The link between childhood obesity and poor learning
Obesity is a global epidemic. The number of obese adults has more than doubled to 600 million worldwide since 1980, according to the World Health Organization. It’s also starting at an early age. The...
View ArticleShared intentions: How and when we learned to collaborate
Shared intentions are part of our everyday life. They range from the banal, such as “we intend to go out to dinner tonight”, to those with more far-reaching consequences like “we intend to form an...
View ArticleCharitable giving: What motivates your donation?
Do you believe some groups deserve handouts, but that others should work for it? And how do you decide? The answers to these questions could depend on your motives for donating to charity: Are your...
View ArticleLeaving it to fate: how personality influences wealth
Photo: iStock Personality plays more of a role in determining a person’s level of wealth at retirement than previously thought. People who believe they can influence the direction of their own lives by...
View ArticleThe contagion effect: How bribery and corruption spreads
Bribery is a stubborn scourge in many countries that undermines economies and promulgates inequality. It persists despite the usual response of applying tough sanctions against both the officials who...
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Can behavioural economics help stifle our irrational biases?
Every day we make hundreds of decisions that add to economic uncertainty. Can behavioural economists find ways to defeat these irrational biases? Imagine you are a member of a team that plans to...
View ArticleTackling the issue of parental gender bias
A Monash Business School study challenges the common belief that parents in developing countries favour sons over daughters. Parental gender favouritism has long been assumed to exist among developing...
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Could an ‘opt-in until you opt-out’ approach work to boost female leaders?
What does it take to get women into leadership positions? Our new podcast series Thought Capital speaks to an academic leader and explores intriguing new research. Quotas, affirmative action,...
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How mothers impact on the careers of their daughters
A new study finds teenage daughters are influenced by their mothers and the women around them when it comes to their future work choices. If mothers want their daughter to enjoy a good career, it turns...
View ArticleCan less punishment lead to less crime?
‘Tough on crime’ is a favoured approach for many politicians. But what if the way to reduce crime was actually to reduce punishment? This isn’t criminology or sociology, it’s economic theory. With...
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The ‘truth’ about ‘bullsh*t’ and why we do it at work
Why people ‘bullsh*t’ is now a genuine area of study and reveals a lot about our motivations, particularly in the workplace. These days it appears people are less influenced by objective facts than...
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Stifled hopes of a better life are fuelling rage and reaction. How do we...
Once a compelling force, the belief in upward mobility – that people can improve their place in society – is faltering across the world. Income inequality has been worsening over the past few decades....
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