":"Social Sciences News - Psychology, Sociology","link":"https:\/\/phys.org\/science-news\/social-sciences\/","language":"en-us","description":"The latest news on social sciences, history, political science, psychology and sociology","item":[{"title":"Q&A: Why are white-Black marriage rates so low?","description":"Americans rarely marry outside of their race or class in a nation where residential segregation is relatively common. It is a dynamic widely viewed as a contributing factor to income inequality and intergenerational social mobility.","link":"https:\/\/phys.org\/news\/2026-06-qa-white-black-marriage.html","category":"Social Sciences","pubDate":"Sat, 06 Jun 2026 18:30:02 EDT","guid":"news699707115"},{"title":"Birth rates are declining in most of the world\u2014here's why it really matters","description":"Birth rates have been declining worldwide since the peak of the post-Second World War baby boom. Birth rates have now reached below replacement in most of the world, including Australia. Put simply, populations on average aren't replacing themselves.","link":"https:\/\/phys.org\/news\/2026-06-birth-declining-world.html","category":"Social Sciences","pubDate":"Sat, 06 Jun 2026 08:00:05 EDT","guid":"news699529233"},{"title":"Transnational history explores the Japanese migration to Canada 1877\u20131988","description":"\"Japanese Migration to Canada, 1877\u20131988,\" a new reference essay by Masumi Izumi, was published in the Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Migration Studies. The article offers a sweeping, deeply researched account of Japanese migration to Canada from the arrival of the first documented migrant in 1877 through the Canadian government's formal redress settlement of 1988.","link":"https:\/\/phys.org\/news\/2026-06-transnational-history-explores-japanese-migration.html","category":"Social Sciences","pubDate":"Fri, 05 Jun 2026 19:00:01 EDT","guid":"news699872878"},{"title":"Remote work is taking its toll on the mental health of American workers, researchers find","description":"Working from home comes with some major pluses. It's more flexible, there's no more pesky commute, work-life balance improves, and you can even stay in your pajamas all day if you want. But according to a major study of more than 580,000 American workers published in Science, remote work is taking its toll on people's mental health.","link":"https:\/\/phys.org\/news\/2026-06-remote-toll-mental-health-american.html","category":"Social Sciences","pubDate":"Fri, 05 Jun 2026 12:20:03 EDT","guid":"news699871293"},{"title":"Portsmouth's wartime Railwaywomen: Postcard documents women who kept railways running during WWI","description":"A newly discovered photographic postcard showing women who kept Portsmouth's railways running during the First World War has been revealed by a researcher at the University of Portsmouth\u2014and he is appealing to local people to help identify those in the image.","link":"https:\/\/phys.org\/news\/2026-06-portsmouth-wartime-railwaywomen-postcard-documents.html","category":"Social Sciences","pubDate":"Fri, 05 Jun 2026 12:00:01 EDT","guid":"news699871381"},{"title":"How an app is growing social connections for people with disability and caregivers","description":"Almost 1 in 3 Australians experiences loneliness. For people with disability and care workers, that number can be even greater.","link":"https:\/\/phys.org\/news\/2026-06-app-social-people-disability-caregivers.html","category":"Social Sciences","pubDate":"Fri, 05 Jun 2026 09:20:04 EDT","guid":"news699864961"},{"title":"People are using AI to communicate without disclosing it. Is this morally wrong?","description":"Imagine you have used a generative artificial intelligence (AI) tool such as ChatGPT to tidy up notes you took while in a meeting. Your colleague comments on how clear they are. You don't disclose it was the AI that made the notes clear and not you.","link":"https:\/\/phys.org\/news\/2026-06-people-ai-communicate-disclosing-morally.html","category":"Social Sciences","pubDate":"Fri, 05 Jun 2026 07:40:04 EDT","guid":"news699858782"},{"title":"Enduring hardship reduces support for easing hardship for others, study suggests","description":"Although intuition suggests that experiencing adversity will increase a person's willingness to help others going through similar hardships, surveys show that this is not always the case. For example, immigrants who struggled through arduous naturalization processes do not necessarily support making the path to citizenship easier for others, and those who escaped poverty through hard work often oppose redistributive