Behavioural Sciences

Reaching out to others can be a cause of anxiety for some, with the prospect sparking a sense of fear or nervousness. But research has found that people significantly underestimate how much others will enjoy the effort to make contact, with the surprise and underlying sentiment much appreciated.

Research has found that when people engage in overt displays of luxury status signalling, others may believe they're uncooperative and care more about their self-interest. This goes some way to explaining the negativity surrounding influencers' social media activity during the pandemic.

New Year's resolutions often end before February because any small hiccups before people reach their end goal can be enough to make them give up entirely. However, an approach termed the 'old year's resolution' encourages persistence by diminishing the stopping power of these stumbles.

Following the rapid spread of the Omicron variant and the reemergence of COVID-19 restrictions, new research has found that confidence in a return to pre-pandemic normality has dropped to an all-time low in the UK, signalling a need for people to reconfigure their expectations.

The BIT and UN Women have partnered to explore interventions that could encourage men to prevent violence against women and girls. Clear and actionable messages lead to the highest probability of intervention, signalling that some men would benefit from more guidance and support.

Despite nihilistic memes and irreverent online culture, Gen Zers are more optimistic about the future than other gens. In wealthier nations, however, they’re more pessimistic about their odds of social mobility than in poorer ones, highlighting important nuances when communicating with them.

'Hot vax summer' is a distant memory, as physical attraction is becoming less important to singles, and men, in particular, are finding sex post-pandemic less important in their romantic life. Tech dependence during lockdown has helped people to connect in ways beyond the superficial.

A Pew study highlights the extent to which US Latinx people believe having a darker skin tone holds them back from progressing in the US. With half saying that there's too little attention on racial issues concerning Latinx people, brands can both raise awareness and address systemic issues.

Census data reveals fewer Americans are starting new households of their own than ever before, and the typical household composition is growing for the first time in 160 years. Multigenerational households, delaying parenthood, and more people staying single are all driving forces.

The number of unpartnered Americans is on the rise and they’re being beaten by partnered Americans when it comes to educational and economic outcomes. As traditional relationship structures get a rethink and new ways of living emerge, they’re looking for support tailored to their choices.

Set to inherit a world order riddled with inequalities and complex societal challenges, the number of Gen Yers and Zers turning their backs on capitalism is on the rise. Voicing their discontent with the power structures at play, the call for revolutionary thinking is gaining traction online.

While it's well-known that money can be a key cause of arguments among couples, a study finds that arguments may be more prevalent among couples with different risk preferences. That is, couples with different financial attitudes are more likely to get divorced.

As lives get automated, a future of consumer robotics may not be far away. But research finds that gazing into the eyes of humanoids has an effect on decision-making. For brands in the robotic space, ethical considerations are important when deciding how to use robots.

With young people seeking to understand themselves – be it through self-help books or self-work – interest in behavioral science and psychology is increasing. Tapping this is The University of Chicago and Pentagram which have launched the world’s first behavioral science exhibition.

People are looking for ways to teach their kids what's great about diversity. Combining this with the love of one of America's favorite foods, Vitamina T for Tacos celebrates the Latinx community while teaching kids the alphabet in a fun and engaging way.

The total percentage of people imprisoned in the US has reached its lowest level since 1995, and the racial divide between prison populations is smaller than ever. Calls for equality and allyship may be playing a role, as freedom from poverty has strong links to reducing crime.

People are more forgiving of chatbots than other humans when it comes to mistakes – however, most still prefer to speak with real people when they're dealing with significant problems. This reveals an important nuance for brands to take into account when designing customer experiences.

Misinformation is not a new phenomenon. But during the pandemic, it became dangerous to public health as false information regarding COVID-19 and necessary precautions swirled online. However, a study finds that false stories do change people's behaviour, but only slightly.

A study has established that algorithms are capable of predicting people’s esthetic judgments. The pivotal research finds that preferences of art can be clustered by AI into three groups, inviting significantly more use of machine-based learnings in the future of marketing and product design.

People are choosing cats over kids in China, as pet ownership soars against the backdrop of declining birth rates. For many young Chinese adults, this choice is a silent act of defiance against a government that is unnecessarily and overly involved in their family planning.

Traditional narratives suggest that couples should have kids – and if people don't, there's an assumption it's because people are unable to have them. But research finds that ‘child-free’ adults are so by choice and are, in fact, happy without children - challenging old assumptions.

Past misdemeanors, easily searchable online, can impact a person's future prospects. As such, the Associated Press is removing the names and images of people charged with petty crimes. With employers increasingly cyber-vetting applicants, the 'right to be forgotten' is a debate with real repercussions.

People who skip breakfast could be missing out on key nutrients, says a study by Ohio State University. Adults who do so consume less calcium, vitamin C, and fiber. Brands have the chance to help people incorporate these nutrients into their diets, whether they eat breakfast or not.

Amid concerns about biases, programmers have worked to make algorithms more benevolent. But while people have grown more trustful of benevolent AI, they’re unwilling to cooperate with it as they would with other people. This poses challenges for the future of AI-human relations.

People are trying to boost their financial health, looking to brands to support them with more empathetic financial planning. However, research has shown that automated payments do not always help people to manage their debts – instead, being unaware of payments can exacerbate them.

A year of lost physical contact has prompted a rise in more self-sufficient and cerebral styles of intimacy among younger people. Swapping prolific dating for purposeful dating, a growing number are showing less interest in casual hook-ups post-pandemic.

When pandemic lockdowns were announced, people flocked to stores to stock up on essentials – often leaving supermarket shelves bare. Research has shown that the people more likely to panic-buy are those who struggle with uncertainty and seek control through their actions.

Unlike more reluctant older cohorts, the desire for the Pfizer vaccine among younger Australians is amping up feelings of frustration around the lack of agency and growing sense of generational discrimination. As a result, the pressure is mounting for a faster vaccine roll-out to be put into action.

As sustainability becomes an increasingly important factor in decision-making for many shoppers, more brands are leaning into buzzwords like ‘green’ and ‘compostable’. But the definitions of these terms remain cloudy, meaning many people are falling prey to greenwashing.

From plant-based recipes to nutritious meal prep ideas, Pinterest is home to countless posts about healthy food. But a study has found that these often don’t end up on people’s plates. The findings underscore how important it is for brands to emphasize flavor, not just healthiness.

A study has found that uncertainty exacerbates partisan ideology on both sides of the political spectrum. The findings underscore ways that liberals and conservatives could see eye-to-eye, as well as spotlighting opportunities to improve feelings of certainty and safety when consuming news.

High living costs and debt are some of the reasons that Chinese Gen Y and Z couples are putting off having children, leading to one of the world’s lowest fertility rates. As more people openly discuss these issues on social media, they’re fighting against the stigma of ‘leftover women’.

Social norms have a big impact on our decisions – for instance, it’s commonly understood that we’re influenced by our friends’ and familes' food choices. Research shows that even the eating habits of our wider social networks such as colleagues can play a pivotal role in shaping our food choices.

'Best-before’ food labels could potentially mitigate food waste, but a study has found that many Americans don’t understand what these labels actually mean. As sustainability efforts continue to grow, clearer explainer labels may offer a solution to help improve understanding.

Despite reliable sources being readily available, misinformation on topics such as climate change, vaccines, and genetically modified food persist. People are increasingly split along group identity lines when it comes to accepting facts, an issue that’s exacerbated by a polarised media.

How does a person’s political affiliation affect their perceptions of food? According to research, people see food as healthier when it’s marketed in a way that aligns with their ideology, findings that have implications as brands increasingly take a stand on political issues.