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Computer Science - Social Sciences - 08.08.2023
Social Sciences - 20.06.2023 
Those who have nothing do not believe in their talents
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.
Social Sciences - 31.05.2023 
Morality and competition in science
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.
Social Sciences - Health - 04.04.2023 
Tired of being alone: How social isolation affects our energy levels
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.
Health - Social Sciences - 21.03.2023 
The key role of partners and children in pandemic prevention
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.
Health - Social Sciences - 09.03.2023 
Allergies in Europe: Regional Differences in Sensitization Profiles in Children Detected for the First Time
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.
Life Sciences - Social Sciences - 23.02.2022 
Ancient DNA reveals surprises about how early Africans lived, traveled and interacted
New research provides evidence of demographic shifts in sub-Saharan Africa A new analysis of human remains that were buried in African archaeological sites has produced the earliest DNA from the continent, telling a fascinating tale of how early humans lived, traveled and even found their significant others.
Social Sciences - Life Sciences - 22.12.2021 
World’s oldest family tree provides new insights into kinship and burial practices in Neolithic times
By analyzing ancient DNA an international team of scientists with participation of Ron Pinhasi's team of the University of Vienna was able to retrace the world's oldest family tree. They took samples from a Neolithic tomb in Britain. In their study published they reveal undiscovered information about the structure of prehistoric families.
Health - Social Sciences - 19.05.2021
Environment - Social Sciences - 02.03.2021 
Lack of diversity in science
Women and the Global South are strikingly underrepresented Most publications in leading scientific journals are by male authors from English-speaking countries. This changes only slowly, according to a recent study on diversity in top authorship, concludes Bea Maas from the University of Vienna. Her new study examines the (non-existent) diversity in top authorship in science.
Social Sciences - Life Sciences - 08.02.2021 
Marmoset monkeys have personalities too
In humans, differences in personalities have been evident since the ancient times. Personality in animals has long been ignored, but recently this question has received increasing research interest as it has been realized that personality has evolutionary and ecological significance. An international team of behavioral biologists from Austria, Brazil and the Netherlands, with Vedrana ¦lipogor from the University of Vienna as leading author of the study, designed a set of tasks to assess personality of common marmosets.
Life Sciences - Social Sciences - 22.10.2020 
Big-hearted corvids
Taking a look at generosity within the crow family reveals parallels with human evolution. Working together to raise offspring and increased tolerance towards group members contribute to the emergence of generous behavior among ravens, crows, magpies and company - similarly as it did for our human ancestors.
Architecture - Social Sciences - 27.05.2020 
GAM.16: Designs of uncommon living
By Ute Wiedner The current issue of the Graz Architecture Magazine (GAM) gathers together new collaborative living concepts under the title "gewohnt: un/common" and presents them for discussion as "rehearsal stages" for affordable living. Rising rents and the constantly growing struggle for living space show that the housing market in Europe, with its stereotypical floor plan typologies, is no longer able to react flexibly to changing requirements and the worsening social situation.
Social Sciences - Life Sciences - 15.06.2018 
To share or not to share?
When are primary school children willing to share valuable resources with others and when are they not? A team of researchers from the University of Vienna lead by cognitive biologist Lisa Horn investigated this question in a controlled behavioural experiment. The motivation to share seems to be influenced by group dynamical and physiological factors, whereas friendship between the children seems to be largely irrelevant.
Art and Design - Social Sciences - 30.11.2016 
We like what experts like - and what is expensive
Whether Peter Paul Rubens or Damien Hirst - the personal taste of art can be argued. Scientists from the Faculty of Psychology of the University of Vienna have now shown that the individual taste of art is also dependent on social factors. The personal valuation of art was influenced by who else liked the work - or not.
Social Sciences - Life Sciences - 13.07.2016 
Ravens learn best from their affiliates
One of the benefits of living together is gaining new information from group members. Once a group member starts displaying a new behavior, this behavior frequently spreads to the rest of the group. In a recent study on ravens, Cognitive Biologists Christine Schwab and Thomas Bugnyar from the University of Vienna together with Ipek Kulahci and Daniel Rubenstein from Princeton University and William Hoppitt from Leeds University showed that being socially connected to others is critical in gaining new information.
Social Sciences - 10.11.2015 
Early maternal loss has lifelong effects on chimpanzees
Wild-caught chimpanzees, who were orphaned and imported from Africa in their early infancy, exhibit an impaired social behaviour also as adults. So far long-term effects of early traumatic experiences on social behaviour were known only for humans and socially isolated chimpanzees. An Austrian-Dutch research team led by Elfriede Kalcher-Sommersguter and Jorg Massen published these results in the scientific journal "Scientific Reports".
Life Sciences - Social Sciences - 28.01.2015
Life Sciences - Social Sciences - 29.10.2014
Social Sciences - 03.09.2014
Social Sciences
Results 1 - 20 of 22.
Understanding Human Behaviour with AI
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.
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.
New research provides evidence of demographic shifts in sub-Saharan Africa A new analysis of human remains that were buried in African archaeological sites has produced the earliest DNA from the continent, telling a fascinating tale of how early humans lived, traveled and even found their significant others.
By analyzing ancient DNA an international team of scientists with participation of Ron Pinhasi's team of the University of Vienna was able to retrace the world's oldest family tree. They took samples from a Neolithic tomb in Britain. In their study published they reveal undiscovered information about the structure of prehistoric families.