policies.","link":"https:\/\/phys.org\/news\/2026-06-hardship-easing.html","category":"Social Sciences","pubDate":"Fri, 05 Jun 2026 07:20:01 EDT","guid":"news699854761"},{"title":"Examining pandemic-informed coordinated responses to domestic violence","description":"Though the immediate disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic have passed, the six-year anniversary of the event's onset allows medical professionals, community support organizations, and researchers to analyze the pandemic's challenges and better prepare for the future. University of Delaware Associate Professor Ruth E. Fleury-Steiner has taken up this charge in the area of gender-based violence and offers several recommendations based on new research.","link":"https:\/\/phys.org\/news\/2026-06-pandemic-responses-domestic-violence.html","category":"Social Sciences","pubDate":"Thu, 04 Jun 2026 20:20:04 EDT","guid":"news699807661"},{"title":"Exploring the meanings of plants and hair, from Amazon pastures to suburban lawns and groomed bodies","description":"Cultivated lawns, cleared cattle pastures and carefully groomed hair all reflect a shared cultural logic, according to a new book by UC Santa Barbara anthropology professor Jeffrey Hoelle.","link":"https:\/\/phys.org\/news\/2026-06-exploring-hair-amazon-pastures-suburban.html","category":"Social Sciences","pubDate":"Thu, 04 Jun 2026 17:40:01 EDT","guid":"news699804661"},{"title":"Focus apps are failing neurodivergent minds, new research finds","description":"In today's attention economy, social media platforms, entertainment apps and news feeds all compete for our focus.","link":"https:\/\/phys.org\/news\/2026-06-focus-apps-neurodivergent-minds.html","category":"Social Sciences","pubDate":"Thu, 04 Jun 2026 16:40:06 EDT","guid":"news699797582"},{"title":"What makes 15-minute cities work? More nearby jobs and connected streets","description":"The concept of the \"15-Minute City\" has gained global traction as a blueprint for more livable, sustainable communities by placing daily essentials\u2014such as grocery stores, schools, restaurants and parks\u2014within easy reach of residents. The idea envisions neighborhoods where people can meet most of their daily needs within a 15-minute walk, bike ride or transit trip from home, reducing automobile dependence while improving quality of life.","link":"https:\/\/phys.org\/news\/2026-06-minute-cities-nearby-jobs-streets.html","category":"Social Sciences","pubDate":"Thu, 04 Jun 2026 16:20:01 EDT","guid":"news699795787"},{"title":"Eroding a virtue: AI trains people to expect instant answers, and that's bad news for patience","description":"When I was growing up, teachers would assign research papers that required going to the library, or later, searching for relevant material on the internet. If the paper was going to turn out well, we students needed to patiently comb through piles of material, weaving what we found into a coherent argument that was well-supported with evidence.","link":"https:\/\/phys.org\/news\/2026-06-eroding-virtue-ai-people-instant.html","category":"Social Sciences","pubDate":"Thu, 04 Jun 2026 15:40:07 EDT","guid":"news699795672"},{"title":"Users trust AI and human fact-checkers equally, but for different reasons","description":"Users tend to trust artificial intelligence (AI)-powered fact-checkers as much as human fact-checkers, but for different reasons, according to a new study led by Penn State researchers. The researchers said there is no definitive \"winner\" when comparing the two fact-checking systems, because users see distinct strengths and weaknesses in each.","link":"https:\/\/phys.org\/news\/2026-06-users-ai-human-fact-checkers.html","category":"Social Sciences","pubDate":"Thu, 04 Jun 2026 15:00:03 EDT","guid":"news699795362"},{"title":"Most people cooperate\u2014and underestimate others' willingness to cooperate, global study reveals","description":"The study \"Homo cooperans: Understanding the nature of human cooperation\" arrives at a clear result: 69% of study participants chose to cooperate. At the same time, the study published in the journal Science shows that people systematically underestimate the willingness of others to cooperate.","link":"https:\/\/phys.org\/news\/2026-06-people-cooperate-underestimate-willingness-global.html","category":"Social Sciences","pubDate":"Thu, 04 Jun 2026 14:00:04 EDT","guid":"news699784801"},{"title":"To fight fraud, psychological scientists issue a call to arms","description":"Journalist Charlotte Cowles received a call about suspicious activity on her Amazon account. A dentist named Daniel answered a call from a number listed as the local