ScienceDaily: Science & Society News

Eviction can result in depression, poorer health and higher stress Posted: 09 Mar 2015 02:48 PM PDT Eviction from a home can have multiple negative consequences for families -- including depression, poorer health and higher levels of stress -- and the side effects can persist for years, according to new research.

Cooperative communities emerge in transparent social networks Posted: 09 Mar 2015 12:55 PM PDT An online experiment reveals that the overall level of cooperation in a group almost doubles when the previous actions of all its members are rendered transparent. When all social connections within the group are also made transparent, the most cooperative band together to form their own community -- ostracizing the less cooperative.

Teens, adults hazy on Washington marijuana law, study shows Posted: 09 Mar 2015 10:51 AM PDT Only 57 percent of Washington parents surveyed knew the legal age for recreational marijuana use and just 63 percent knew that homegrown marijuana is illegal under the law, a new study demonstrates.

Online health information -- keep it simple! Posted: 09 Mar 2015 09:42 AM PDT Australian health websites are too difficult for many people to read, a team of researchers suggest. And limited availability of 'easy-to-read' health materials suggests that many Australians may not be benefiting from the convenience of the internet, they say.

Vaccinate against measles, experts say Posted: 09 Mar 2015 09:42 AM PDT An article has examined reasons people are hesitant to vaccinate. "Active vaccine refusal is a significant issue and leaves a large group of children at unnecessary risk of measles infection and associated complications such as pneumonia, otitis media, encephalitis and death," said co-author of the new study.

Two-step treatment improved function, decreased pain severity in veterans Posted: 09 Mar 2015 09:39 AM PDT A stepped-care strategy improved function and decreased pain severity, producing at least a 30 percent improvement in pain-related disability, investigators report. Although U.S. military veterans who have returned from Iraq or Afghanistan are more likely to suffer chronic pain than veterans of any other conflict in American history, little headway has been made in helping them manage the often debilitating effects of chronic pain, authors say.

Smiles, word choice show what type of sexism men display Posted: 09 Mar 2015 06:32 AM PDT If you want to know what a man's true attitude towards the female sex is, carefully watch how he smiles and chats to her. This advice is gleaned from a new study. It sheds light on how sexism subtly influences social interaction between men and woman. Even though discrimination against women is thought to have decreased over the past six decades in the United States, instances of sexism are not difficult to find. Experts believe that such gender discrimination can be both hostile and benevolent.

Measuring the marketing effectiveness of asking versus telling Posted: 09 Mar 2015 05:30 AM PDT Most marketing campaigns are centered around advertisements that feature statements as the way to convey a message to targeted consumers. New research finds a question mark has advertising value too -- but only under certain conditions. The findings focus on the difference that arousal makes between an advertisement that uses a question mark and one that uses a period. The takeaway for the marketing and advertising industry is to know where your message is being seen.

Online and offline: The changing face of meetings Posted: 09 Mar 2015 05:28 AM PDT In all but the most disconnected places, most of us are connected to our online social networks and contacts information throughout the working day and either side. Moreover, even in face-to-face meetings it is now common for people to check their phones periodically. New research suggests that the online world is now increasingly facilitating new relationships in the offline world.

How to identify, better manage effective sales-force hunters and farmers Posted: 09 Mar 2015 05:26 AM PDT Identifying effective hunters and farmers in the sales force may point the way to better bottom lines for businesses. Researchers showed a 3 percent improvement in company sales profitability for salespeople who are “ambidextrous” — that is, high in both hunting and farming orientations.