http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/science_society/conflict/ Summaries of scientific studies relating to armed conflict and the effects of conflict on society. en-us Mon, 05 Jan 2009 23:05:01 EST Mon, 05 Jan 2009 23:05:01 EST 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/science_society/conflict/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081216104317.htm Researchers have created a new tool called the "Dirty War Index" based on the laws of war, a tool which identifies rates of prohibited or highly undesirable ("dirty") war outcomes, such as torture, child injury and civilian death. Fri, 19 Dec 2008 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081216104317.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081210122234.htm The United States must re-establish its global leadership in nuclear arms control while continuing to update its nuclear arsenal as necessary, but it should not add any new nuclear capabilities in the process, a joint working group of scientists and policy experts says in a study meant to inform decision making by the incoming Obama administration. Wed, 10 Dec 2008 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081210122234.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081210121926.htm Employees with high levels of job autonomy and control over their schedules are more likely to bring their work home with them, according to surprising new research. Wed, 10 Dec 2008 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081210121926.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081208180427.htm A child's God can be kidnapped and exploited by an adult, often by the very adult who taught the child about God in the first place. Mon, 08 Dec 2008 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081208180427.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081201162040.htm Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) affects as many as one in five of all Americans who survive a harrowing experience like rape, assault, war or terrorism. It has emotionally paralyzed survivors of 9/11 and broken up survivors’ families. There is no broadly accepted treatment that can lower the chance of developing the disorder, but thanks to new research, a medical means of preventing PTSD may be just around the corner. Fri, 05 Dec 2008 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081201162040.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081124081158.htm There are over 1 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Uganda due to the 20-year conflict waged between a rebel group, the Lord’s Resistance Army, and the central government. Mon, 24 Nov 2008 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081124081158.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081119122628.htm As a congressionally mandated report reveals one of every four veterans of the 1991 Persian Gulf conflict suffers from Gulf War syndrome, statistical scientists are analyzing brain scan images from a nationwide sample of veterans displaying symptoms. Thu, 20 Nov 2008 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081119122628.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081119122632.htm You are what you watch, when it comes to violence in the media and its influence on violent behavior in young people, and an article provides new evidence that violent media does indeed impact adolescent behavior. Thu, 20 Nov 2008 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081119122632.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081113140420.htm Electroshock weapons, such as stun guns and other similar devices that temporarily incapacitate a person by delivering a high-voltage, low-current electric shock, have helped law enforcement officers safely subdue dangerous or violent persons for years. Researchers at NIST are working toward a standard method for accurately assessing the electrical output of these devices, the results of which can be used in establishing baselines for future medical and safety studies. Fri, 14 Nov 2008 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081113140420.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081103170610.htm Children ages 3 to 5 with a parent deployed to a war zone appear to exhibit more behavior problems than their peers whose parents are not deployed, according to a new report. Tue, 04 Nov 2008 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081103170610.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081103180252.htm It's not just American kids who become more aggressive by playing violent video games. A new study showed effects of violent video games on aggression over a 3-6 month period in children from Japan as well as the United States. Tue, 04 Nov 2008 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081103180252.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081030075649.htm Researchers say that the once improbable seeming villains in the Bond movies have become close to the real threats face faced by modern security services. One researcher said, "Remarkably, the Bond villains - including Dr No, Goldfinger and Blofeld - have always been post-Cold War figures. Bond's enemies are in fact very close the real enemies of the last two decades - part master criminal - part arms smuggler - part terrorist - part warlord." Fri, 31 Oct 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081030075649.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081030110957.htm New research has revealed that a gender bias occurs when selecting leaders during various group competition scenarios. Overall, the findings indicate that during times of intergroup conflict a male leader prototype is sought while during intragroup conflict a female leader prototype is sought. Thu, 30 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081030110957.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081022135809.htm For our ancestors, misjudging the physical strength of a would-be opponent might have resulted in painful -- and potentially deadly -- defeat. Sat, 25 Oct 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081022135809.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081022073713.htm A new study shows that there are definite limits on the government's use of the "war on terror" as a rhetorical tool for advancing federal land-use projects and other policy objectives. "The government can no longer rely solely on the 'war on terrorism' and 'national security' as arguments to maintain a crisis situation where local people willingly sacrifice protection of their 'homeland'," according to the author of a new study. Wed, 22 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081022073713.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081016124337.htm Political commentators and opinion page writers criticized Barack Obama for his lack of specifics, yet voters continued to respond to his message. Obama's reliance on lofty rhetoric has succeeded thus far, and in a study forthcoming in the Journal of Consumer Research scientists provide research evidence for why this strategy works. Thu, 16 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081016124337.