decision making

Starting a diet? Avoiding the bakery section at the grocery store is a good way to start. Not knowing what tempting baked goods are available can make it easier to stick with your health goal.

But what if you’re out celebrating a big promotion, and the chocolate cake is already calling your name? Could avoiding information about the calorie count of the cake before you make your decision also be considered a “smart” strategy?

Despite the long history of police violence against racial minorities in the United States, recent high-profile shooting incidents of unarmed racial minorities have gained national attention, such as the shooting deaths of African Americans Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown. The resulting social movements, led by Black Lives Matter, have refocused media attention on the roles that race and racial stereotypes play in police behavior. What causes both officers and community members to shoot unarmed racial minorities? What role do racial stereotypes play in this process?

Online learning is an increasingly popular tool across most levels of education. Currently, all 50 states in the United States offer online learning at the K-12 level, and about 74% of K-8 teachers use educational software as a classroom tool. About 5.8 million higher education students are taking at least one online course, and revenue from mobile learning products in North America is predicted to rise steadily, reaching $410 million by the end of 2018.

Each week, we recap featured posts from Character & Context and other blogs around the cyberspace, plus news stories and tweets worth a look. If you have an item you'd like us to consider, use the hashtag #SPSPblog or tweet us directly @spspnews.

By Emily Rosenzweig