I’m sure all of you have heard of the Big Data movement going on right now. From the Harvard Business Review to David Brooks in the NY Times, everyone seems to be talking about the power of big data to provide “insights” into the inner workings of the world. Of course as a scientist, recognizing the …
A short and funny article published in Perspectives on Psychological Science by Neuroskeptic highlight the mistakes to most avoid and be aware of when doing research. Important knowledge for undergrads and newer researchers, and a good reminder for seasoned ones!
The pressure to publish positive findings (instead of null results) is present across scientific discipline, but several researchers have argued that the field of Psychology is the most biased offender. An article posted last week in Nature.com discussed these biases – and presents two potential solutions one of which was suggested by UCLA researcher Dr. …
I wrote a post a few months ago about some common misconceptions about functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), and one of my main points was that the term ’lights up”, which is often used when describing the areas of the brain that respond to a task, is misleading. Here is what I said on the subject: …
If you’re a political junkie like me, or just a casual election-follower, you’ve probably read a few polls that made your jaw drop. Here are some things a skeptical poll consumer should look for before letting their jaw fully drop. Selection Bias One of the first questions you should ask yourself when you read …
The quote above comes from a perspective published in Nature Neuroscience this past summer by Nieuwenhuis and colleagues. They detail a surprisingly common mistake in the statistical analyses carried out by some studies published in prominent journals. It might be easier to first illustrate the mistake with an example. Let’s say I give a control …
It’s an age-old refrain — adults claim that kids today are completely different from when they were growing up, usually for the worse. And that claim often extends to the TV shows that kids are exposed to – more sex, less depth, endless shows about celebrities and reality TV show stars. But hasn’t Hollywood always …
Note: Everything in the following article and the provided links (at least at the time of posting) is work-safe, though some links may contain explicit language. However, please exercise caution in clicking other links found on the web pages referenced here! A quick Google search for recent Boston University grads Ogi Ogas and Sai Gaddam …
This was first posted on Society for Research on Adolescence’s blog… here is link if you want to read more about news from conference from other bloggers as well. SRCD in Montreal, Day 1! One of the first symposiums I attended, bright and early this morning at 8AM, was about a topic that I am …
The results of the recent PISA tests, an international assessment comparing countries around the world in reading, math and science, posted extraordinary scores for students in Shanghai, China. Meanwhile, 15 year olds in the US ranked 23 out of 34 countries! Why is the US falling so far behind other countries in Math and Science? …
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