Academic literature recognizes innovation as one of the main drivers of a company’s stock value, but experience says that it’s not always the case and that, when it is, the magnitude of the effect can vary wildly. New research by Bocconi University and Texas A&M scholars proposes a finer-grained view asserting that: The reaction of large...
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Can a Critic-Turned-Believer Sway Others? the Case of Genetically Modified Foods
What happens when a strong advocate for one side of a controversial issue in science publicly announces that he or she now believes the opposite? Does the message affect the views of those who witness it — and if so, how? Although past research suggests that such “conversion messages” may be an effective persuasion technique,...
Celebrity Culture Likely Contributed to Destigmatizing Out-Of-Wedlock Childbirth
In 1992, former Vice President Dan Quayle criticized the sitcom character Murphy Brown’s decision to have a child out of wedlock. His comments soon expanded to include “the cultural elite in Hollywood,” who were accused of undermining traditional family values. Quayle’s comments ignited discussions that dominated the day’s news cycle and continue today about how...
2017 Women’s March Solidarity Events Drew 100 Times National Protest Average, Study Shows
As the next Women’s March approaches, a new study of the 2017 Women’s March solidarity events led by University of Notre Dame Associate Professor of Sociology Kraig Beyerlein is likely a good predictor of what to expect. Based on a survey of sister marches across the United States, key characteristics of the events were massive...
Consumerism in Crisis as Millennials Stay Away from Shops
Christmas may seem like a distant memory, but retailers won’t forget it in a hurry: it was the worst on the UK high street since 2008. Marks & Spencer and Debenhams saw sales fall, while the likes of specialist retailer Halfords and discounter B&M also struggled. Even that most Christmassy of stores, John Lewis, is...
Part-Time Working Mothers with Flexible Schedules End Up Doing More Work Without Pay
Part-time working mothers who have the ability to control their own schedule often end up working an increased amount of unpaid overtime, new research from the University of Kent has found. On average in the UK men work an extra 2.2 hours a week in unpaid overtime while for women it is about 1.9 hours....
Personality Type Could Shape Attitudes Toward Body Weight of Others
Studies show there is a major link between personality traits and personal body image, but the relationship between personality and attitudes toward others’ bodies has gone largely unexplored. Now, Florida State University researchers suggest that the specific alchemy of an individual’s personality — their distinct blend of conscientiousness, agreeableness, openness, neuroticism and extraversion — is...
Despite Progress, Gay Fathers and Their Children Still Structurally Stigmatized
A study published in the February 2019 “Pediatrics” journal suggests the majority of gay fathers and their children continue to experience stigma with potentially harmful physical and psychological effects, despite legal, media and social advances. Study participants specifically cited structural stigma, such as state laws and beliefs of religious communities, as affecting their experiences in...
Cop Voice: Jay-Z, Public Enemy Songs Highlight Police Tactic to Frighten People of Color
What do songs by artists like Jay-Z and Public Enemy have in common? They feature representations of ‘cop voice,’ a racialized way of speaking that police use to weaponize their voices around people of color, according to faculty at Binghamton University, State University of New York. Jennifer Lynn Stoever, associate professor of English at Binghamton...
Store Craft Beer in a Cool Place and Consume It as Fresh as Possible
A new study by the Leibniz-Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich (Leibniz-LSB@TUM) shows that craft beer should be kept cool and consumed as fresh as possible. After three months, cold stored beer already loses more than one third of an important hop odorant which characterizes the typical aroma of many...