Maureen Day, a researcher at the University of Southern California who has written several books about the contemporary church, explains what Catholicism looks like in the U.S. as a new pope is elected in Vatican City.

The post As Pope Leo Becomes First American Pontiff, U.S. Catholics Stand ‘At A Crossroads’ − A Sociologist Explains appeared first on Study Finds.

Would you take menu advice from R2-D2 or C-3PO? Your answer might depend less on their programming and more on whether you perceive them as male or female, and your own sense of social power. New research from Penn State shows we don't leave our gender biases behind when interacting with machines, a finding that could reshape how restaurants design their increasingly popular robot waitstaff.

The post Turns Out, We Judge Robots By Gender—Just Like Humans appeared first on Study Finds.

When it comes to the ultimate test of devotion, fewer than half of Americans would give a piece of themselves to save someone they care about.

The post Just 39% Of Americans Would Donate An Organ For A Loved One appeared first on Study Finds.

Tradition holds that black smoke indicates the cardinals have not yet agreed on a new leader, while white smoke signals that a new Pope has been elected. But what kind of smoke is it exactly? Let’s take a look at the science.

The post Pope Election: The Chemistry Behind The Black And White Smoke appeared first on Study Finds.

Intuition might be more than just a hunch; it could be your body telling you what's morally right or wrong. Scientists from Korea University have discovered that people who are more in tune with their heartbeats and internal bodily signals tend to make moral decisions that align with group consensus.

The post How Gut Feelings Help Steer Your Moral Compass appeared first on Study Finds.

While history books and classroom lessons about historical atrocities are common, a new study reveals that actively participating in remembrance projects might be far more effective at motivating people to take action than simply learning about the past.

The post The Memory Project That’s Reshaping How We Combat Hate appeared first on Study Finds.

A new survey reveals the extraordinary impact pets have on our mental wellbeing, with nearly three in five Americans claiming their furry companions have literally saved their lives.

The post 56% Of People Would Shave Years Off Their Lives If They Could Add It To Their Pet’s Lifespan appeared first on Study Finds.

Most of us have experienced that awkward moment: detecting someone's horrifically unpleasant breath and wondering whether to say something. A nationwide survey reveals this dilemma is remarkably common.

The post 1 In 4 People Would Tell Co-Workers If They Had Bad Breath… Would You? appeared first on Study Finds.

Most developed countries are barreling toward a demographic cliff. And it's worse than we thought. New research published today in PLOS ONE reveals that the long-accepted "replacement level" of 2.1 children per woman isn't nearly enough to prevent human extinction.

The post Birth Rate Crisis: Why We May Need 3 Kids Per Family Just To Survive appeared first on Study Finds.

Remember when Friday nights meant getting dressed up and hitting the town? Those days might be fading into memory, as a fresh social shift takes hold across America.

The post Staying In — The New Social Revolution Sweeping America? appeared first on Study Finds.

Every time you accept that gray text suggestion in Gmail or let predictive text finish your sentence, you might be unwittingly adopting a more generic, Western writing style

The post ‘AI Colonialism’: How Automated Writing Tools Are Making Everyone Sound American appeared first on Study Finds.

New research reveals younger workers are far more likely to be heading for the exit door, exhausted and underpaid.

The post Young Workers Ready To Quit: Burnout, Pay Concerns Driving Exodus appeared first on Study Finds.

People who aren’t legal experts are more willing to rely on legal advice provided by ChatGPT than by real lawyers – at least, when they don’t know which of the two provided the advice.

The post People Trust Legal Advice Generated By ChatGPT More Than A Lawyer In New Study appeared first on Study Finds.

Young drivers have long been criticized for risky behaviors, especially in today's smartphone era. But recent findings reveal Gen Z is creating their own rules of the road—using technology more intelligently while still struggling with classic driving distractions.

The post Are Young Drivers The Smartest (And Safest) Thanks To Modern Tech? appeared first on Study Finds.

The survey of 2,000 adults by Talker Research paints a concerning picture. Americans believe only 41% of online content is accurate, factual, and made by humans.

The post Is Anything Real Anymore? AI Making Americans Suspicious Of Everything Online appeared first on Study Finds.

In a country where guns are the leading cause of death for American children and teens, a troubling new study has found that all school shooters, from 11-year-olds to adults, had easy access to firearms.

The post The One Thing Every U.S. School Shooter Had In Common appeared first on Study Finds.