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080924153505.htm Researchers have long known that children who grow up in an aggressive or violent household are more likely to become violent or aggressive in future relationships but the developmental link has been unclear. Researchers now say children who grow up in aggressive households may learn to process social information differently than their peers. "Children with high-conflict parents are more likely to think that aggressive responses would be good ways to handle social conflicts." Sat, 11 Oct 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080924153505.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081013112453.htm Humanitarian relief efforts are often hampered by the inability of the different international and local bodies involved to properly communicate and share information. European researchers have come up with a new system to overcome this barrier. Fri, 10 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081013112453.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081009144105.htm Satellite images captured before and after the Aug. 7-8 clash between Georgia, South Ossetian separatists and Russia reveal that 424 civilian structures near Tskhinvali were damaged by Aug. 19 -- although they appeared intact in images taken on Aug. 10 and earlier, researchers report. Thu, 09 Oct 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081009144105.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081008114410.htm Born out of war, plastic surgery remains at the forefront of surgical innovation, and advances from the war in Iraq and Afghanistan benefit victims of inner city wars being fought on our streets. Thu, 09 Oct 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081008114410.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081003122549.htm Although anthropologists and evolutionary biologists are still debating this question, a new study supports the view that the first egalitarian societies may have appeared tens of thousands of years before the French Revolution, Marx and Lenin. Mon, 06 Oct 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081003122549.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081001145030.htm Psychologists investigated the effect that exposure to violent TV programs has on negative behavior in children from different ethnic backgrounds. The results showed a positive relationship between the amount of violent TV watched and negative personality attributes among white males and females and African-American females. Mon, 06 Oct 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081001145030.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081001093802.htm Countries with strict social rules and behavioral etiquette such as the United Kingdom may foster drinking cultures characterized by unruly or bad behavior, according to a new report on alcohol and violence. Thu, 02 Oct 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081001093802.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081002103710.htm A new survey focused on how voters think the presidential candidates' health-care reform plans would affect them personally -- rather than how they think the plans would affect the nation as a whole. Four in 10 registered voters don't believe one candidate's health-care plan would be better for them than the other. Thu, 02 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081002103710.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081002092858.htm Contrary to earlier studies that found that the threat of terrorism favors conservative leaders, a new national field study shows that government-issued terror warnings may reduce support for Sen. John McCain among moderates or swing voters in the race for the White House. Wed, 01 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081002092858.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080929144118.htm Economic globalization and liberalization have been blamed for numerous social ills over the last two decades, including a sharp rise in interethnic violence in countries all over the world. Not so, say the results of a study conducted by researchers from McGill University and published in the current issue of the journal International Studies Quarterly. Tue, 30 Sep 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080929144118.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080924162936.htm America's war on terror includes fighting the dark side of deadly chemical agents, chemists are helping with the fight by developing an enzyme that might neutralize one such chemical agent, the organophosphates. Thu, 25 Sep 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080924162936.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080925144824.htm By better managing environmental issues during deployments, US Army units can gain tactical and strategic advantages that will help in combat and post-conflict operations, and boost overall mission success, according to a new RAND Corporation study. Thu, 25 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080925144824.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080925094711.htm Ethnic violence rarer in countries where free market dominates than in those where state plays greater economic role. Thu, 25 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080925094711.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080918170616.htm Is America's red-blue divide based on voters' physiology? A new paper in the journal Science explores the link. The study finds that those individuals with "measurably lower physical sensitivities to sudden noises and threatening visual images were more likely to support foreign aid, liberal immigration policies, pacifism and gun control, whereas individuals displaying measurably higher physiological reactions to those same stimuli were more likely to favor defense spending, capital punishment, patriotism and the Iraq War." Mon, 22 Sep 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080918170616.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080919074830.htm By tracking the amount of light emitted by Baghdad neighborhoods at night, a team geographers have uncovered fresh evidence that last year's troop surge in Iraq may not have worked as well as billed by the US military. Night light in embattled neighborhoods declined dramatically just before the 2007 surge and never returned, suggesting that Iraqi ethnic cleansing did the job for which the US military has claimed credit. Mon, 22 Sep 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080919074830.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080917145143.htm Firms in Democratic states tend to have a higher corporate social responsibility rating than those in Republican ones, a new study finds. Fri, 19 Sep 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080917145143.