news 2023

By Birgit Baustädter Elisabeth Lex's research combines computer science methods with social science approaches, searching for clues to understand framing, polarisation and opinion clusters. More and more often, people are getting the feeling that society is increasingly polarised - regarding measures introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic, the question of vaccinations, elections, or environmental protection.

Socioeconomic background affects people's self-perceptions and associated chances of success People from lower socioeconomic backgrounds consider themselves to be less talented - even when they show the same performance as people from higher socioeconomic backgrounds. This misperception subsequently contributes to their further disadvantage.

How does competition influence moral behavior? Studies have so far found evidence for both a negative and a positive influence of competition on moral behavior. Researchers from Innsbruck, Vienna, Stockholm, and Amsterdam are using this unanswered question to conduct a meta-study that examines the extent to which different study designs can account for variability in scientific outcomes.

Eight hours without socializing can result in a similar drop in energy as eight hours without eating In a study conducted both in the laboratory and during COVID-19 lockdowns, subjects reported higher levels of fatigue after eight hours of social isolation. The results suggest that low energy may be a basic human response to a lack of social contact.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, people with partners and children were more likely to adopt precautions and to get vaccinated Having a partner and, to a lesser extent, having children, leads people aged 50+ to take greater precautions against COVID-19, starting with the choice to get vaccinated. In a study published in PNAS, University of Florence social-statistician Bruno Arpino in collaboration with Valeria Bordone (University of Vienna) and Giorgio Di Gessa (University College London) found that social control and support within the family leads to the adoption of healthy behaviours.

Medicine & Science As part of a study led by MedUni Vienna in cooperation with the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm and the Karl Landsteiner Private University for Health Sciences (KL) in Krems, a comprehensive European allergy atlas was compiled for the first time using a newly developed test method.