EurekAlert! News by Subject: Social & Behavior - News by Subject: Social & Behavior

Social & Behavior

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 15-Sep-2025 02:11 ET (15-Sep-2025 06:11 GMT/UTC)

Research reveals missed opportunities to save George Floyd’s life

Lancaster University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

The murder of George Floyd could have been avoided if police had responded to the concerns of bystanders reveals research led by Lancaster University.

George Floyd was murdered by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin on May 25 2020.

For the first time, psychologists have analysed 12 videos recorded on the body-worn cameras of the attending officers, the smartphones of bystanders and local CCTV cameras from 19:55 until 20:42 (CST) on the date of his death.

Professor Levine said: “We argue that these bystander interventions create the opportunity for officers to break the pattern of behaviour that will lead to murder

Journal: American Psychologist

Research spotlight: Study provides a window into public perceptions about technological treatment options for brain conditions

Mass General Brigham
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Rémy Furrer, PhD, a postdoctoral research fellow and Amanda Merner, PhD, an instructor and research scientist in the Brain Bioethics Lab in the Department of Neurosurgery at Massachusetts General Hospital are the lead authors of a paper published in Device, “Public perceptions of neurotechnologies used to target mood, memory, and motor symptoms.” Gabriel Lázaro-Muñoz, PhD, JD, associate professor in the Departments of Neurosurgery and Psychiatry at MGH, is senior author.

Journal: Device
Funder: Dana Foundation, NIH/National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, NIH/National Institutes of Health, NIH/National Institute of Mental Health

Excess US deaths before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic

JAMA Network
Peer-Reviewed Publication

About The Study: Between 1980 and 2023, the total number of excess U.S. deaths reached an estimated 14.7 million. Although excess deaths per year peaked in 2021, there were still more than 1.5 million during 2022 to 2023. In 2023, excess death rates remained substantially higher than pre-pandemic rates. The rising trend from 1980 to 2019 appears to have continued during and after the pandemic, likely reflecting pre-pandemic causes of death, including drug overdose, firearm injury, and cardiometabolic disease. These deaths highlight the continued consequences of U.S. health system inadequacies, economic inequality, and social and political determinants of health.

Journal: JAMA Health Forum

Wayne State researcher examines long-term effects of bullying on college outcomes

Wayne State University - Office of the Vice President for Research
Grant and Award Announcement

With funding from the Spencer Foundation, a private foundation focused on funding education studies, a Wayne State University research team is examining the long-term effects of bullying and mental health on social and academic progress in adolescents.

Funder: Spencer Foundation

The Roman massacre that never happened according to a new study of an iconic archaeological site

Bournemouth University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new study by archaeologists at Bournemouth University has revealed that bodies recovered from a ‘war-cemetery’, previously attributed to the Roman Conquest of Britain at Maiden Castle Iron Age hillfort in Dorset, did not die in a single dramatic event.

Journal: Oxford Journal of Archaeology

Reciprocity between humans and nature: Key to safeguarding planetary health

Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Practicing reciprocity between humans and nature—namely caring relationships between people and nature when they perceive benefits from nature—can contribute positively to both the planet and societies. This is the main conclusion of a comprehensive international study that explores the different ways in which this concept is understood and enacted worldwide, providing evidence of its impact on sustainability and social well-being.

Journal: People and Nature

Hey vespids, what's for dinner? DNA analysis of wasp larvae’s diverse diet

Kobe University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A survey on larvae of Japanese wasps revealed that not only is their diet more diverse than previously thought, it also showed that wild colonies prey on more species of vertebrates than had been reported in the past. The Kobe University study highlights the potential for management practices that are sustainable both ecologically and culturally.

Journal: Journal of Insects as Food and Feed