news 2013

Researchers investigating whether children and young adults are exposed to advertising from major alcohol brands on the three most popular social networks - Facebook, YouTube and Twitter - find that some channels and brands don't have, or use, age restrictions.

18 Dec 2013 New research on schoolchildren shows the more languages they speak, the better they can speak them. The School Language Survey, a new method developed at the University of Manchester, was carried out by the University's Multilingual Manchester project, led by Professor Yaron Matras. According to Professor Matras, the survey has a powerful potential to change our understanding of the role of heritage languages in schools and communities.

Researchers have looked at why anonymous traders using eBay auction sites bother to give feedback on one another, given such transactions are usually one-offs. The study examined hundreds of thousands of online transactions and found that in over 60% of them, buyers and sellers provided feedback even though they had little to gain from it as individuals.

Aiming to improve policy-makers' understanding of the imperfect nature of science, academics from the Universities of Cambridge and Melbourne have created a list of concepts that they believe should be part of the education of civil servants, politicians, policy advisers and journalists Science is not just a body of facts - it's important to have a grasp of the process by which conclusions are drawn, and the possible pitfalls on that path Profess

Violent crime in England is having a direct impact on the amount people are walking. These are the findings of a new study , led jointly by researchers at the Universities of Bristol, Imperial College Business School and Monash , that examined the effects of violent crime on the physical activities of nearly a million adults.

Policymakers should be paying more, rather than less, attention to tackling climate change in economically tough times, a new study suggests. As economies have stagnated major emitters of CO2 seem unwilling to accept binding emissions reduction targets. But findings, published this week in Nature Climate Change , show the social cost of carbon dioxide is higher in a low economic growth world.

Research suggests that it is Andy Murray's ability to manage goals, as well as his skill, drive and motivation that makes him such a successful athlete. Murray dropped out of the French Open after a back injury this year, missing out on his goal of playing in four grand slam finals in a row. But this decision has allowed him to recuperate in time for Wimbledon this month.

Face shape indicates success in men A factor behind the success of top UK male business leaders is the shape of their faces, according to University of Sussex research published today (Friday 7 June). Psychologists Professor Jamie Ward and Shuaa Alrajih asked people to rate a selection of photographs on 'gut instinct'.

Research from the University of Sheffield has found that the wider range of policy approaches and measures which have been introduced in all EU Member States over the past five years have had a significant impact on preventing businesses and people from engaging in undeclared work.

05 Jun 2013 A new study has begun which will, for the first time, identify how factors like exercise and stress may change how much peanut can cause an allergic reaction in the UK population. The research, being carried out by Cambridge University Hospitals, Imperial College London and The University of Manchester, will also look at whether exercise or stress make people more likely to react to peanut.

Research at the University of Liverpool questions the extent to which studies of the human brain are able to offer insights into what constitutes 'good leadership'. Organisational neuroscience is an emerging area of study that explores the implications of brain science for workplace behaviour. Increasingly, organisational neuroscientists claim that studying the anatomy and physiology of the brain can reveal new insights into what makes a successful and effective leader.

250 years after the creation of the Lunar Society, which brought together leading industrialists, academics and philosophers to debate the biggest issues affecting society, the University of Birmingham is launching an Institute of Advanced Studies with a similar remit. The Institute, which launches on 10th April, aims to address some of the biggest challenges facing society by combining academic expertise from across the University and around the globe, with insight from business, NGOs and policy makers.

The Economic and Social Research Council have announced that the next British Election Study will be hosted by a consortium led by The University of Manchester in collaboration with the Universities of Oxford and Nottingham. The scientific leadership team for the 2015 Study will be Professor Ed Fieldhouse, Dr Jane Green, Professor Hermann Schmitt, all from The University of Manchester; Professor Geoff Evans, from Nuffield College, Oxford, and Professor Cees van der Eijk from Nottingham University.

Research shows that intimate personal attributes can be predicted with high levels of accuracy from 'traces' left by seemingly innocuous digital behaviour, in this case Facebook Likes. Study raises important questions about personalised marketing and online privacy.

A study by the University of Liverpool has found that celebrity endorsement of a food product encourages children to eat more of the endorsed product. It also found that children were prompted to eat more of the endorsed product when they saw the celebrity on TV in a different context. Celebrity endorsement is an effective method of creating value, recognition and credibility for a brand, and celebrities are frequently used in television advertising to induce children to try foods.

The Department for Business Innovation and Skills have today published an independent research report from the University of Bristol on the impact of a cap on the total cost of credit. The publication coincides with the publication of the Office of Fair Trading's final report on payday sector compliance.

The death of a founding entrepreneur wipes out on average 60 per cent of a firm's sales and cuts jobs by around 17 per cent, according to a new study. The research, by Sascha O. Becker at the University of Warwick and Hans K. Hvide at the University of Bergen, sheds light on exactly how much a founder-entrepreneur 'matters' in terms of influencing the performance of privately-owned businesses.

Flowers' methods of communicating are at least as sophisticated as any devised by an advertising agency, according to a new study, published today in Science Express by researchers from the University of Bristol. However, for any advert to be successful, it has to reach, and be perceived by, its target audience.

51/13 New research by The University of Nottingham and energy company E.ON could help people to save money on their energy bills by identifying which of their household electrical appliances are using the most power. Smart meters, which could help consumers to save money, are planned to be installed in every UK home by 2019.

A recent scientific study has shown that pre-stun shocks in commercial broiler processing significantly affect carcase and meat quality as well as bird welfare. A report of a study into the incidence and effect of pre-stun shocks in a commercial broiler processing plant using an electrical waterbath stunning system, the most commonly used system in the UK, has been published in Animal Welfare , the journal of the Universities Federation for Animal Welfare (UFAW).