Changing Values. the Rise in Conservatism in the Corona Crisis
How do people's values and attitudes change over the course of a pandemic? Salzburg sociologists have played a major role in a worldwide longitudinal study on this matter. A year on, findings depict an increase of conservatism in Austria. The Values in Crisis (VIC) survey, carried out internationally, consists of 21 portraits to assess basic values, as well as some 300 other questions on political and social attitudes.
How do people's values and attitudes change over the course of a pandemic? Salzburg sociologists have played a major role in a worldwide longitudinal study on this matter. A year on, findings depict an increase of conservatism in Austria. The Values in Crisis (VIC) survey, carried out internationally, consists of 21 portraits to assess basic values, as well as some 300 other questions on political and social attitudes.
Women and the Global South are strikingly underrepresented Most publications in leading scientific journals are by male authors from English-speaking countries. This changes only slowly, according to a recent study on diversity in top authorship, concludes Bea Maas from the University of Vienna. Her new study examines the (non-existent) diversity in top authorship in science.
In humans, differences in personalities have been evident since the ancient times. Personality in animals has long been ignored, but recently this question has received increasing research interest as it has been realized that personality has evolutionary and ecological significance. An international team of behavioral biologists from Austria, Brazil and the Netherlands, with Vedrana ¦lipogor from the University of Vienna as leading author of the study, designed a set of tasks to assess personality of common marmosets.
Taking a look at generosity within the crow family reveals parallels with human evolution. Working together to raise offspring and increased tolerance towards group members contribute to the emergence of generous behavior among ravens, crows, magpies and company - similarly as it did for our human ancestors.
By Ute Wiedner The current issue of the Graz Architecture Magazine (GAM) gathers together new collaborative living concepts under the title "gewohnt: un/common" and presents them for discussion as "rehearsal stages" for affordable living. Rising rents and the constantly growing struggle for living space show that the housing market in Europe, with its stereotypical floor plan typologies, is no longer able to react flexibly to changing requirements and the worsening social situation.
When are primary school children willing to share valuable resources with others and when are they not? A team of researchers from the University of Vienna lead by cognitive biologist Lisa Horn investigated this question in a controlled behavioural experiment. The motivation to share seems to be influenced by group dynamical and physiological factors, whereas friendship between the children seems to be largely irrelevant.
Whether Peter Paul Rubens or Damien Hirst - the personal taste of art can be argued. Scientists from the Faculty of Psychology of the University of Vienna have now shown that the individual taste of art is also dependent on social factors. The personal valuation of art was influenced by who else liked the work - or not.
One of the benefits of living together is gaining new information from group members. Once a group member starts displaying a new behavior, this behavior frequently spreads to the rest of the group. In a recent study on ravens, Cognitive Biologists Christine Schwab and Thomas Bugnyar from the University of Vienna together with Ipek Kulahci and Daniel Rubenstein from Princeton University and William Hoppitt from Leeds University showed that being socially connected to others is critical in gaining new information.
Wild-caught chimpanzees, who were orphaned and imported from Africa in their early infancy, exhibit an impaired social behaviour also as adults. So far long-term effects of early traumatic experiences on social behaviour were known only for humans and socially isolated chimpanzees. An Austrian-Dutch research team led by Elfriede Kalcher-Sommersguter and Jorg Massen published these results in the scientific journal "Scientific Reports".
Fossil Skull connects continents
So far any trace was missing of those modern humans (Homo sapiens) who took their way from Africa to the North, arriving in Europe around 45,000 years ago and replacing all other forms of hominins. Now a finding from the Manot-Cave in northern Israel is closing this gap in our knowledge about our own origin.
So far any trace was missing of those modern humans (Homo sapiens) who took their way from Africa to the North, arriving in Europe around 45,000 years ago and replacing all other forms of hominins. Now a finding from the Manot-Cave in northern Israel is closing this gap in our knowledge about our own origin.
"Divide and Rule" - Raven politics
A group of ravens is sometimes called a conspiracy. Mythology and folklore have attributed many supernatural features to these large black birds. During the last decades, studies on the cognitive abilities of ravens have indeed revealed that they are exceptionally intelligent. Ravens live in complex social groups and they can gain power in these groups by building social bonds that function as alliances.
A group of ravens is sometimes called a conspiracy. Mythology and folklore have attributed many supernatural features to these large black birds. During the last decades, studies on the cognitive abilities of ravens have indeed revealed that they are exceptionally intelligent. Ravens live in complex social groups and they can gain power in these groups by building social bonds that function as alliances.
Parrots’ go to carpentry school
Scientists from Oxford University, the University of Vienna, and the Max Planck Institute at Seewiesen have shown that a spontaneous innovation by a Goffin's cockatoo can spread to other conspecifics by social learning. After observing that an adult male Goffin cockatoo named Figaro spontaneously started to sculpt stick tools out of wooden aviary beams to use them for raking in nuts out of his reach, the researchers wondered what effect, if any, such individual invention might have on social companions.
Scientists from Oxford University, the University of Vienna, and the Max Planck Institute at Seewiesen have shown that a spontaneous innovation by a Goffin's cockatoo can spread to other conspecifics by social learning. After observing that an adult male Goffin cockatoo named Figaro spontaneously started to sculpt stick tools out of wooden aviary beams to use them for raking in nuts out of his reach, the researchers wondered what effect, if any, such individual invention might have on social companions.
