Barking Up The Wrong Tree

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Via Eurekalert:

New research led by economists at the University of Warwick reveals that medieval England was not only far more prosperous than previously believed, it also actually boasted an average income that would be more than double the average per capita income of the world’s poorest nations today.

In a paper entitled British Economic Growth 1270-1870 published by the University of Warwick’s Centre on Competitive Advantage in the Global Economy (CAGE) the researchers find that living standards in medieval England were far above the “bare bones subsistence” experience of people in many of today’s poor countries.

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The study had a small sample size but found that homeless adults were better educated but had fewer social ties:

We interviewed 61 housed and 79 homeless adults aged 55 and over about disability; economic, human and social capital; and stressful life events prior to becoming homeless. Over half of the homeless group had previously led conventional lives. Human capital, social capital and life events were more important than disability or economic capital in predicting homelessness. The homeless adults were younger, more likely to be male and better educated than housed adults, but had shorter job tenure and fewer social ties. Homeless adults faced multiple, cascading risks, including job loss and housing loss. Implications for prevention are discussed.

Source: “Predictors of Homelessness among Older Adults in New York City, Disability, Economic, Human and Social Capital and Stressful Events” from Journal of Health Psychology

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Yes. Essays written in more legible handwriting were evaluated more positively:

Evaluations of handwritten essays or exams are often suspected of being biased, such as by mood states or individual predilections. Although most of these influences are unsystematic, at least one bias is problematic because it systematically affects evaluations of handwritten materials. Three experiments revealed that essays in legible as compared to less legible handwriting were evaluated more positively. This robust finding was related to a basic judgmental mechanism that builds on the fluency with which handwriting can be processed. The present research further revealed that this evaluative bias is not inevitable but can be controlled for. Given the importance of evaluations based on handwritten work samples for individual success throughout school, college, university, and work life, it is important for individuals to be aware of this bias.

Source: “On Writing Legibly, Processing Fluency Systematically Biases Evaluations of Handwritten Material” from Social Psychological and Personality Science

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