https://phys.org/ en-us Phys.org internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. People are more likely to act helpfully in situations where there are poorer choices to give to others, according to a new study that tested willingness to help others in different contexts. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-people-poor-environments-rich-reveals.html Social Sciences Mon, 09 Feb 2026 14:00:03 EST news689862645 A recent paper examines how emotional intelligence functions as a critical skill in education settings and as a leadership capability in modern organizations, particularly amid rising workplace strain, complexity, and change. The research is authored by Chanell Russell, a research fellow with the Center for Organizational Wellness, Engagement and Belonging (CO-WEB) at University of Phoenix College of Doctoral Studies. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-emotionally-intelligent-leadership-organizational-wellness.html Economics & Business Sat, 07 Feb 2026 17:00:04 EST news689527231 Researchers, including Professor of Management and Organization Reuben Hurst at the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business, have produced VRscores, an unprecedented public database for understanding the partisan lean of different employers in the United States. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-vrscores-database-workplace-politics-employers.html Political science Thu, 05 Feb 2026 19:50:01 EST news689518672 People who sign consent forms feel more trapped—not more empowered—than those who give consent verbally, according to new research by Vanessa Bohns, the Braunstein Family Professor in the ILR School, and co-author Roseanna Sommers of the University of Michigan Law School. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-mindful-choice-probes-written-consent.html Social Sciences Wed, 04 Feb 2026 18:00:01 EST news689431394 Precocial animals, the ones that move autonomously within hours after hatching or birth, have many biases they are born with that help them survive, finds a new paper led by Queen Mary University of London, published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-innate-biases-newborn-animals-decision.html Plants & Animals Tue, 03 Feb 2026 19:10:06 EST news689331181 For a long time, most scientists believed that early human hunter-gatherer societies were mostly equal, with little hierarchy or leadership, and that strong inequalities only emerged later with farming and complex societies. However, new research out of Arizona State University is challenging this. Archaeological finds, ethnographic studies and now psychological research suggest that inequality in influence—who people listen to, copy, and follow—may have been part of human societies deep into our evolutionary past. The research has been published in Nature Communications. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-leadership.html Social Sciences Tue, 03 Feb 2026 06:44:19 EST news689323442 Young adults in Sweden feel significantly worse than older people in almost all areas of life. While older Swedes rank among the happiest in the world, young adults struggle with loneliness and psychological distress. These are the findings of a new large-scale study on flourishing in Sweden, published in the International Journal of Wellbeing and conducted by researchers at the Stockholm School of Economics, Lund University, Oslo Metropolitan University and Harvard University. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-sweden-young-adults-dissatisfied-oldest.html Social Sciences Mon, 02 Feb 2026 20:30:01 EST news689264652 Financial abuse is a common and often hidden type of abuse within family and domestic violence, characterized by behaviors that control, restrict, or hide money and financial information, frequently involving a person's bank accounts, credit cards, tax filings, and business reporting systems. Financial abuse is a very particular subset of economic abuse. It's an effective form of coercive control that restricts a person's financial autonomy, decision-making capacity, and access to their own funds, and it's estimated to cost the economy nearly $11 billion a year and affects more than 2.4 million Australians. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-financial-abuse.html Social Sciences Mon, 02 Feb 2026 20:10:02 EST news689253446 Whether gathering berries, hunting, or fishing, humans searching for food make decisions not only based on personal experience but also by observing others. In a large-scale field study, an international team of researchers investigated how social information influences foraging behavior, using Finnish ice-fishing competitions as a natural setting. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-ice-fishing-competitions-reveal-human.html Social Sciences Thu, 29 Jan 2026 14:00:04 EST news688899301 A new study published in the Journal of Consumer Psychology reveals a hidden tension in ethical consumerism: While consumers morally support companies that hire individuals experiencing homelessness, deep-seated social stigmas can inadvertently drive down sales. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-checkout-line-consumer-stigma-undermines.html Social Sciences Thu, 29 Jan 2026 04:58:16 EST news688885081 The advisor-advisee relationship is central to most doctoral education models. Yet not all students trust their advisors. Danfei Hu, Jonathan E. Cook and colleagues sought to examine the importance of this relationship to success and well-being in graduate school. The authors focused on the first year of graduate school, a time in which Ph.D. students adapt to their role as scholars and in which large numbers of students drop out. The study is published in PNAS Nexus. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-phd-advisor-good-grad-school.html Education Tue, 27 Jan 2026 12:48:18 EST news688740481 Relationships can feel like both a blessing and the bane of your existence, a source of joy and a source of frustration or resentment. At some point, each of us is faced with a clingy child, a dramatic friend, a partner who recoils at the first hint of intimacy, a volatile parent or a controlling boss—in short, a difficult relationship. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-difficult-relationship-psychology-shift-dynamic.html Social Sciences Mon, 26 Jan 2026 12:35:25 EST news688653302 In the modern workplace, flexible arrangements can be as important as salary for some. For many employees, flexibility is no longer a nice-to-have luxury. It has become a fundamental requirement for staying in the workforce, especially after COVID. