We're building an evidence base for everything. Posts are written by experts and synthesize the best available research on each question.

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Posts are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Do grandparents help moms with childcare and work?

Grandparents influence location decisions and often keep moms in the workforce.
October 2022
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Family
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Child care
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Work
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What happens when employees send emails after hours?

Their well-being tends to suffer and so may their performance.
September 2022
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Work
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Technology
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Wellness
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Management
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Does more money make us happier?

Probably up to a point, but relative income matters more.
September 2022
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Money
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Happiness
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Does taking photos enhance or detract from experiences?

Photos can enhance your experience, so long as they don't get in the way of the experience itself and you're not solely planning to share them.
September 2022
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Happiness
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Photos
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Social media
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Do things or experiences make us happier?

Experiences make us happier, more grateful, and less susceptible to unfavorable comparisons.
September 2022
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Money
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Happiness
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Consumption
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Do high-achieving elementary school students benefit from gifted programs?

Yes, especially among black and Latino students.
September 2022
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Education
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What happens when pay is transparent?

Lower earners may suffer, but the gender gap narrows.
September 2022
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Management
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Work
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Gender bias
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Money
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Does it help to attend a selective high school?

Probably not on average in the U.S., and for low-SES students it depends on the context.
September 2022
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Education
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Do your school peers matter?

Yes, but their personality probably matters more than their grades.
September 2022
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Education
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Does it matter where you rank in school as a kid?

Yes, it helps to be on top.
September 2022
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Education
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Could your first job influence your long-term earnings?

Yes, a significant relationship exists between the first industry and long-term earnings.
September 2022
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Labor market
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Does moderating hate speech moderate users?

Not necessarily, but more research is needed.
September 2022
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Social media
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Does the Stand Your Ground law reduce murder?

No. It increases murder, especially unplanned ones.
August 2022
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Gun violence
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Crime
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How did #MeToo affect collaboration between women and men in the workplace?

Male and female collaborations decreased – women’s overall productivity fell.
August 2022
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Gender bias
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Social movements
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Academia
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Does a doctor’s race and gender matter for patient healthcare outcomes?

There is some evidence it plays a role, but studies are limited.
August 2022
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Healthcare
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Gender bias
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Racial bias
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Do streetlights reduce crime?

Probably yes.
August 2022
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Crime
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City planning
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Are American police biased to use lethal force against African-Americans?

Probably yes on average as of the mid-2010s.
August 2022
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Policing
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Racial bias
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How does low-income housing construction impact the economic outcomes of residents?

It has a diverse impact: whites gain, and minority groups lose out.
August 2022
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Housing
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Does gender bias shape college students’ evaluations of their instructors?

Yes, it does.
August 2022
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Academia
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Gender bias
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Are violent or nonviolent protests more effective?

Nonviolence appears more effective in at least the majority of situations.
July 2022
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Social movements
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World politics
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Do plug-in electric vehicle (EV) subsidies raise their sales?

Yes, but their effectiveness depends on the subsidy design.
July 2022
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Transportation
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Environment
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Does municipally sponsored affordable housing impact crime in its surrounding neighborhood?

Municipally subsidized housing does not increase crime.
July 2022
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Housing
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Crime
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Does gender bias shape academic letters of rec?

Yes, which likely hurts women's chances on the job market.
July 2022
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Academia
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Gender bias
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Is the Supreme Court responsive to public opinion?

No, it is not.
July 2022
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Public policy
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Do policymakers care about evidence?

Yes. But do they understand how to use evidence? Not always.
July 2022
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Public policy
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Does gun control reduce violent crime?

For a few policies, probably yes. Otherwise the research is inconclusive.
July 2022
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Gun violence
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Crime
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Do land use regulations slow down the economy?

Yes, certainly in the richest and largest cities, possibly not elsewhere.
July 2022
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Housing
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Economic policy
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How dangerous is motorcycling?

It's definitely more dangerous than driving, but the exact risk is unknown.
July 2022
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Transportation
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Does turmeric or curcumin have health benefits?

Turmeric probably helps treat several illnesses.
July 2022
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Wellness
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Do voter ID laws disproportionately reduce racial minority turnout?

Probably not, but the evidence is still mixed.
July 2022
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US Politics
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Elections
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Will climate change increase conflict?

Hard to say, but some kind of increase is likely.
July 2022
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Environment
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World politics
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Do new apartments reduce local rent?

Yes, says a modest but consistent body of research.
July 2022
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Housing
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City planning
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Does driving a BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle) actually reduce emissions?

Yes, unless you live in a coal dependent region.
July 2022
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Transportation
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Environment
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Are interdisciplinary dissertations an asset on the job market?

No. Interdisciplinary PhDs face a wage penalty on average.
June 2022
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Academia
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Labor market
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Do women and men get equal credit for collaborative research?

No. Women get less credit.
June 2022
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Gender bias
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Academia
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How do you create a strong visual hierarchy?

People look at faces and the center early. Then objects that feel closer and high contrast.
June 2022
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UX Design
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Does WFH affect workplace relationships?

We really don't know.
September 2022
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WFH
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Does WFH affect work-family conflict?

Probably not much, but the evidence is very weak.
September 2022
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WFH
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Family
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Does WFH affect creativity?

Cameras in particular may curb idea generation.
September 2022
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WFH
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Are we addicted to social media apps on our smartphones?

