https://phys.org/science-news/social-sciences/ en-us The latest news on social sciences, history, political science, psychology and sociology Researchers have found our emotions toward politics not only play on our minds, but shape how our bodies respond to political experiences, even driving political participation higher. The new study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, reveals that political emotions are not simply experienced as everyday feelings directed at political topics, but are felt differently in the body, becoming a key driver of how we participate in democracy. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-political-emotions-bodies-democracy.html Social Sciences Tue, 12 May 2026 13:00:10 EDT news697800121 Work songs, musical pieces designed to be performed or sung while working, have been widely documented across various cultures and in different historical periods. For instance, people in different nations have been known to sometimes sing together while rowing, sailing, harvesting crops or building structures. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-songs-team.html Social Sciences Tue, 12 May 2026 08:00:04 EDT news697708741 Forming social connections online and via social media reduces how much people engage with and learn from the content posted but significantly boosts their networking performance, according to new research. The study, published in Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, led by the University of Bristol in the UK in partnership with the University at Buffalo, State University of New York in the US, found this shift of focus from learning about the actual content to concentrating on the related social connections is more marked among people with a better memory. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-sharper-brains-mindset-online-social.html Social Sciences Thu, 07 May 2026 18:40:01 EDT news697378842 How are ordinary people drawn into extremist circles—and what role can artificial intelligence play in that process? This question is addressed by a new study which, for the first time, combines psychological theories of radicalization with knowledge of modern AI technologies such as recommendation algorithms, generative AI and botnets. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-artificial-intelligence-path-radicalization.html Social Sciences Thu, 07 May 2026 10:20:04 EDT news697365853 Sexual arousal can lead to "tunnel vision" that makes it more difficult to recognize when someone is just not that into you, according to new research in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-sexual-arousal-tunnel-vision-people.html Social Sciences Thu, 07 May 2026 09:00:02 EDT news697295942 The "love hormone" oxytocin (OT) plays a role not only in moments of intimacy but also in competitive situations. Researchers at the University of Zurich (UZH) have shown that OT levels increase when rivalry or clearly defined groups are involved—particularly in men. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-hormone-mode-exposing-rivalry-group.html Social Sciences Wed, 06 May 2026 16:30:04 EDT news697301583 A new study of online communities suggests that their interaction dynamics can amplify small, local imbalances in opinions, rapidly turning initially mixed-opinion communities into highly-polarized ones—even without the algorithms and homogeneity-seeking behaviors typically blamed for sculpting echo chambers. Petter Törnberg of the University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands, presents these findings in the open-access journal PLOS One. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-online-echo-chambers-algorithmic-nudges.html Social Sciences Wed, 06 May 2026 14:00:10 EDT news697275001 A new analysis of inter-family marriages in the mafia-type organized crime group 'Ndrangheta, suggests that matrimonial ties between non-powerful families may play a previously under-appreciated role in maintaining the resilience of the entire 'Ndrangheta network. Maurizio Catino and colleagues at the University of Milano-Bicocca, Italy, present these findings in the open-access journal PLOS One. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-mafias-marriages-strategic-tools-analysis.html Social Sciences Wed, 06 May 2026 14:00:04 EDT news697279443 Researchers at the University of Vermont have uncovered a powerful new insight about how language works—one that overturns a cornerstone assumption in psychology, linguistics, and artificial intelligence that has stood for more than 70 years. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-human-language-deep-safety-bias.html Other Wed, 06 May 2026 14:00:02 EDT news697292341 Researchers from University of California San Diego Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science have found that recent federal grant terminations targeting research on health equity and gender identity have disproportionately affected scientists from the very communities those studies aim to support. The findings were published May 5, 2026 in The Lancet Regional Health—Americas. