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Updates every hour. Last Updated: 20-Jun-2026 16:16 ET (20-Jun-2026 20:16 GMT/UTC)
A new Concordia University study finds that socially excluded children may become more accepted by peers if they have a well-liked best friend — but the same effect does not apply to children who are withdrawn or shy. Researchers tracked 252 Montreal elementary students and found that a friend’s social standing can help reduce exclusion over time, suggesting schools should tailor interventions differently for excluded versus withdrawn children.
The Securities and Exchange Commission is handing out whistleblower awards as high as $20 million. The assumption behind those payouts is simple: Bigger rewards mean more people will come forward. But new research finds that logic may be flawed.
Ronghuo Zheng, associate professor of accounting at the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin, finds whistleblower incentives operate in a Goldilocks range. Make them too small, and they fail to motivate reporting. But make them too large, and they can cut down whistleblowing, allowing serious problems to go unresolved.A new study tracking nearly 400 students ages 9 to 14 found that when mothers strongly disapprove of a child’s friends, those friendships are far more likely to unravel. Researchers discovered that parental criticism can quietly erode friendships by making children feel unsupported and unwelcome — weakening trust, closeness and connection until the relationship collapses. The findings also raise concerns that breaking up friendships this way may come at a cost, potentially contributing to emotional and social problems later on.