Intervention to raise poor people's aspirations and expectations is vital to lift them out of poverty and social exclusion, according to ESRC-funded research.

Energy displays and smart meters are useful tools to manage energy use, but no 'magic bullet' against reduced fuel bills, suggests the RCUK-funded study Domestic Energy Feedback.

Many of us claim to be concerned about the environment - but to really be sustainable we need to shift our thinking from a blind faith in technology to a deeper understanding of the links between our lifestyles and the environment, argues Professor Tim Jackson.

The risk of inflexible thinking increases when you're tired - but working in a team and consulting others helps to make the right decision, shows research.

Academics and the media have traditionally seen street crime as something carried out by career criminals, but researchers at the University of Glamorgan suggest that survival is not a motive. Interviewed offenders instead point to reasons such as "excitement" and "keeping up appearances".

Online social media such as Twitter have been blamed for exacerbating the riots, by making it possible to quickly spread false rumours and incite others to violence - but this is far from a new phenomenon, explains Helen Margetts, Professor of Society and the Internet.

The rioting and looting in London and other cities has led to shocked reactions, but Professor David Waddington warns against seeing riots as simply irrational and mindless group behaviour.

Teenage girls are more likely to become pregnant if their older sister also has had a baby as a teenager, according to a study of 42,000 Norwegian children published by the ESRC Centre for Market and Public Organisation.

We can’t help but copy other people’s actions, shows research on automatic imitation. A study revealed that rock-paper-scissors players subconsciously copied each other’s hand shapes – even if that meant an increased risk of losing out.

The Office of National Statistics will shortly be publishing a report on measuring wellbeing in the population. ESRC research has examined the factors that make for a happy life.