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Social & Behavior

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 26-Oct-2026 04:16 ET (26-Oct-2026 08:16 GMT/UTC)

Americans agree: Ultraprocessed foods pose major health hazard

Cornell University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Across partisan lines, Americans broadly believe ultraprocessed foods are addictive and harmful – expressing attitudes strikingly like those that spurred regulation of the tobacco industry, new Cornell University-led research finds.

Journal: American Journal of Public Health

Study shows octopuses' impressive ability to navigate space

Dartmouth College
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new Dartmouth study shows octopuses can use mirrors to find food out of sight, demonstrating spatial cognitive abilities. The results are published in Current Biology.

Journal: Current Biology

Surgeon social jet lag and patient risk of major adverse events

JAMA Network
Peer-Reviewed Publication

This study found that patients operated on by surgeons experiencing substantial social jet lag had a higher associated risk of major adverse events. Interventions promoting regular sleep timing and reducing circadian misalignment may improve surgeon burnout and patient safety. Social jet lag reflects the discrepancy between sleep timing on workdays and free days.

Journal: JAMA Surgery

Out-of-pocket costs and health-related social needs among households with children

JAMA Network
Peer-Reviewed Publication

The findings of this cohort study of U.S. households with children suggest that high out-of-pocket medical costs may make it more difficult for households to afford health-related social needs (i.e., accessing food, paying bills, and living in quality housing), potentially contributing to adverse health outcomes.

Journal: JAMA Network Open

Social networks outsmart cognitive biases

University of Pennsylvania
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new study shows how herding in networks makes populations more rational.

Journal: Journal of Social Computing
Funder: Perbak Capital Partners, John Templeton Foundation, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Youth-led book on social media and mental health highlights a complex mix of harms and supports

Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health
Book Announcement

A new book titled SocialsVoice shines a light on the relationship between social media content and mental health from the perspective of Latino youth—a group that engages with social media across multiple languages and cultural perspectives. Through concrete examples, the book presents a complex portrait of their experiences online, including both the mental health risks posed by certain content and the presence of supportive, anti-stigmatizing voices.

Funder: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Politics plays a role in finding a partner

University of Cologne
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new sociological study shows that party affiliation matters when it comes to dating in the U.S. – but not just for political reasons / publication in the European Sociological Review

Journal: European Sociological Review