Social Sciences

 

In his new book, Matthias Sutter, Director of the Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods, presents current insights from the field of behavioural economics to better understand "human factor" in professional life and to enable successful cooperation. more

Researchers showed participants videos of human, dog, and macaque pairs to determine how well humans assess social interactions more

Anastasia Kozyreva on strategies that help us gain more control over the way we use online media more

Coupling two approaches of game theory can shed light on how moral norms evolve more

Systematic review shows significant impact on factors such as trust, participation, populism, and polarization
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Shift in deaths from the very old to people in middle age more

Study examines the motives behind former East Germans’ decisions not to view their files more

Award for political scientist Margaret Roberts and Medals for Vanessa Ogle and Wim Decock more

Informing people about the strong positive consensus among doctors persistently leads to increases in Covid-19 vaccinations more

If expectant mothers are exposed to stress their child can develop behavioural problems - but this is less often the case for children with siblings more

Many publications by Max Planck scientists in 2022 were of great social relevance or met with a great media response. We have selected 12 articles to present you with an overview of some noteworthy research of the year more

The crisis in Ukraine has driven up energy prices, obscuring a dilemma that we’re likely to face in the near future - the use of fossil fuels will become more attractive again for countries that cannot afford or do not want to make the transition to renewable energies. Against this backdrop, Kai A. Konrad from the Max Planck Institute for Tax Law and Public Finance advocates speeding up the search for alternative uses, starting now. more

From the philhellenism of the 1820s to contemporary support for Ukraine more

It is controversial whether there is or should be a fundamental change from an industrial to a service society in rich Western nations more

Football clubs in former coal mining areas play an important role in terms of social cohesion between the now unemployed more

Why Some Information is Better Ignored more

To overcome the Coronavirus outbreak, sociopolitical and economic visions for the future are needed just as urgently as vaccines or emergency assistance from the state. A contribution by Lisa Suckert more

A game-theoretical study shows when bureaucracies tend to excessive regulations more

Following the attacks by rioting youths on police officers in Stuttgart and the police violence against blacks in the USA, Max Planck Director Ralf Poscher explains in an interview the different cultures of the police in Germany and the USA and the possibilities of preventing discrimination. more

The corona pandemic is increasing xenophobia and exclusion worldwide. A commentary by Steven Vertovec more

Raisa Sherif,  now a senior research fellow at Max Planck Institute for Tax Law and Public Finance, talks about her work, what advice she has for girls who want to become researchers, and the challenges of becoming a researcher. more

In this video, anthropologist Rosalia Engchuan talks about her research in Indonesia. She looks at how Indonesian filmmakers respond to the challenges of their social and environmental surroundings and how they influence the development of moral values, for example, through solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community. more

Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology based at the research station outpost for parrot comparative cognition in the Loro Parque in Tenerife, Spain, have shown that parrots exhibit a high level of social intelligence and cooperativeness. They readily help others, even when there is no immediate opportunity for reciprocation. Moreover, they reciprocate received favours and do not appear jealous, if conspecifics obtain a better reward than themselves. more