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080916100930.htm Researchers conducted a study with a racially diverse sample of 2,925 children ages 5 to 16 years that found that the types of violence that abused children were later re-exposed to lead to specific types of psychological problems. Previously abused children who witnessed family violence, such as partner-on-partner abuse or adult-on-child abuse, had more symptoms of depression and anxiety, while those subjected to harsh physical discipline were more aggressive and more frequently broke rules. Fri, 19 Sep 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080916100930.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080915132700.htm An ethanol-fueled spike in grain prices will likely hold, yielding the first sustained increase for corn, wheat and soybean prices in more than three decades, according to new research. Wed, 17 Sep 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080915132700.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080910104156.htm The war against malaria in tropical countries was fought and lost in the 20th century on the basis of faulty intelligence, a 'dodgy dossier' which argued that the same methods used to tackle the disease in temperate countries would also work in the tropics. Sat, 13 Sep 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080910104156.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080908185123.htm A first-ever, national study conducted in South Africa found that 27.5 percent of men who have ever been married or lived with a partner report perpetrating physical violence against their current or most recent female partner. Thu, 11 Sep 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080908185123.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080904145216.htm Vietnamese Americans over 55, most who came to the United States as political refugees, report more mental health problems than nonHispanic whites, according to a UC Irvine Center for Health Care Policy analysis of state data. Thu, 04 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080904145216.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080904145213.htm A new study in Latin American Politics and Society highlights the multifaceted nature of the Colombian conflict, identifying the factors that are driving conflict and illustrating how disregard for the range of these factors lends support to policies that do not enhance prospects for peace. Thu, 04 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080904145213.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080828220509.htm Family values and ongoing conflict within the country are dramatically affecting the health of young children in Afghanistan. A new study suggests that poor child health can be linked to a lack of maternal education and a lack of autonomy for mothers when seeking health care for their children. In addition, mothers who were married as children tend to have offspring with poorer health. Thu, 28 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080828220509.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080821164304.htm Some international-security experts say that climate-change-related damage to global ecosystems and the resulting competition for natural resources may increasingly serve as triggers for wars and other conflicts in the future. Fri, 22 Aug 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080821164304.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080814104843.htm In political campaigns, timing is almost everything. Candidates communicate with voters over a long period of time before voters actually vote. What candidates say to these voters is, of course, important, but it turns out that when they say it also influences voter preferences. Fri, 15 Aug 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080814104843.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080804190711.htm Robots in the military are no longer the stuff of science fiction. They have left the movie screen and entered the battlefield. Researchers report that the military goal is to have approximately 30% of the army be robotic forces by somewhere around 2020. Tue, 05 Aug 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080804190711.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080308090927.htm Workplace bullying, such as belittling comments, persistent criticism of work and withholding resources, appears to inflict more harm on employees than sexual harassment, according to researchers. Sun, 09 Mar 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080308090927.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080206091437.htm Research indicates that one's politics views may be genetically influenced. A Rice University professor found that identical twins were more likely to agree on political issues than were fraternal twins. On the issue of property taxes, for example, an astounding four-fifths of identical twins shared the same opinion, while only two-thirds of fraternal twins agreed. Wed, 06 Feb 2008 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080206091437.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071212201354.htm Television can encourage awareness of political perspectives among Americans, but the incivility and close-up camera angles that characterize much of today's "in your face" televised political debate also causes audiences to react more emotionally and think of opposing views as less legitimate. Thu, 13 Dec 2007 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071212201354.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071206093014.htm Scientists show that a brain network responsible for suppressing behaviors like inappropriate or unwarranted aggression became less active after study subjects watched several short clips from popular movies depicting acts of violence. These changes could render people less able to control their own aggressive behavior. Mon, 10 Dec 2007 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071206093014.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071127142134.htm Watching media violence significantly increases the risk that a viewer or video game player will behave aggressively in both the short and long term, according to a new study. Wed, 28 Nov 2007 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071127142134.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071026173536.htm Altruistic and warlike aspects of human nature may have a common origin. Altruism--benefiting fellow group members at a cost to oneself--and parochialism--hostility toward individuals not of one's own ethnic, racial, or other group--are common to human nature, but we don't immediately think of them as working together hand in hand. In fact the unexpected combination of these two behaviors may have enabled the survival of each trait according to new research. Mon, 29 Oct 2007 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071026173536.htm