Yes, many of us are.
May 2022
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Social media
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Do women have a better sense of smell than men?

Yes, but the effects may be small.
May 2022
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Wellness
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Leisure
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Should I use the Myers-Briggs personality test for hiring or other work-related purposes?

No, there are far better approaches to assessing personality in the workplace.
May 2022
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Management
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Do highway expansions reduce traffic congestion?

Not in the long term, but it may provide some congestion relief in the short term.
May 2022
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Transportation
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Environment
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Are nasty comments contagious?

Yes, the first few responses to online posts set the tone, for better or worse.
April 2022
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Social media
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News media
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Do nasty comments discourage people from joining online discussions?

Yes, newcomers are more likely to participate when comments are civil and moderated.
April 2022
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Social media
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Do critical comments make online articles seem less credible?

Yes, they bias readers' evaluations.
March 2022
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News media
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Polarization
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Social media
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Does anonymity make online comments more hostile?

Yes, but real names aren't a panacea.
March 2022
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Social media
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News media
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Do ridesharing apps reduce traffic congestion?

No, they make it worse.
March 2022
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Transportation
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Environment
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Do refugees increase local crime rates?

No. They may even commit fewer crimes than natives.
March 2022
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Immigration policy
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Crime
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Which refugees are people willing to accept?

Europeans prefer asylum-seekers that are the most employable, in need, and like them.
March 2022
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Immigration policy
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Racial bias
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Do refugees impact the local economy?

Hardly. Most natives will be better off long-term, if anything.
March 2022
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Immigration policy
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Economic policy
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Do charter schools increase student achievement?

In some cases, but not on average.
March 2022
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Education
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How do charter schools impact traditional public schools?

They probably increase school-level segregation, but the rest depends on the locality.
March 2022
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Education
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Do exhaust hoods improve household air quality?

Yes, significantly. If you have one, turn it on every time you cook.
March 2022
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Wellness
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Environment
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Is it unhealthy to cook with a gas stove?

Yes, gas stoves release high levels of harmful pollutants.
March 2022
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Wellness
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Environment
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How can employers get more dads to take parental leave?

Start with supportive policies, then make leave a cultural norm.
March 2022
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Parenting
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Management
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Gender bias
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Does paternity leave lead dads to do more childcare?

Slightly more, even after they're back at work.
March 2022
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Parenting
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Is screen time okay during story time?

Reading to kids from a tablet seems just as good as print.
March 2022
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Parenting
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Is screen time bad for babies?

It seems to disrupt their sleep and cognitive development, but the evidence is weak.
March 2022
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Parenting
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Will making neighborhoods more walkable make people more active?

Probably, but it's hard to prove causality.
March 2022
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Transportation
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Wellness
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City planning
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Do cash incentives motivate people to work harder?

Performance pay increases effort on individual tasks with observable outputs.
March 2022
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Management
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What type of running shoe is best for avoiding injuries?

There's no good evidence that shoe type matters, so choose something comfortable.
March 2022
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Wellness
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Running
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Do economic sanctions work?

They rarely achieve their ultimate goals and can make matters worse.
March 2022
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World politics
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Public policy
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When are economic sanctions more likely to be effective?

It helps to demand smaller concessions from friendlier targets.
February 2022
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World politics
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Public policy
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Does social media make us more polarized?

Probably a little, but it's not clear why.
February 2022
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Social media
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Polarization
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Does social media affect our mental health?

It can increase anxiety and depression by fostering unfavorable social comparisons and envy.
February 2022
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Social media
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Does carb-loading before a marathon work?

Yes, eat extra carbs for about two days so you don't hit the wall.
February 2022
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Wellness
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Running
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Should managers give employees performance awards?

Recognition can boost employees' effort, but awards that violate workplace norms might backfire.
February 2022
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Management
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Do wellness programs work?

Not in the short term, but employees might see long-term benefits.
February 2022
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Wellness
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Management
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Is remote work a dead end for employees?

Remote workers are less likely to be promoted, but COVID might change that.
February 2022
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WFH
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Management
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Do remote teams collaborate as effectively as in-person teams?

No, it's harder for remote teams to coordinate and share information.
February 2022
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WFH
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Management
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Does working from home affect productivity?

It boosts productivity on individual tasks, but might hurt teamwork.
February 2022
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WFH
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Management
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Do WFH policies improve job satisfaction?

Flexible, optional WFH policies tend to make employees happier with their jobs.
February 2022
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WFH
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Management
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Does anonymizing applications help firms diversify?

Not necessarily. It prevents discriminatory application screening, but can undermine DEI efforts.
February 2022
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DEI
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Gender bias
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Racial bias
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Do diversity statements produce more diverse applicant pools?

They do if they sound genuine, but shallow statements can backfire.
February 2022
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DEI
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Management
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Racial bias
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Will COVID-19 cause workers to want to work from home long term?

Workers place the same value on WFH now as before the pandemic.
February 2022
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WFH
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Do diversity training sessions change attitudes or behaviors?

Yes, even one-off sessions can reduce bias.
February 2022
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DEI
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Gender bias
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Racial bias
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Should teams keep their cameras on during remote meetings?

Go cameras-off. Video causes fatigue and increases cognitive load.
February 2022
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WFH
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Management
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Will switching to WFH help firms recruit more women?

Yes, but hiring women into remote roles might improve diversity while worsening inequality.
February 2022
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WFH
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DEI
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Gender bias
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