It is commonly thought that knowing the causes of climate change may reduce individual behaviors that contribute to its existence. However, recent research shows that, within the U.S. farming industry this conventional wisdom may not be the key to preventing such behaviors.

In a recently published article in the journal of Rural Sociology, CPR researcher Rebecca Schewe and her colleague, Diana Stuart ask the question, "why don't farmers just do what we tell them to do?" Using a mixed-methods study, they gather information from corn farmers in southwest Michigan to explore the various social and structural barriers that encourage the excessive usage of nitrogen fertilizer in corn production. Read more 

For many Americans the middle school years can be incredibly difficult and awkward. Like most things in life, however, middle school is temporary. As students begin to progress through grade levels, their experiences at school may become better over time. This is called the top dog/bottom dog (TDBD) phenomenon, which suggests that older middle school students experience a more preferable school environment than their younger peers (bottom dogs).

CPR researchers Amy Ellen Schwartz and Michah W. Rothbart, alongside New York University's Leanna Stiefel, find evidence of this phenomenon in an article recently published in the American Educational Research Journal. Read more