police. Mr. Lee, a retired engineer, was told he had to marry his newfound girlfriend so she could receive an inheritance.","link":"https:\/\/phys.org\/news\/2026-06-fraud-psychological-scientists-issue-arms.html","category":"Social Sciences","pubDate":"Thu, 04 Jun 2026 13:20:10 EDT","guid":"news699794702"},{"title":"Black suburbanization is reshaping American neighborhoods, study finds","description":"In 1970, nearly half of all Black individuals in the U.S. resided in a large city. Over the past 50 years, that number has fallen to merely 25%, while the share living in the suburbs of large cities rose from 16% to 36%.This demographic shift is as large as the post-World War II wave of the Great Migration, according to economists Evan Mast of the University of Notre Dame and Alexander Bartik of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.","link":"https:\/\/phys.org\/news\/2026-06-black-suburbanization-reshaping-american-neighborhoods.html","category":"Social Sciences","pubDate":"Thu, 04 Jun 2026 12:20:03 EDT","guid":"news699793201"},{"title":"Can fighting via text be good for a relationship?","description":"Today, many of our social interactions are routed through technology: text messages, video calls, voice messages, emails and instant messaging apps. In romantic relationships, couples often use these methods to deal with conflicts.","link":"https:\/\/phys.org\/news\/2026-06-text-good-relationship.html","category":"Social Sciences","pubDate":"Thu, 04 Jun 2026 11:40:04 EDT","guid":"news699786063"},{"title":"From introvert to hero: The 'Hacker' revealed","description":"JCU Associate Professor of Information Technology Roberto Dillon has published his new historical analysis in the journal New Media & Society, explaining how gaming, movies and television representations of the Hacker have evolved over the past 30 years, creating a complex but ultimately heroic cultural icon.","link":"https:\/\/phys.org\/news\/2026-06-introvert-hero-hacker-revealed.html","category":"Social Sciences","pubDate":"Thu, 04 Jun 2026 07:20:02 EDT","guid":"news699773042"},{"title":"Why 'psychopath' is a dangerous label when it comes to criminal justice","description":"A defendant stands in the dock. An expert describes them as a \"psychopath.\" In an instant, one word threatens to eclipse their history, circumstances and the crime itself.","link":"https:\/\/phys.org\/news\/2026-06-psychopath-dangerous-criminal-justice.html","category":"Social Sciences","pubDate":"Wed, 03 Jun 2026 18:00:05 EDT","guid":"news699722521"},{"title":"Social networks outsmart cognitive biases: How herding in networks makes populations more rational","description":"In 2010, the New York City-based restaurant Serendipity 3 revealed its $69 hot dog, winning the Guinness World Record for the world's most expensive hot dog. Served on a toasted pretzel roll with truffle butter and covered in foie gras, the award-winning hot dog made the restaurant's $18 cheeseburger seem like a steal. That's the point, says Professor Damon Centola of the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania.","link":"https:\/\/phys.org\/news\/2026-06-social-networks-outsmart-cognitive-biases.html","category":"Social Sciences","pubDate":"Wed, 03 Jun 2026 16:00:01 EDT","guid":"news699720361"},{"title":"Political cues steer dating decisions, with cross-party matches often rejected by young Americans","description":"Affective polarization\u2014i.e., an aversion toward supporters of the opposing party\u2014has been shaping American society for years, including when it comes to finding a partner. A new sociological study by Dr. Ansgar Hudde and Shannon Taflinger from the University of Cologne's Department of Sociology and Social Psychology dives deeper into this phenomenon, examining how political information on a dating profile influences the romantic interest of young Americans. The study was published under the title \"Why do young U.S. Americans avoid cross-partisan dating? A closer look at mediators and variation by gender and party\" in the journal European Sociological Review.","link":"https:\/\/phys.org\/news\/2026-06-political-cues-dating-decisions-party.html","category":"Social Sciences","pubDate":"Wed, 03 Jun 2026 14:40:01 EDT","guid":"news699711588"},{"title":"Overarming America: Game theory explores how fear and social pressure drive gun purchases","description":"A Dartmouth College study is the first to map the interplay of personal choice and social networks that has led to the United States being one of the world's most heavily armed countries, with 120 firearms for every 100 people. The researchers describe in Science Advances how individual incentives to buy firearms can lead to a phenomenon they call \"overarming.