Cultural traits — the information, beliefs, behaviors, customs, and practices that shape the character of a population — are influenced by conformity, the tendency to align with others, or anti-conformity, the choice to deliberately diverge. A new way to model this dynamic interplay could ultimately help explain societal phenomena like political polarization, cultural trends, and the spread of misinformation. 

Brief cognitive behavioural interventions that help young people manage aspects of their personality, such as impulsivity, sensation seeking, hopelessness, and anxiety sensitivity, have been shown to reduce teen Substance Use Disorders. The American Journal of Psychiatry published the findings from a new cluster randomised trial involving 31 Canadian high schools and 3,800 students. The study, led by Dr. Patricia Conrod from Centre de recherche Azrieli du CHU Sainte-Justine, showed that when such interventions are delivered to students in the 7^th grade they are associated with reduced risk for substance use disorders by the end of high school.