Believing in supernatural forces might be messing with your mental health. A new study suggests that folks who believe in traditional spooky stuff like the devil and witchcraft tend to feel more stressed out and less able to cope with life's curveballs.

The post Belief In Satan, Hell Linked To Greater Stress appeared first on Study Finds.

Those headlines about killer robots and humanity's extinction aren't actually numbing us to AI's current problems. New research from Switzerland reveals that hearing about existential AI threats doesn't diminish our concern for immediate issues like algorithmic bias or deepfakes. In fact, we might be perfectly capable of worrying about both.

The post Is AI Doomsday Talk Distracting Us From Real Problems It’s Already Causing Today? appeared first on Study Finds.

Following the death of Pope Francis, we’ll soon be seeing a new leader in the Vatican. The conclave – a strictly confidential gathering of Roman Catholic cardinals – is due to meet in a matter of weeks to elect a new earthly head.

The post How Will The New Pope Be Chosen? An Expert Explains The Conclave appeared first on Study Finds.

Your dog doesn't criticize your life choices, start arguments about politics, or hold grudges, and that might explain why they rank higher in relationship satisfaction than most humans in your life. A new study from Hungarian researchers has revealed that dog owners experience greater relationship satisfaction with their four-legged companions than with their relatives or friends.

The post Dogs Outrank All Humans (Except Kids) In Our Relationships, Study Shows appeared first on Study Finds.

A new survey reports that 67% of Americans feel they're lagging behind their savings targets. Even worse, 47% have completely given up hope, believing they'll never reach the financial milestones they've set for themselves.

The post Why Nearly Half of Americans Have Given Up on Saving Money appeared first on Study Finds.

In earlier centuries, papal funerals have been elaborate affairs, ceremonies befitting a Renaissance prince or other regal figure. But in recent years, the rites have been simplified.

The post What Will Happen at the Funeral of Pope Francis appeared first on Study Finds.

The awkward "birds and bees" talk might be happening too late for many American kids. A shocking new poll finds that while puberty is starting earlier than ever, with 17% of 7-9-year-olds already showing signs, nearly half of parents lack confidence in recognizing these changes, leaving children to navigate a confusing biological transformation without guidance.

The post The Puberty Talk Is Happening Too Late for Millions of Kids appeared first on Study Finds.

Economic anxiety continues to grip most Americans, with new research showing that barely one in ten people feel truly secure about their money situation right now.

The post Money Worries: Just 13% of Americans Feel Confident About Their Finances appeared first on Study Finds.

Pope Francis has died on Easter Monday, aged 88, the Vatican announced. The head of the Catholic Church had recently survived being hospitalized with double pneumonia.

The post A Look at Pope Francis’ Greatest Reforms — and Controversies appeared first on Study Finds.

That inexplicable "click" you feel with some people might be your nose making decisions your brain hasn't caught up to yet.

The post How Someone Smells May Dictate Whether You’ll Be Friends appeared first on Study Finds.

When deer hunting season kicks off across America, a dangerous ripple effect extends far beyond the woods.

The post When Hunting Season Begins, Gunfire Spikes Outside the Woods, Too appeared first on Study Finds.

Your favorite political fighter might be making you more polarized than you realize—but not for the reasons you think.

The post Political Leaders’ Dark Personalities Drive Division, Polarization appeared first on Study Finds.

Those warm hugs and bedtime stories from your childhood might be shaping your adult personality more than you realize.

The post How Hugging Your Child Can Shape Their Future Personality appeared first on Study Finds.

A decade-long study tracking young Americans reveals a profound shift happening in religious life across the country: people are walking away from churches, synagogues, and mosques in record numbers while maintaining personal spiritual beliefs and practices.

The post Why More Americans Believe in God—But Not Religion appeared first on Study Finds.

Your brain decides how generous you'll be toward strangers versus friends, and scientists have now found the exact brain region responsible for this calculation. A new international study reveals that damage to a tiny region in the brain called the basolateral amygdala (BLA) makes people dramatically less generous toward acquaintances and strangers while maintaining generosity toward close friends.

The post The ‘Social Calculator’ in Your Brain May Explain Why You’re Generous To Some—But Not Others appeared first on Study Finds.

A new study reveals that conservatives consistently trust scientists less than liberals do, and bridging this divide appears remarkably difficult.

The post Why Conservatives Don’t Trust Scientists — And What That Means For Society appeared first on Study Finds.

New research published in The Lancet reveals a startling pattern: around 2016, America's deadliest overdose zones began moving from western states to eastern ones.

