Behavior

The Human Generosity Project examines why and how human cooperation makes its way through different cultures, even those where love supposedly doesn't exist.

Harnessing the brain's desire to conform to societal norms could be key to cutting meat consumption, researchers say.

Underprivileged kids growing up in congested cities must overcome many handicaps; this study suggests one of them is the very air they breathe.

Scientists are studying people afflicted with Williams syndrome to figure out the biological basis for our behaviors.

New research finds third-graders are more attentive after experiencing a class taught on the lawn.

Do we get our cognitive abilities from our inherited "nature" or from our environment's "nurture?"

Two new studies add to the evidence that we make the distinction between members of our group and outsiders very early in life.

People who perceive themselves as less active than their peers are at greater risk of death—whether they're accurate or not.

New research finds the two traits are mutually reinforcing.

The idea that drugs and biology are to blame for addiction has done more harm than good.

The cheapest VR out there has already saved a life.

Requests for consumers to shift their electrical usage when the power grid is strained can have "perverse effects."

Fatty acids in fish oil may help kids with ADHD focus.

Research shows that people of high and low social classes can act unethically—just in different ways.

The ambient temperature of a courtroom could change the way people perceive crimes—which, in turn, could affect sentencing.

For the month of April we're profiling the individuals who made our inaugural list of the 30 top thinkers under 30, the young men and women we predict will have a serious impact on the social, political, and economic issues we cover every day here at Pacific Standard.

If existing behavioral programs aren’t working, can therapeutic sessions with a dog help kids who have problems at school?

Are preschool teachers influenced in their evaluations of young children by race?

Stanley Milgram's test subjects were not the only ones misled by his famous experiments on obedience.

Do you have a "teen" study? It's probably stupid.

Why do some children benefit more from tutoring than others? And does one small education study have the ability to drastically change our behavior as parents?

Joe Henrich and his colleagues are shaking the foundations of psychology and economics—and hoping to change the way social scientists think about human behavior and culture.

How to spot thrill-seeking men on the dance floor, "sweet" personalities in public, and bidding fever on eBay.