Society & Culture

Bright Lights, Big Losses: How Poker Machines Create Addicts and Rob Them Blind

stokpic, Photo: Ed Gregory Australians lose A$20 billion on gambling every year, $11 billion of which goes on poker machines in pubs and clubs. Why, then, are pokies so attractive? And why do we spend so much on them? Ubiquity is one reason. The high intensity – the rapid speed of operation and [...]

By |2015-10-25T22:24:29+11:00October 25th, 2015|Categories: Mental Health & Wellbeing, Society & Culture|Tags: , , , , , , |0 Comments

Seven Myths about Dyslexia Put to Rest

flickr As researchers who study dyslexia, we often read articles or overhear conversations that completely misunderstand what dyslexia is – or how it can be treated. Dyslexia is the term used to describe someone with reading difficulties – and it affects up to 10% of Australians. A reader with dyslexia may have difficulty in [...]

Losses Disguised as Wins, the Science Behind Casino Profits

wikimedia Gambling is good business, or at least a profitable one. According to the American Gaming Association, in 2012 the 464 commercial casinos in the US served 76.1 million patrons and grossed $US37.34 billion. Each year gaming revenues in the US yield more profits than the theatrical movie industry ($US10.9 billion) and the recorded music industry ($US7 billion) [...]

By |2015-10-25T20:51:45+11:00October 25th, 2015|Categories: Society & Culture, Technology|Tags: , , , , , , , |0 Comments

David Jones Flooded with Abuse after Adam Goodes Announced as Ambassador

https://youtu.be/MdZAgd_xspc David Jones' Facebook page has been flooded with abusive and racist posts after former Sydney Swans star Adam Goodes was unveiled as the retailer's latest brand ambassador. The messages, which include remarks about indigenous Australians and dozens of boos, began appearing on Sunday soon after the retailer posted a campaign video featuring the former Australian of the Year. [...]

By |2015-10-25T18:49:42+11:00October 25th, 2015|Categories: Society & Culture, Technology|Tags: , , , , , |0 Comments

Why We Need to Learn How to Relax

iStockphoto Are you feeling tired and stressed but don’t have enough time to relax? Are you a stress athlete? Are your students or clients exhibiting characteristics of being anxious and/or tired? When we are stressed or anxious our autonomic nervous system is activated into fight, flight or freeze, triggering the sympathetic nervous system and a cascade [...]

Kids as Consumers: Do They Have Rights?

Photo: Verster Cohen Children’s consumption and marketing to children are big business. Children are the target of marketing for everything from toys and sweets to cosmetics, fast foods and the family car. Children have their own money to spend, and they influence family spending. For example, in June 2013, AdWeek reported that ‘fully [...]

Mum’s the Word When It Comes to Children’s Happiness

istockphoto Young people's satisfaction with their family situation is clearly related to the quality of relationships with parents and especially their mother's happiness. The research findings come from the first findings from Understanding Society, the world's largest household panel study managed by the Institute for Social and Economic Research (ISER) at the University of [...]

17 Mind-Blowing Psychology Findings that Explain the Baffling Choices You Make Every Day

Credit: Bruce Conner If you assume that you understand why you think and act the way you do, you’re probably wrong. Decades of psychological research suggest that people behave in ways that are mysterious and perplexing — even to themselves. We sifted through the Quora thread, “What are some mind-blowing facts about social [...]

Australian Children Exposed to Toxic Mining Metals Do Worse at School

Children living closest to the mines had the lowest literacy and numeracy scores. Katherine Clark/Flickr, CC BY-NC-ND Children in mining and smelting towns who are exposed high levels of lead, arsenic and cadmium are more than twice as likely to have developmental disorders than the national average. They also perform lower than neighbouring [...]

How to Deal with Sarcastic People

photobucket Sarcasm is like jazz—you know it when you hear it. That’s because sarcasm is primarily communicated by tone of voice, which is used to mean the opposite of the literal words. You can tell by a speaker’s tone that, “Well, that’s exactly what I need right now,” means that’s exactly what’s not [...]

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