September 16, 2025 — University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USANew research published in PLOS Biology reveals that several genetic variants associated with social behavior in honey bees are located within genes previously linked to social behavior in humans. According to Ian Traniello and colleagues, these findings point to ancient molecular roots of social behavior that have been conserved across species. Understanding Individual Differences in Sociability In social species, individuals display varying levels of sociability — some are highly connected and…
New research shows that young orangutans learn essential nest-building skills by watching others and practicing over many years Primatologists from the University of Warwick, in collaboration with the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, have discovered how young orangutans acquire one of their most vital survival skills: building secure treetop nests. Why Nests Matter Nest-building is critical to orangutans, who spend their lives high in the forest canopy. A well-built nest provides: Despite its importance, nest-building has often been overlooked…
Researchers introduce a new term to explain apes’ fondness for fermented fruit—and how it could illuminate human evolution. What Is ‘Scrumping’? A recent study conducted by academics at Dartmouth and the University of St Andrews introduces a name for a behaviour that has been long observed but never explicitly characterised in great apes: scrumping. The phrase denotes the act of collecting or appropriating fermenting fruits—usually those that have fallen from trees—by apes. “We never bothered to differentiate fruits in trees…
A recent study conducted by experts at the University of Waterloo suggests that female pilots may excel above their male colleagues in high-pressure flight scenarios. The results contest conventional beliefs in aviation and indicate that female pilots may possess distinct advantages that warrant more acknowledgement in pilot training and assessment frameworks. “These findings are exciting because they push us to rethink how we evaluate pilots,” Naila Ayala, the principal author of the study and a postdoctoral scholar at Waterloo’s Multisensory…
Psychological and philosophical research has consistently demonstrated that an individual’s subjective moods and emotions profoundly influence their perception of life’s significance. Philosopher Matthew Ratcliffe noted that an individual’s mood significantly influences perception and is crucial in shaping their understanding of life’s meaning. Empirical studies in psychology have examined the influence of mood on the perception of life’s purpose. Phenomenology has demonstrated that the embodied, first-person experience significantly shapes our perception of the world. In related disciplines, the notions of affordance,…
Recent research elucidates how our brains are inherently attracted to and recognise faces in many contexts. Experiencing the phenomena of face pareidolia occurs when one perceives faces or human-like expressions in ordinary items. A recent study conducted by the University of Surrey has examined how this phenomena captures our attention, perhaps offering insights for advertising in the promotion of future items. The research, published in i-Perception, examined the distinctions between attention directed by averted gazes—when an individual looks away from…
We often communicate emotions through our voice — shifts in tone, pitch, and rhythm can reveal what we’re feeling, even when we don’t say it outright. But what emotions are most commonly expressed through complaints, and do these emotional cues vary across cultures? A new study by researchers in Switzerland and Canada, published in Frontiers in Communication, explores how people vocally express complaints — and how these expressions differ between French and Québécois speakers. “Complaining is differentiated from neutral speech…
Possessing a smartphone before the age of 13 correlates with diminished mental health and well-being in early adulthood, as indicated by a global study including over 100,000 adolescents. A study published today in the peer-reviewed Journal of Human Development and Capabilities revealed that individuals aged 18 to 24 who acquired their first smartphone at age 12 or younger were more prone to report suicidal ideation, aggression, dissociation, inadequate emotional regulation, and diminished self-esteem. The research indicates that the effects of…
The belief that owning a pet improves mental well-being has long been popular. Many assume that adopting a dog or cat leads to greater happiness and reduced loneliness. But new research challenges this assumption, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, when social isolation was widespread and pet adoption rates soared. Exploring the Emotional Role of Pets During Lockdown While it’s often believed that pets bring health and emotional benefits, scientific studies have struggled to consistently confirm this so-called…
Bedtime procrastination in young adults is associated with negative emotions DARIEN, IL – A new study to be presented at the SLEEP 2025 annual meeting found that bedtime procrastination in young adults is associated with specific personality traits, including depressive tendencies. Results show that bedtime procrastination was associated with higher neuroticism and lower conscientiousness and extraversion. These results remained significant after statistically adjusting for chronotype. “Our study demonstrated that individuals who habitually procrastinate their bedtime were actually less likely to…
Some two-thirds of riders and drivers for food delivery and ride-hailing apps in the UK may work in fear of “unfair feedback” and experience anxiety over sudden changes to working hours, a new survey study led by the University of Cambridge suggests.* Three-quarters of riders and drivers in the study report anxiety over potential for income to drop, with over half (51%) saying they risk health and safety while working. Some 42% of delivery and driver gig workers say they…
Researchers found the illustrated cards used in Dixit helped evoke emotions in a way that could bridge the gaps between people with and without autism A board game through which players use images on cards to develop and tell their own stories could be particularly appreciated among people with autism as it offers a means to explain their thoughts and feelings, a new study has shown. Dixit, an award-winning game published by the French company Libellud, invites participants to select…
Q&A with Child Development journal author According to the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, approximately 1 in 6 children in the United States have developmental disabilities which include physical, learning, language or behavior-related disabilities. Students with disabilities often receive accommodations (how students access and learn the same content as their classmates) at school, but teachers rarely explain them to typically-developing classmates. Children with disabilities are increasingly included in general education classrooms alongside typically-developing classmates. Accommodations such as…
PULLMAN, Wash. — When it comes to public attitudes toward using self-driving cars, understanding how the vehicles work is important—but so are less obvious characteristics like feelings of excitement or pleasure and a belief in technology’s social benefits. Those are key insights of a new study from researchers at Washington State University, who are examining attitudes toward self-driving cars as the technology creeps toward the commercial market—and as questions persist about whether people will readily adopt them. The study, published…
How relatedness to nature is linked to well-being is determined by district-level socioeconomic status. The Kobe University analysis is based on survey results from two major Japanese metropolitan areas. Hiking. Camping. Even just walking in the park. Be it a current hobby or a childhood pastime, many urban residents have engaged in activities that have nurtured in them a positive relationship with nature. But in our modern society, disparities in access to nature have only grown larger between residential areas….
How social networks shape the vocal diversity of monk parakeets In the urban parks of Barcelona, Spain, the calls of a tropical parrot fill the air. The bright green monk parakeet, native to South America, has found a new home in European cities. Monk parakeets thrive in huge colonies where they communicate with each other using many distinct sounds—offering scientists a unique window into understanding the interplay of individual social relationships with vocal variety. For social animals, communication is a…
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