This new study explains how both nature and nurture contribute to how socioeconomic status shapes the brain’s architecture. This is not that surprising, but I think a lot of people will still be surprised about the – long-known – fact that poverty can also shape the brain. From the press release: Your education, your job,… Read More A study on the signatures of socioeconomic status in the brain
In the region where I live, we’ve seen a decline in students learning languages, not unlike in other regions. What to do? This new research shows that children’s willingness to study subjects like French, German or Spanish is shaped far more by their parents’ attitudes than by their teachers or friends. From the press release:… Read More Want more students to learn languages? Try to convince the parents!
Michiel Walrave and colleagues published an interesting qualitative study in Frontiers on sharenting: Exploring Parents’ and Adolescents’ Sharenting Boundaries Through the Lens of Communication Privacy Management Theory (CPM): Specifically, CPM recognizes three general principles (i.e., “privacy ownership,” “privacy rules,” and “privacy turbulence”) to clarify the privacy-related choices individuals make when managing the disclosure of information… Read More Interesting new study: The Limits of Sharenting
We’ve seen a rise in loneliness because of the pandemic, but how can we reduce these feelings? A new study suggests that engaging in meaningful, challenging activities during free time can reduce people’s loneliness and increase their positive feelings. From the press release: Free time is sometimes idealized, but research shows free time can sometimes… Read More Meaningful activities can reduce loneliness
This is a very interesting study by Amy Orben on how the impact of social media on wellbeing varies across adolescence. Do read on what the findings are, but first, read these important limitations: The study has multiple limitations that need to be considered. First, to interpret the parameters from our analyses as estimates of… Read More Impact of social media on wellbeing varies across adolescence
You’ve been in school almost your whole life and now you want to take a year off before going to college. Maybe this sounds like a good idea – if you can afford it – but new research by Evan Riehl, assistant professor in the ILR School, and co-author Nicolás de Roux of the Universidad… Read More Maybe that gap year isn’t such a good idea after all?
Both resilience and reading have been a hot topic for the past years, and now new research from the University of South Australia has shown that there can be a link: reading aloud can triple a child’s resilience at school, particularly for children at-risk. But do note: the study shows a correlation rather than a… Read More Another good reason for reading aloud: it can triple a child’s resilience at school, particularly for children at-risk.
Wait, is blogging working or not? If so, I could be in trouble as working a nontraditional schedule, and checking in at all hours of the day, night and weekends, is not necessarily a good thing. No shit, Sherlock: Working during non-standard (vs. standard) work time harms intrinsic motivation. This is driven by upward counterfactual… Read More Depressing find: Working, studying in ‘off’ hours can harm motivation
Sometimes it seems that it has become dangerous to post something about vaccines, but this study is about an important side-effect: Receiving at least one vaccine dose was associated with statistically significant declines in multiple psychological distress factors. From the press release: Getting vaccinated for COVID-19 measurably improved the psychological well-being of participants in the… Read More An important side-effect of vaccines: boosting mental health along with immunity
This is relevant stuff. Two studies with data from 13 countries examined the effect of lockdowns and isolation on 2,200 young infants and toddlers between 8 and 36 months of age. The results aren’t clearcut good or bad, but still pretty clear. Again it shows how the pandemic can make differences between children bigger. Do… Read More The effects of lockdowns on early (language) development of children
From experience to meaning... 