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-flexible.html Economics & Business Sat, 24 Jan 2026 11:20:01 EST news688375217 Many women have experienced severe distress as Grok, the AI chatbot on social media site X, removed clothing from their images to show them in bikinis, in sexual positions or covered in blood and bruises. Grok, like other AI tools, has also reportedly been used to generate child sexual abuse material. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-ai-generated-sexual-images-real.html Social Sciences Thu, 15 Jan 2026 13:36:25 EST news687706562 Young children are more inclined to believe incorrect math information from men than accurate information from women, according to a Rutgers University–New Brunswick study published in the journal Developmental Science. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-gender-bias-math.html Mathematics Thu, 15 Jan 2026 10:30:05 EST news687695169 Media increasingly portray being single as an expression of people's lifestyle, self-determination and empowerment, with expressions such as self-partnership, solo living, sologamy and singlehood dominating the discourse. At the same time, more and more young adults are opting not to engage in a committed romantic relationship. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-staying-longer-affects-young-people.html Social Sciences Wed, 14 Jan 2026 18:20:04 EST news687615245 Researchers at the University of Basel have developed a tool that measures when people engage in dialog across political divides. The results show that personal factors play a greater role in people's willingness to engage in dialog than the controversial nature of a topic. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-people-differently-dont.html Social Sciences Tue, 06 Jan 2026 10:58:23 EST news686919481 Conspiracy theories are one of the banes of the modern world, exacerbated by the internet and social media. What was once relegated to the fringe has now been pushed into the mainstream, actively shaping public discourse and policies. But why do so many people buy into these narratives even when they are contradicted by empirical facts? https://phys.org/news/2026-01-psychological-traits-fuel-conspiracy-theorist.html Social Sciences Mon, 05 Jan 2026 12:42:01 EST news686839199 It's that time of year when the internet turns into a giant group chat about self-improvement. New year, new you. Better habits. Better boundaries. A year older, and maybe wiser. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-youre-wise-tuesday-foolish-sunday.html Social Sciences Mon, 05 Jan 2026 09:36:13 EST news686828059 Class identity, which is how individuals view their economic and social positions in relation to others, has wide-ranging effects on people's well-being, thoughts, and behavior. Previous studies have shown that people who identify with a higher class have better physical and emotional health, tend to vote more conservatively, and have a more optimistic view of society. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-recession-people-class.html Social Sciences Mon, 22 Dec 2025 08:45:18 EST news685615502 When people reach for the same object, walk through a narrow doorway, forage for food, or work together on a shared task, they continuously negotiate—often without noticing—how much to cooperate or compete. Unlike classical laboratory games that force players to choose between fixed options in advance, real-life interactions unfold dynamically, with movement timing and subtle cues shaping social behavior from one moment to the next. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-real-social-interactions-reveal-cooperation.html Social Sciences Fri, 19 Dec 2025 12:15:19 EST news685368901 With many people now heavily relying on electronic devices to communicate with others, connecting on a deeper level with others, particularly face-to-face, can prove challenging. Recent nationwide surveys and psychological studies suggest that today many people feel lonely, socially isolated and/or disconnected from others living in their same geographical area. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-good-easily-strangers.html Social Sciences Thu, 18 Dec 2025 10:20:01 EST news685210606 When postdoctoral researcher Matthew Zipple releases lab mice into a large, enclosed field just off Cornell's campus, something remarkable happens. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-cages-fields-lab-mice-anxiety.html Plants & Animals Mon, 15 Dec 2025 13:30:02 EST news685027545 It shouldn't come as a surprise that the Oxford Dictionary has named "rage bait" its Word of the Year. The quantity of live-streamed drama in 2025 has made it clear that outrage is now fueling much online content. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-rage-bait-oxford-word-year.html Social Sciences Wed, 10 Dec 2025 16:31:23 EST news684606661 A new study provides a crucial roadmap for Japan to address an escalating ecological challenge while advancing food sustainability: overcoming the psychological barriers to game meat consumption. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-reveals-key-psychological-barriers-game.html Ecology Fri, 05 Dec 2025 13:19:11 EST news684163142 School violence is a global public health phenomenon. This is when learners and teachers are the victims of physical and psychological abuse, cyber threats and bullying, fights, gangsterism, and the use of weapons at school. https://phys.org/news/2025-11-school-violence-doesnt-isolation-southern.html Social Sciences Tue, 25 Nov 2025 18:00:04 EST news683301234 Personality and zip code can help explain differences in political ideology, according to a new study from Northwestern University, which is the first to show the relationship between a person's personality traits and political preference varies, depending on where one lives. https://phys.org/news/2025-11-personality-traits-code-political.html Social Sciences Thu, 20 Nov 2025 09:38:03 EST news682853881 A study by Associate Professor Nevin Cohen and colleagues reveals that food waste in U.S. households varies significantly based on behavioral patterns and shopping habits, rather than simple demographics like age or income alone. The work is published in the journal Foods. https://phys.org/news/2025-11-behavioral-patterns-habits-household-food.html Environment Wed, 19 Nov 2025 13:13:03 EST news682780382 When we talk about the health effects of PFAS, we commonly think about any physical effects on the body. https://phys.org/news/2025-11-pfas-chemicals-distressing-theyre-sick.html Environment Wed, 19 Nov 2025 10:00:05 EST news682768802 A pair of George Mason University marketing professors have unpacked the surprisingly intense and complicated emotional consequences of brand inauthenticity. https://phys.org/news/2025-11-consumers-react-betrayed-brand.html Economics & Business Wed, 12 Nov 2025 08:30:03 EST news682158601