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Normal view

Training class increases time fathers spend with children and on housework, improving mothers' access to work

20 June 2026 at 13:30
A one-off training session increased how much time fathers spent with their children and on chores by about two hours a week, reports a new study from the University of Tokyo. A team in Japan provided male employees and their managers with either information on positive office attitudes toward paternity leave or a work-life balance training session. The former corrected common misconceptions, but fathers who attended the training reported real behavioral change. This unexpectedly freed up 3.6 hours of time that mothers used for their own work. The study shows how small workplace interventions can have wider positive impacts for families and businesses.

Excessive Instagram use could erode our sense of self, altering the perception of our bodies

19 June 2026 at 17:20
Instagram use could influence not only how we see our bodies, but also how our brain perceives the bodies we inhabit as "ours." In short, it could erode our sense of self to the point of no longer recognizing ourselves in our own bodies, or feeling "at home" within them.

Thinking of giving a DNA kit for Father's Day? Psychology researcher warns of 'unexpected outcomes'

19 June 2026 at 15:10
DNA testing kits are often gifted for Father's Day, Christmas and special occasions. The idea of learning more about yourself and unearthing some long-forgotten family history is certainly appealing to many, but a psychologist has warned that these presents can come with profound psychological implications.

Describing past relationship as a story may help women process breakups

18 June 2026 at 19:40
Breaking up with a loved one is often a painful life experience, one that is difficult to recover from. Researchers from SWPS University, however, suggest that a simple step can help. Writing down the story of a past relationship increases the effectiveness of thinking about the past and future in close relationships. It is also associated with a better understanding of the causes of relationship breakdown, they write in the journal PLOS One.

From prejudice to harmβ€”current policies targeting trans people follow a clear pattern of escalation

18 June 2026 at 17:00
Public debates about transgender issues are often framed as disagreements over evidence or safety. In my new article published in the International Journal of Transgender Health, I argue current policy shifts are better understood as part of a recognizable escalation pattern.

Q&A: Do high-pressure environments encourage moral disengagement?

18 June 2026 at 15:40
Why do individuals and organizations sometimes rationalize decisions that conflict with their stated values? According to Leah P. Hollis, professor of education policy studies in the Penn State College of Education, the answer may lie in "moral disengagement"β€”a psychological process through which people justify actions that might otherwise conflict with ethical or institutional standards.

Screens dominate the dinner table, with 77.6% of parents using devices

18 June 2026 at 14:40
Food has always had a unique way of bringing people together. It becomes especially evident during family mealtimes, when children and adults gather around the table to share more than just a meal. They share stories, catch up on their day and discuss issues they are dealing with. The scene at the dinner table has, however, changed. People still sit together, but attention often shifts away from the conversation to the devices in their hands.

'Youniversalism' measures growing reliance on personal truth

18 June 2026 at 00:40
It has often been suggested that we now live in a "post-truth" world. People increasingly rely on their own feelings as a yardstick for what is true. Psychologists at the University of Amsterdam (UvA) have now developed the "Youniversalism" scale to allow them to measure people's belief in subjective and experiential truths. The research is published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences.

'Contaminated' cultures: Can conservation protect nature while excluding Indigenous peoples?

17 June 2026 at 23:00
At an international heritage symposium in Japan, I heard a word that stayed with me: "contaminated." The discussion concerned whether Indigenous peoples needed to be named explicitly in a new World Heritage framework. One argument was that Indigenous cultures had changed through contact, survival and adaptation, and therefore no longer required distinct recognition. I found that deeply troubling.

'Alexa, tell me a joke': How talking to AI impacts young children's development

17 June 2026 at 19:00
Children are innately curious, and throughout any given day they come up with all manner of questions: Why don't fish have hair? Why do flowers wilt so quickly? Their need to understand the worldβ€”and develop their language skills and ideasβ€”makes them tireless conversationalists.

Study finds vocational interests predict life outcomes, even for adults

17 June 2026 at 12:20
Career interest tests can be very helpful for teenagers and young adults deciding which career to pursue. New research from Michigan State University challenges the assumption that vocational interests are only relevant for early career decision-making; rather, they remain relevant into adulthood.

AI-based system developed to better detect toxic online content

16 June 2026 at 23:00
A Concordia-led team of researchers has developed a new artificial intelligence-based method of detecting toxic online content that is faster and more accurate than existing tools. The system is designed to ensure social media platforms can reliably prevent user-generated content they deem harmful from appearing online.

Data suggest 'red flag' laws are linked to sustained reductions in arrests

16 June 2026 at 21:10
Individuals subject to extreme risk protection orders (ERPOs), or "red flag" laws, were significantly less likely to be arrestedβ€”including for violent and firearm-related offensesβ€”while the orders were in effect than in the six months before. Strikingly, the drop in arrests did not end when the orders expired and continued for months afterward, according to a new study published in PNAS Nexus.

Millions of people can't access civil justice. New report shows why four decades of reform have failed

16 June 2026 at 21:00
Every year, more people in England and Wales are involved in disputes before the civil courts than in the criminal courts. More than 1 million claims a yearβ€”for personal injury, debt, housing disrepair, faulty consumer goods or breach of contract, for exampleβ€”are dealt with in the county court.

Older LGBTQ+ people fear discrimination in housing and care settings, but one simple intervention is effective

16 June 2026 at 18:20
The Life House Impact Project, led by Dr. Georgia Bowers, Professor Andrew King and Dr. Richard Green, worked with older LGBTQ+ people to document their real concerns about housing and social careβ€”and then brought those experiences into training for the people responsible for that care. The report shows that the proportion of staff who said they regularly or always met their LGBTQ+ service users' needs rose from 55% to 85% in the weeks following the training.

Dominance-oriented views of masculinity widespread among young men, finds study

16 June 2026 at 17:40
Half of young men in Switzerland are concerned that "real men" are increasingly being marginalized in society. A large-scale study by the Jacobs Center for Productive Youth Development at the University of Zurich (UZH), in collaboration with mΓ€nner.ch, shows how prevalent restrictive and dominance-based concepts of masculinity are. These ideas go hand in hand with misogyny, a propensity for violence and opposition to gender equality. Prevention efforts should start in schools.

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