\" In an overarmed society, the collective cost of firearm ownership outweighs the individual benefits of possessing a gun.","link":"https:\/\/phys.org\/news\/2026-06-overarming-america-game-theory-explores.html","category":"Mathematics","pubDate":"Wed, 03 Jun 2026 14:00:10 EDT","guid":"news699704161"},{"title":"Abortion restrictions associated with lower female medical school applicant numbers","description":"States with restrictive abortion policies saw slower growth in the proportion of female medical school applicants following the 2022 reversal of Roe v. Wade, according to a new study published in the open-access journal PLOS Global Public Health by Amrit Kirpalani of Western University, Canada, and colleagues.","link":"https:\/\/phys.org\/news\/2026-06-abortion-restrictions-female-medical-school.html","category":"Social Sciences","pubDate":"Wed, 03 Jun 2026 14:00:08 EDT","guid":"news699694141"},{"title":"Teen well-being improving after years of post-pandemic concern, major study finds","description":"A major new study of more than 115,000 young people suggests teenage well-being may finally be recovering after years of concern over the long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.","link":"https:\/\/phys.org\/news\/2026-06-teen-years-pandemic-major.html","category":"Social Sciences","pubDate":"Wed, 03 Jun 2026 14:00:07 EDT","guid":"news699707039"},{"title":"Traditional, patriarchal Japanese terms for husband and wife may now be perceived as neutral","description":"A new study suggests that, for modern Japanese speakers, two traditional, patriarchal words for \"husband\" (\"shujin,\" literally meaning \"master\") and \"wife\" (\"kanai,\" \"inside-the-house\") may be losing their original meanings, though men in the study evaluated both traditional and neutral words for \"husband\" more positively than words for \"wife.\"","link":"https:\/\/phys.org\/news\/2026-06-traditional-patriarchal-japanese-terms-husband.html","category":"Social Sciences","pubDate":"Wed, 03 Jun 2026 14:00:03 EDT","guid":"news699694202"},{"title":"Why 'charming' matters: Study reveals the power of puffery on consumer behavior","description":"Big brands have built empires on slogans, declaring themselves the best among their competitors. These claims\u2014glowing, subjective and impossible to verify\u2014fall under what marketers call puffery. For decades, they've been treated as harmless fluff, waved through the court system on the assumption that consumers tune them out.","link":"https:\/\/phys.org\/news\/2026-06-charming-reveals-power-puffery-consumer.html","category":"Social Sciences","pubDate":"Wed, 03 Jun 2026 13:00:01 EDT","guid":"news699705002"},{"title":"How to encourage a child to try new, scary things (without traumatizing them in the process)","description":"If your child has ever dug their heels in on the morning of the school athletics or cross country day, or refused to speak in front of the class, you're not alone.","link":"https:\/\/phys.org\/news\/2026-06-child-scary-traumatizing.html","category":"Social Sciences","pubDate":"Wed, 03 Jun 2026 10:40:05 EDT","guid":"news699699782"},{"title":"Belief that men 'evolved to be like this' could lead to more victim-blaming in rape cases","description":"New research from the U.K. suggests that being exposed to old ideas that portray male sexual violence as having an evolutionary explanation\u2014such as it being biological and inevitable\u2014can lead people to be more likely to blame the victim in rape cases. The researchers showed more than 600 people videos of either an evolutionary explanation of male sexual aggression, a sociocultural explanation, or an unrelated control video. Those participants then read a scenario that, while meeting the legal definition of rape, contained ambiguities, and then were asked to judge who was the perpetrator and who was the victim.","link":"https:\/\/phys.org\/news\/2026-06-belief-men-evolved-victim-blaming.html","category":"Social Sciences","pubDate":"Wed, 03 Jun 2026 09:40:06 EDT","guid":"news699697621"},{"title":"Municipal partnership systems and mental health among sexual minorities in Japan: A nationwide analysis","description":"Although same-sex marriage has not been legalized nationally in Japan, various municipal governments have independently introduced partnership certification systems for same-sex couples.","link":"https:\/\/phys.org\/news\/2026-06-municipal-partnership-mental-health-sexual.html","category":"Social Sciences","pubDate":"Tue, 02 Jun 2026 16:40:06 EDT","guid":"news699614165"}]}}