The post America’s Overdose Crisis Is Moving East: New Hotspots Emerge appeared first on Study Finds.

It may have once seemed like nothing more than sci-fi fodder, but AI systems now compete not just for our professional attention but for our romantic interests too.

The post Falling for Machines: The Growing World of Human-AI Romance appeared first on Study Finds.

Most Americans are ditching the remote and hybrid lifestyle and are back in the office for good this year. The workplace pendulum is swinging back toward traditional office settings after years of pandemic-driven remote work experiments.

The post Office Revival: Employees Finally Breaking Up With Remote Work for Good appeared first on Study Finds.

Moving to a sunny coastal town in Portugal or Spain for retirement sounds like a dream come true for many.

The post The Lonely Side of Retiring Abroad appeared first on Study Finds.

According to new research by Talker Research, Americans typically start to worry about their phone's battery when it hits 38%—what researchers are calling America's "panic percentage."

The post Average Person Starts to Panic When Phone Battery Life Drops to 38% appeared first on Study Finds.

esearchers found that people who choose plant-based proteins over traditional meat are seen as both admirable and contemptible—respected for their environmental and health consciousness but also frequently met with negative emotions including fear, anger, and social exclusion.

The post Plant-Based Hate: Why Do So Many People Loathe Meatless Dieters? appeared first on Study Finds.

Many people believe modern appliances are designed to fail prematurely. These victims of "planned obsolescence" think that manufacturers deliberately make products that won't last.

The post Scientists Test Whether ‘They Don’t Make Them Like They Used To’ Adage Holds Water appeared first on Study Finds.

This finding comes from one of the largest studies conducted on screen use and sleep among university students, highlighting how our nightly digital habits may be robbing us of crucial rest.

The post Screen Time in Bed Raises Insomnia Risk by 59% Per Hour appeared first on Study Finds.

Research published in Marketing Science reveals that YouTube videos about video games create opposite effects: they typically decrease game purchases but increase gameplay among existing owners.

The post The Surprisingly Negative Impact YouTube Gaming Influencers Have on Video Game Purchases appeared first on Study Finds.

Anxiety has become an unwelcome companion for many, creeping into everyday life with relentless persistence. But for a growing number of young Americans, worry is no longer an uncontrolled intruder—it's being managed, contained, and strategically addressed.

The post Average American Spends 138 Minutes Mired in Worrisome Thoughts Every Day appeared first on Study Finds.

For young people in the early stages of their career, the idea of waiting 40 years or more to retire might feel like a marathon. For those already feeling burnt out, it can be an excruciating thought. So – why not take a break or two somewhere along the way?

The post Social Media Trend Drives More Young Adults to Take ‘Micro-Retirements’ appeared first on Study Finds.

Your favorite influencer's lifestyle might look perfect, but the marketing tactics they use often aren't.

The post 6 Ways Influencer Posts Affect What You Think, Feel, and Buy appeared first on Study Finds.

For many people, religion helps protect against depression by providing social support networks, frameworks for understanding difficult circumstances, and coping strategies through practices like prayer. But sexual minorities often have more complicated relationships with religious institutions.

The post The Religion-Sexuality Mental Health Gap on College Campuses appeared first on Study Finds.

When it comes to both relationship and sexual satisfaction, there's virtually no difference between people in monogamous relationships and those in consensually non-monogamous arrangements.

The post The More Partners the Merrier? Non-Monogamous Relationships Just as Satisfying, Study Shows appeared first on Study Finds.

The path from prison back to society looks dramatically different depending on your social class.

The post When Your Biggest Fear Is Being ‘Googled’: The Modern White-Collar Criminal’s Reentry Nightmare appeared first on Study Finds.

Let’s say you’re grabbing coffee with a coworker and they casually ask, “What’d you do this weekend?” You respond, and without missing a beat, they launch into a long-winded retelling of their weekend.

The post Fake Schmooze: Why ‘Boomerasking’ Can Make You Less Likeable appeared first on Study Finds.

Research from the University of British Columbia reveals concerning patterns in how ADHD is portrayed on TikTok and how those portrayals shape public understanding.

The post The Troubling Truth About #ADHD on TikTok appeared first on Study Finds.

Most American homeowners are locked in an unspoken competition with their neighbors over who has the better-looking house and yard, according to new research.

The post Yard Wars: 76% of Homeowners Feel Pressure to Outshine Their Neighbors appeared first on Study Finds.