How trustworthy are “scientific studies”?

There has been a lot of debate on social media recently about journalists who report a correlational scientific studies as showing causation (particularly with regard to social media/technology and children’s well-being) potentially worsening the panic and worry felt by parents, teachers and others working with children.

Not sure why a correlational study does not provide evidence of causation?

TEDEd is a great place to learn something new and have your thinking challenged. David H. Schwartz will help you to dissect two types of scientific studies and in the process, will illuminate why everyone should always look at scientific claims with a critical eye. These activities are great for psychology students, parents, teachers, and anyone else who might read the newspaper and wonder why people, sometimes blindly, accept the claims made by journalists when they cite a scientific study.

Only got five minutes? Watch the video and share with your friends & family.

 

Got 15 minutes? Have a go at this QUIZ to think deeper about what the video showed you.

Really interested in this topic? Check out these additional resources

Discuss and debate this topic further by adding your comments below.

Working Memory and Anxiety

It is suggested, in an article for the BPS Digest, that anxiety can upset the brain’s balance between ‘focus’ and ‘vigilance’. That control of what to pay attention to is sacrificed at the “expense of worrisome thoughts” and a quick response to potential danger.  The article cites a paper published in Biological Psychology that tested whether computer-based working memory training could reduce anxiety. The small number of participants in this study make it difficult to judge how long the benefits would last or whether there is generalizability of the results to the wider population. The authors suggest that their study outcomes are “proof of principle”.

What are your thoughts? Comment below.

Sari, B., Koster, E., Pourtois, G., & Derakshan, N. (2016). Training working memory to improve attentional control in anxiety: A proof-of-principle study using behavioral and electrophysiological measures Biological Psychology DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2015.09.008

Got 5-mins? Chat to a pre-schooler.

An interesting study in Developmental Psychology suggests that a 5 minute chat with young children about their past or future selves seems to help them to make better decisions about their future needs.

Check out the BPS Digest article here

Does a challenging upbringing help or hinder?

Check out this great article from the BPS Research Digest in which research evidence is discussed that suggests the adaptions learnt through a challenging upbringing can make it easier to “thrive in challenging conditions” in the future.

What are your thoughts?

Check out the article here

Check out other research in this area:

Mittal, C., Griskevicius, V., Simpson, J., Sung, S., & Young, E. (2015). Cognitive adaptations to stressful environments: When childhood adversity enhances adult executive function. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 109 (4), 604-621

Heberle, A., & Carter, A. (2015). Cognitive Aspects of Young Children’s Experience of Economic Disadvantage. Psychological Bulletin

Wickham S, Taylor P, Shevlin M, & Bentall RP (2014). The impact of social deprivation on paranoia, hallucinations, mania and depression: the role of discrimination social support, stress and trust.

 

TES call for writers

Do you work in a school? Do you have worries that are keeping you awake at night? Want to share your view as a psychologist or teacher working in schools?

Check out this call for writers on the topic “What keeps me awake at night” from Helen Amass at the TES. Simply write your piece and email her at Helen.amass@tesglobal.com. Helen has confirmed that she would be interested in hearing the views of psychologists working in schools as well as teachers, support assistants and other people involved with teaching and learning.