Neuroscience
Great article in Newsweek about the potential pitfalls of using scientific research to make a point. Sharon Begley details some ways in which research methodology can skew study results. Study design, Begley argues, can lead to results which contradict results of a similar study which used different methodology.
For instance, a recent study funded by the government reviewed the effectiveness of abstinence-only programs on teens' rate of sexual activity and found that "kids in abstinence-only 'were no more likely to abstain from sex than their control group counterparts ... [both] had similar numbers of sexual partners and had initiated sex' at the same age."
This is very different, of course, from programs publicized by social conservatives suggesting that abstinence programs did reduce teen sexual activity. Begley shows problems with some of the studies cited by social conservatives, such as:
"Many [studies] evaluated programs where kids take a virginity pledge. But kids who choose to pledge are arguably different from kids who spurn the very idea. 'There's potentially a huge selection issue,' says Christopher Trenholm of Mathematica Policy Research, which did the abstinence study for the government. 'It could lead to an upward bias on effectiveness.' "
Begley cites several other examples of study bias leading to what she calls "bad science," and what is at best, conflicting and confusing results. It's a good start -- especially for those of us trying to teach students about scientific research. But I wish it were a bit more, well, scholarly and meaty.
Citations
* Begley, Sharon. Just Say No--To Bad Science. Newsweek, 5/7/2007, vol. 149 Issue 19, p57.
* Trenholm, Christopher, Barbara Devaney, Ken Forston, Lisa Quay, Justin Wheeler, and Melissa Clark, Evaluation of Abstinence Education Programs Funded Under Title V, Section 510. Available online via Mathematica Policy Research, Inc., April 2007.
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Neuroscience
Critiquing Scientific Studies, for the Layperson
Great article in Newsweek about the potential pitfalls of using scientific research to make a point. Sharon Begley details some ways in which research methodology can skew study results. Study design, Begley argues, can lead to results which contradict results of a similar study which used different methodology.
For instance, a recent study funded by the government reviewed the effectiveness of abstinence-only programs on teens' rate of sexual activity and found that "kids in abstinence-only 'were no more likely to abstain from sex than their control group counterparts ... [both] had similar numbers of sexual partners and had initiated sex' at the same age."
This is very different, of course, from programs publicized by social conservatives suggesting that abstinence programs did reduce teen sexual activity. Begley shows problems with some of the studies cited by social conservatives, such as:
"Many [studies] evaluated programs where kids take a virginity pledge. But kids who choose to pledge are arguably different from kids who spurn the very idea. 'There's potentially a huge selection issue,' says Christopher Trenholm of Mathematica Policy Research, which did the abstinence study for the government. 'It could lead to an upward bias on effectiveness.' "
Begley cites several other examples of study bias leading to what she calls "bad science," and what is at best, conflicting and confusing results. It's a good start -- especially for those of us trying to teach students about scientific research. But I wish it were a bit more, well, scholarly and meaty.
Citations
* Begley, Sharon. Just Say No--To Bad Science. Newsweek, 5/7/2007, vol. 149 Issue 19, p57.
* Trenholm, Christopher, Barbara Devaney, Ken Forston, Lisa Quay, Justin Wheeler, and Melissa Clark, Evaluation of Abstinence Education Programs Funded Under Title V, Section 510. Available online via Mathematica Policy Research, Inc., April 2007.
- Want To Spend Less? Ditch Your Credit Card And Don't Shop When Sad
As the recession bites, Newsweek magazine has a timely article on some of the brain processes underlying consumer decision making. The author Begley particularly emphasises research showing that people tend to be willing to spend more when they pay by...
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Sharon Begley uses her article April 9, 2007 article in Newsweek, In Our Messy Reptilian Brains to review a new book by Johns Hopkins professor of neuroscience David Linden The Accidental Mind. In it, Begley quotes Linden as saying that while the brain...
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Science Librarian pal Naka Ishii receommended a cog sci blog I hadn't known about, which leads me to post this short list of science blogs new to me, and maybe to you. Naka points me to Mind Matters, a cognitive science blog by Scientific American....
- Emotion & Cognition
Interesting article in last month's Wall Street Journal about emotions & cognitive performance. The free abstract sums it up: "After years of studying situations such as choking under pressure or succumbing to 'stereotype threat' (in which...
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Yes, it's true! "That's Not Baby Talk It's Your Kid Testing Her Grasp of Chinese " Sharon Begley. Wall Street Journal. Aug 11, 2006. pg. A.7 Not much to post, since the WSJ isn't free online, but here's the lead paragraph: "IF A BABY...