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-federal-grant-terminations-disproportionately-impact.html Social Sciences Wed, 06 May 2026 12:20:04 EDT news697285262 From James Bond movies to water spirits in mythology, the tales of attractive, dangerous female forms that distract the hero from his path or lure men to their deaths have been around for quite some time. A recent study revisits the familiar motif of the femme fatale, the archetypal dangerous woman, and finds that her presence is near-universal. The traits are consistent across cultures, a period of manipulation, and an ending that is rarely difficult to predict. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-tale-young-femme-fatale-lore.html Social Sciences Wed, 06 May 2026 10:00:08 EDT news697277527 Languages and human DNA both capture aspects of human diversity. But how are they related? A new international study led by the University of Zurich finds a clear but counterintuitive pattern: regions with high genetic diversity tend to have more similar languages, while isolated populations with low genetic diversity show greater linguistic diversity. The research is published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-isolated-human-groups-diverse-languages.html Archaeology Tue, 05 May 2026 15:00:01 EDT news697199450 If you're registered to vote in the United States and you're not among the richest of the rich, political scientist Peter K. Enns has a message for you: Your voice still matters. So does data analysis methodology. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-politicians-statistical-analysis.html Social Sciences Mon, 04 May 2026 18:40:01 EDT news697126082 Humans tend to be captured by things around them that they perceive as pleasurable and aesthetically pleasing. This "sense of beauty" has been widely studied extensively, mostly in experiments that involved adult participants. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-babies-adults-beauty-sharpen-age.html Social Sciences Mon, 04 May 2026 08:00:01 EDT news697100069 The Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) has been attracting millions of fans every year since it was launched back in 1956. At the same time, it represents a unique opportunity for research. Almost no other major cultural event has been so well documented over such an extended period of time. Data on songs, voting and rule changes is freely accessible, making Eurovision an ideal example for computer-assisted social sciences of a data-based culture system. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-eurovision-stays-unpredictable-years-copycats.html Social Sciences Sat, 02 May 2026 16:00:03 EDT news696685581 Gold digging is often seen as a female behavior focused on exploiting wealthier partners for material gain, but science suggests this stereotype may be too narrow. Past studies have shown both men and women value resources in partners, but not much research has delved into the specifics regarding gold digging versus general resource preference in partners. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-gold-exclusive-women-uncovers-common.html Social Sciences Sat, 02 May 2026 15:30:01 EDT news696857622 In the years following the COVID-19 pandemic, much has been said about how the lockdowns created conditions for dual-parent families to spend more time at home with their children. In an ideal vision of family life, this would have led to parents sharing in quality time and caregiving responsibilities, and bonding with their children in a way they hadn't been able to do before. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-term-covid-lockdown-family-life.html Social Sciences Fri, 01 May 2026 11:00:06 EDT news696847743 A pounding heart, shaking limbs, chills and a churning stomach—it's no wonder that fear is an emotion we usually try to avoid. At least most of the time. We may not like having the wits scared out of us in a real-life crisis, but millions of people flock to scary attractions like haunted houses every year. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-good-spirits-houses.html Social Sciences Thu, 30 Apr 2026 14:00:07 EDT news696757703 In cathedrals, such as Canterbury Cathedral in England, colorful stained glass and illustrated hagiographies tell the stories of saints through vivid visual narratives, inviting viewers into richly detailed scenes. Sometimes, this experience extends beyond sight, creating a deeper sense of immersion. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-medieval-images-triggered-soundscapes-reshaping.html Archaeology Thu, 30 Apr 2026 12:20:07 EDT news696765901 An early ninth-century manuscript containing a text of the first known poem in the English language has been discovered in Rome by researchers from Trinity College Dublin. The newly-discovered manuscript in the National Central Library of Rome of Caedmon's Hymn dates from between the years 800 and 830, making it the third oldest surviving text of the poem. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-earliest-poem-english-language-rome.html Archaeology Wed, 29 Apr 2026 14:20:06 EDT news696682021 Ever had that moment when a song comes on and it feels strangely familiar, like it reminds you of another song that came out just a few months ago? If you feel this phenomenon has become more frequent, then you are not imagining it. Science agrees with you. A recent study found that Western music is not only starting to sound more alike but is also becoming less structurally complex than in the past. