Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly being used in many countries worldwide to provide public social services, assisting in entitlement decisions to state-paid pensions and unemployment benefits, assessments of asylum applications, and assignments of places at kindergartens. AI technology is intended to help apply fairness criteria in the allocation of this kind of support to individuals and to assess potential beneficiaries accordingly. However, fairness criteria vary from country to country. In India, for example, the caste system influences the distribution of social benefits. In China, access to social services is determined by a "good citizenship" score. But the concepts of fairness in terms of access to limited public resources also vary within Europe. These are major findings from the participative research undertaken by members of the AI FORA – Artificial Intelligence for Assessment project, which were published recently in an online open access volume.

A new study from the Research Centre for Child Psychiatry at the University of Turku in Finland screened school-age children for anxiety and examined the efficacy of the Master Your Worries programme developed for treating anxiety among children. The study found that the programme reduced children's symptoms of generalised anxiety, social anxiety, and separation anxiety. The study also found that lighter, fully digital study material can reduce anxiety symptoms in children.

Researchers at the RPTU University Kaiserslautern-Landau have investigated who is discriminated against and under what conditions when applying for a job or promotion. The results show that a high qualification is a good prerequisite for being judged fairly. However, even small pieces of additional information can activate stereotypes – and turn the tide against applicants.

Queuing for entry into Berlin’s world-famous nightlife is a high-stakes game, filled with speculation on the secrets to getting past the door. New research from the University of Bath, King’s College London, and Freie Universität Berlin shows how ‘selectors’ decide who gets inside - and who gets left out in the cold.

A study by the University of South Australia has found that small live music venue operators across regional Australia face personal and financial strain as they work to keep their doors open and sustain thriving music cultures in their communities.

Data on meal sharing has been analysed together with data on wellbeing for the first time

Globally, meal sharing as an indicator of self-reported wellbeing was on a par with income and employment status. The findings go across all ages, genders, countries, cultures and regions.

In the USA (case study), people are now more likely to dine alone than they were 20 years ago, which the researchers say is driven by young people being more likely to share fewer meals with friends and family.

The number of Americans dining alone has risen sharply, with 26% of American adults reporting eating all of their meals alone on the previous day, which was an increase of over 50% since 2003. Adults over 65 are more likely to eat alone, although since 2018 the rates of those under 35 eating alone has risen at a sharper rate.