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

Social & Behavior

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 9-Jul-2025 17:11 ET (9-Jul-2025 21:11 GMT/UTC)

Who does Darth Vader vote for? Not the same party as Harry Potter

University of Southampton
Peer-Reviewed Publication

People think that Harry Potter, Spiderman and Gandalf would vote the same way they do, whereas Darth Vader, Cruella de Vill and Joffrey Baratheon would vote for the rival party.

New research from the University of Southampton, published today [17 March] in the journal Political Science Research & Method, shows how people in the UK and USA believe that fictional characters they admire would share their voting preferences, while those they dislike would vote the other way.

Journal: Political Science Research and Methods

Push to return to "traditional" masculinity imposes costs on men, BGU social psychologist maintains

Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
Peer-Reviewed Publication

In this age of resurgent masculinity, toxic masculinity and a seeming return to more traditional gender roles, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev's social psychologist Dr. Orly Bareket maintains that such a retreat actually harms the men who are at the forefront of the charge.

Journal: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Cambridge research uncovers powerful virtual reality treatment for speech anxiety

Lucy Cavendish College, University of Cambridge
Peer-Reviewed Publication

On a pioneering open access VR platform users transform into confident public speakers with the help of a new approach to exposure therapy.

Journal: Frontiers

‘I Will Vote’: Using future-oriented frames to motivate voters

Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A study offers evidence that promoting voting in the future tense rather than the past tense -- "I Will Vote" rather than "I Voted" -- has a greater effect on citizens' intentions to vote.

Journal: Political Communication

Two factors could help close the hiring gap for autistic job seekers, VCU researcher finds

Virginia Commonwealth University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Neurodiversity training for employers and autism diagnosis disclosure by applicants could help level the playing field, says Christopher Whelpley of the School of Business.

Journal: Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders

When robot becomes boss: Research on authority, obedience and relationships with machines

SWPS University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

How does a robot perform as a boss at work? The results of research by Polish scientists published in Cognition, Technology & Work suggest that while robots can command obedience, it is not as strong as in the case of humans. The level of obedience towards them is generally lower than towards human authority figures, and work efficiency under the supervision of a robot is lower. For employers and HR departments, this means the need to take the psychological aspects of implementing robots in the work environment into account - their perception as an authority figure, trust in them, and potential resistance to following orders, says Konrad Maj, PhD, from SWPS University, a psychologist and head of the HumanTech Center for Social and Technological Innovation.

Journal: Cognition Technology & Work

CeSPIACE: A broad-spectrum peptide inhibitor against variable SARS-CoV-2 spikes

Institute of Science Tokyo
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Frequent mutations of SARS-CoV-2 have reduced the effectiveness of vaccines, highlighting the need for mutation-resistant treatments. In a collaborative study, researchers from the Institute of Science Tokyo (Science Tokyo), Japan developed CeSPIACE, a peptide inhibitor that blocks the virus from binding to host cell receptors. Unlike some existing treatments, CeSPIACE works against many variants, including those from the original strain to Omicron XBB.1.5. This breakthrough could help prevent and treat COVID-19.

Journal: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Funder: Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science