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-western-music-simpler-repetitive-day.html Mathematics Wed, 29 Apr 2026 14:00:11 EDT news696675887 The idea that information should flow freely is deeply embedded in the design of social media. The assumption is that the more information is produced and shared, the better. However, simulations by a team of scientists including University of Groningen Professor of Artificial Intelligence Davide Grossi show that such an unrestricted flow of information can amplify incorrect ideas among like-minded people. The study is published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-free-amplify-incorrect-ideas.html Social Sciences Tue, 28 Apr 2026 18:10:01 EDT news696616741 People are known to implicitly create connections between different things or ideas in their mind, some of which can influence how they perceive others, themselves and the world at large. These implicit biases have been widely studied by behavioral scientists, who tried to detect and measure them using various tests. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-decades-bias-minds-biggest-focus.html Social Sciences Tue, 28 Apr 2026 07:50:01 EDT news696519109 Human languages are known to have grown and changed considerably over the course of history, often reflecting technological, cultural, and societal shifts. Studying the evolution of languages can thus offer valuable insight into how human societies and cultures have transformed over time. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-universal-patterns-emerge-languages-vocabularies.html Mathematics Sun, 26 Apr 2026 12:40:01 EDT news695985160 The internet and social media platforms have given rise to a rising wave of misinformation, with many users now posting fake news, AI-generated photos or videos and other types of misleading content online. Over the past few years, this rise in misinformation has become a heated topic of debate, with some studies suggesting that it could influence voters during political elections. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-videos-blunt-misinformation-country.html Social Sciences Sun, 26 Apr 2026 09:00:02 EDT news695900044 Over the past decades, the diffusion of fake news and other deceptive content on social media platforms has become a heated topic of debate. Some past studies have explored the broad impact of online misinformation, while others have tried to determine whether deceptive content influences voters during political elections. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-deceptive-content-millions-voters-elections.html Social Sciences Fri, 24 Apr 2026 07:30:01 EDT news696162395 A paper appearing in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences offers a strikingly simple answer to a longstanding question: How do people learn and settle on shared social conventions, from everyday habits to workplace norms? Researchers from the CUNY Graduate Center, the University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University have found that people do not primarily learn by copying others or by calculating the most likely choice. Instead, they follow a two-stage process—sampling behaviors at first, then committing once enough evidence accumulates. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-norms-imitation-deceptively-simple-human.html Mathematics Thu, 23 Apr 2026 18:10:02 EDT news696182101 Individuals in a morally diverse community tend to believe that the community's norms are looser. In turn, norm violations are more accepted, and there is a reduced willingness to police transgressions, according to research by Merrick Osborne, assistant professor of organizational behavior at the ILR School. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-divergent-moral-values-groups-norm.html Social Sciences Thu, 23 Apr 2026 17:20:11 EDT news696181324 Humans are generally a cooperative bunch and most of us probably like to think of ourselves as reliable team players. Cooperation is useful for all sorts of reasons, from running a business and managing community resources to supporting our neighbors. But cooperation is fragile and it slowly starts to fizzle out even under favorable conditions, according to a new study published in Nature. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-groups-slowly-conditions-good.html Social Sciences Thu, 23 Apr 2026 13:40:04 EDT news696169358 For people living in some parts of the United States, their accent might not just indicate where they live, but also who they think they are. In a small study in rural northwestern Ohio, researchers found that men who had a "country" identity—for example, a love of hunting and guns, pickup trucks and country music—showed different vowel patterns in their pronunciations than did their neighbors who showed more interest in pursuits like theater, golf and rock music. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-americans-accent-isnt.html Social Sciences Mon, 20 Apr 2026 18:20:05 EDT news695906702