Neuroscience
And a beautiful brain image is worth even more.1 An ugly topographical map of brain electrical activity just won't do.
Read Cognitive Daily on What's more convincing than talking about brains? Pictures of brains!
Footnote
1 Metaphorically speaking, that is... The duped participants in the research study read fictitious articles that were actually only ~300 words long.
Reference
McCabe DP, Castel AD. (2008). Seeing is believing: The effect of brain images on judgments of scientific reasoning. Cognition 107: 343-352.
Brain images are believed to have a particularly persuasive influence on the public perception of research on cognition. Three experiments are reported showing that presenting brain images with articles summarizing cognitive neuroscience research resulted in higher ratings of scientific reasoning for arguments made in those articles, as compared to articles accompanied by bar graphs, a topographical map of brain activation, or no image. These data lend support to the notion that part of the fascination, and the credibility, of brain imaging research lies in the persuasive power of the actual brain images themselves. We argue that brain images are influential because they provide a physical basis for abstract cognitive processes, appealing to people’s affinity for reductionistic explanations of cognitive phenomena.
- Glowing Brains
Derek Lowe of the In The Pipeline pharma blog has stirred up a surprisingly polarized debate over staged lab photos that feature coloured spotlights on test tubes in darkened labs. These cliché and absurd images do a disservice to the researchers they're...
- Are We Now Blasé About Brain Scans?
People are so awestruck by neuroscience, the briefest mention of brain-based jargon or glimpse of a brain scan is enough to send their critical faculties into a flutter. Or so they said. But now a new study finds that in fact most people are singularly...
- Imaging The Brain To Control The Mind
For the first time anywhere in the world, psychologists at California-based company Omneuron and Stanford University have demonstrated that people can be taught how to reduce their experience of pain with the aid of real-time images of their brain activity....
- The Not So Seductive Allure Of Colorful Brain Images
We all know that the mere presence of a brain scan image or a neuro-prefix adds instant credibility to any news story, right? And that the public (i.e., undergraduates) is easily swayed into believing in bogus psychological findings if accompanied by...
- Predicting Stimuli From Fmri Data
Though the headline and subhead they use are unfortunately over-dramatic, this from the BBC:'Thoughts read' via brain scans The researchers monitored activity in the brain. Scientists say they have been able to monitor people's thoughts via...
Neuroscience
A Brain is Worth a Thousand Words
And a beautiful brain image is worth even more.1 An ugly topographical map of brain electrical activity just won't do.Read Cognitive Daily on What's more convincing than talking about brains? Pictures of brains!
Footnote
1 Metaphorically speaking, that is... The duped participants in the research study read fictitious articles that were actually only ~300 words long.
Reference
McCabe DP, Castel AD. (2008). Seeing is believing: The effect of brain images on judgments of scientific reasoning. Cognition 107: 343-352.
Brain images are believed to have a particularly persuasive influence on the public perception of research on cognition. Three experiments are reported showing that presenting brain images with articles summarizing cognitive neuroscience research resulted in higher ratings of scientific reasoning for arguments made in those articles, as compared to articles accompanied by bar graphs, a topographical map of brain activation, or no image. These data lend support to the notion that part of the fascination, and the credibility, of brain imaging research lies in the persuasive power of the actual brain images themselves. We argue that brain images are influential because they provide a physical basis for abstract cognitive processes, appealing to people’s affinity for reductionistic explanations of cognitive phenomena.
Who are the Beauty Brains?
The Beauty Brains are a group of cosmetic scientists who understand what the chemicals used in cosmetics really do, how products are tested, and what all the advertising means.
The Beauty Brains are a group of cosmetic scientists who understand what the chemicals used in cosmetics really do, how products are tested, and what all the advertising means.
- Glowing Brains
Derek Lowe of the In The Pipeline pharma blog has stirred up a surprisingly polarized debate over staged lab photos that feature coloured spotlights on test tubes in darkened labs. These cliché and absurd images do a disservice to the researchers they're...
- Are We Now Blasé About Brain Scans?
People are so awestruck by neuroscience, the briefest mention of brain-based jargon or glimpse of a brain scan is enough to send their critical faculties into a flutter. Or so they said. But now a new study finds that in fact most people are singularly...
- Imaging The Brain To Control The Mind
For the first time anywhere in the world, psychologists at California-based company Omneuron and Stanford University have demonstrated that people can be taught how to reduce their experience of pain with the aid of real-time images of their brain activity....
- The Not So Seductive Allure Of Colorful Brain Images
We all know that the mere presence of a brain scan image or a neuro-prefix adds instant credibility to any news story, right? And that the public (i.e., undergraduates) is easily swayed into believing in bogus psychological findings if accompanied by...
- Predicting Stimuli From Fmri Data
Though the headline and subhead they use are unfortunately over-dramatic, this from the BBC:'Thoughts read' via brain scans The researchers monitored activity in the brain. Scientists say they have been able to monitor people's thoughts via...