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The 2020 Black Lives Matter (BLM) demonstrations in the United States reduced racial prejudice among white Americans, at least temporarily. This is according to research by social psychologist Max Primbs. 'Racial bias declined rapidly, but also gradually increased again as BLM protests received less attention.' The murder of George Floyd in 2020 revived the Black Lives Matter movement, a large scale social movement that aims to highlight and reduce structural racism and inequality in the United States.

Increasing ethnic and racial diversity in Western societies often accompanies feelings of threat among the ethnic majorities of a country. New research from Tilburg University shows that an inclusive integration policy can reduce the perception of diversity as a threat. The research suggests that policies that give immigrants more equal rights are particularly effective in promoting social cohesion and reducing tensions in Western societies.

With the rise and increasing use of digital technologies and online platforms worldwide, the debate about their potential impact on our psychological well-being is growing. New research from Tilburg University and the University of Oxford shows that active (mobile) internet users are more satisfied with their lives and assess their social and physical well-being more positively than non-users.

Platforms that offer rides to passengers, such as Uber and DiDi, thrive on socio-economic inequality. By modelling the behaviour of passengers and self-employed drivers, researchers of TU Delft simulated the market for ridesourcing platforms, evaluating a broad spectrum of (in)equality levels in societies.

People who live near a refugee center tend to develop a more positive attitude to asylum seekers compared to people who live further away. They are also less likely to support anti-immigration parties. This is the conclusion of research conducted by economist Sigrid Suetens and her team. The study suggests that this positive attitude is a result of contact between local residents and refugees.

Mobile dating apps are a popular way to meet people. They promise a fun partner and a happy love life. However, a new study by Radboud researchers shows that people who use dating apps actually tend to be overall less satisfied with their relationship status than those who don't. Connecting with others through mobile dating apps has become one of the most popular ways of meeting someone.

Volunteers are of great value to society, both individually and economically. Although the number of volunteers has increased slightly this year in The Netherlands, it is still not back to pre-COVID levels. A decline in the number of volunteers is also visible worldwide. New research provides insight into volunteer turnover and offers tools for organizations to counter this turnover.

The Amazon rainforest may be home to thousands of hidden earthworks, made by pre-Columbian societies. This is revealed by a large international study investigating the distribution of these hidden structures. Biologist Hans ter Steege contributed to the research. "This discovery tells us that certain parts of the forest may not be as old as we initially thought." The dense Amazon Rainforest may hold far more traces of human civilization than previously believed.

An anti-gay protest by Muslims elicits more sympathy for the LGBTQ+ community than when it is organized by natives. This is especially true if the observer already held a negative view of ethnic minorities, according to an experimental study conducted by political scientists Alberto López Ortega and Stuart Turnbull-Dugarte (University of Southampton) among over 2,300 British and Spanish citizens.

The Dutch Research Council (NWO) has awarded a Veni grant to ten young researchers at Radboud University. With this grant of up to 280.000 euro they can further elaborate their own ideas during a period of three years. Veni is aimed at excellent researchers who have recently obtained their PhDs.

Teachers play a key role when it comes to making students feel seen, confident and motivated during forced school closings. The importance of emotional support is greater than teachers realize. Combined with high-quality online instruction, it makes vulnerable students participate better in classes.

61 promising research projects, eight of which are at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, will start with Open Competition SGW XS funding from NWO. The researchers set to work with a promising idea or an innovative and risky initiative. For VU Amsterdam, these are the following promising researchers in alphabetical order: Social and organizational psychologist Hillie Aaldering with Are men allowed to be more selfish than women?

Engage with children on ethical and social norms for artificial intelligence Relational skills of children are unique sources of inspiration for the development of human-centred Artificial or Artificial Intelligence (AI). But children are still too little involved in the public dialogue on AI systems.

In recent years, researchers noticed the return of making practices, small-scale manufacturing and independent craft production to postindustrial cities. This 'maker movement' comes together in so called 'makerspaces' and, more generally, in community-based spaces of making. How do these spaces contribute to urban vitalism? Researchers Amanda Brandellero and Anna Niutta conducted empirical research on the opportunities and limitations of these spaces in Turin, Italy.

At Utrecht University, interdisciplinary research into a sustainable future comes together in Pathways to Sustainability. To do justice to the natural sciences in this strategic theme, Professor René van Roij  together with several colleagues from the Faculties of Science and Geosciences initiated the community Science for Sustainability  a year ago.

Some individuals in an extremely hierarchical society of monkeys help others by providing them with food, without receiving a direct reward themselves. As this is the first time that such 'prosocial' behaviour is seen in a species that is not considered socially peaceful or tolerant, these results have consequences for the understanding of the evolution of cooperative behaviours.

People from different cultures are more alike than we first thought. All over the world, people tend to respond to requests for help and help others. This is the conclusion of a new linguistic study that appeared in Nature Scientific Reports, and in which several Radboud researchers collaborated. Linguist Mark Dingemanse, one of the project's researchers, calls the results "heartening" and striking.

Dr. started her academic career at the Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience at Maastricht University. There she did the bachelor in Psychology and subsequently, the master in Forensic Psychology. After graduation, Erens went to work at Veilig Thuis (Safe Home): the advice and report centre for child abuse and domestic violence in Heerlen.

Professor Machteld Marcelis can continue her work at Maastricht University, the university's Executive Board has determined.

Contrary to what has been assumed, children with severe developmental language disorder (DLD) do in fact partially catch up upon their delays in language development. This was observed by researcher and speech and language therapist Gerda Bruinsma , Professor of Speech Therapy Ellen Gerrits and Professor of Psycholinguistics Frank Wijnen in their research at the Institute for Language Sciences.