7 Vote(s)
July 31, 2009
“But we are all individuals!” - Why looking at group data is a valid and useful method for evaluating the best approach to psychotherapy
by Michael D. Anestis, M.S. In a recent post on the use of empirically supported treatments (ESTs) for eating disorders, I spent some time discussing various controversies surrounding the use of ESTs. One issue, however, that I did not dwell...
7 Vote(s)
7 Vote(s)
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On the dead beat
Anyone who thinks science can't be beautiful or profound should spend an hour in the audio headspace of the latest RadioLab as it tackles life, death and mortality.It contemplates how death has moved from the heart to the brain, the attempt to weigh souls, delusions of non-existence, digital immortality, neuroimaging for flickers of life, and a man who survived a suicide plunge that has killed al
9 Vote(s)
9 Vote(s)
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Motivation and Textbooks
Who uses textbooks? Do students actually read the text? A study out in Teaching Educational Psychology by Derryberry & Wininger looked at the relationship between student motivation and textbook selection and use.The authors combine a group of measures to create a group of “internal motivation” measures, including need for cognition (enjoying effortful thinking), mastery goal [...
14 Vote(s)
14 Vote(s)
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What Rorschach Tests Really Tell Us
One of the most well-known psychological tools is the Rorschach Inkblot Test. A viewer looks at ten inkblots, one at a time, and describes what they see. The rationale behind this test is the idea that certain aspects of the subject's personality will be exposed as they are interpreting the images, allowing for the possible diagnosis of various psychological disorders.
5 Vote(s)
5 Vote(s)
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St John's Wort - The Perfect Antidepressant, If You're German
The herb St John's Wort is as effective as antidepressants while having milder side effects, according to a recent Cochrane review, St John's wort for major depression.Professor Edzard Ernst, a well-known enemy of complementary and alternative medicine, wrote a favorable review of this study in which he comments that given the questions around the safety and effectiveness of antidepressants, it i
20 Vote(s)
20 Vote(s)
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So You Dance? You Can Think!
We admit it. We're great fans of the television show So You Think You Can Dance. Who can resist all those dance styles, all that great choreography, all those wonderful young dancers! Aside from the sheer fun, we also find ourselves thinking back to a series of short columns we wrote for a local dance school newsletter some years ago. We find ourselves reminded that if you think you can danc
8 Vote(s)
8 Vote(s)
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What Is Alzheimer’s Disease? What Causes Alzheimer’s Disease?
Alzheimer's disease is a progressive neurologic disease of the brain leading to the irreversible loss of neurons and the loss of intellectual abilities, including memory and reasoning, which become severe enough to impede social or occupational functioning. Alzheimer's disease is also known as simply Alzheimer's, and Senile Dementia of the Alzheimer Type (SDAT) .
5 Vote(s)
5 Vote(s)
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Maybe having kids is a good idea after all
Who'd ever have thought it could be so difficult to measure happiness? Most large-scale studies rely on so-called "global measures". People are asked to rate how satisfied they are with their life, or something similar. The problems here are obvious: people's answers are likely to be swayed by their current mood, and we probably all interpret labels like "satisfied" in our own way. So along came
13 Vote(s)
13 Vote(s)
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Little Lifesavers: Kids Capable Of CPR
Nine-year-olds can and should learn CPR. A study of 147 schoolchildren has shown that, although the smallest may lack the requisite strength, the knowledge of how to perform basic life support is well retained by young children.
9 Vote(s)
9 Vote(s)
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A Silly Pat On The Head Helps Seniors Remember Daily Medication
Doing something unusual, like knocking on wood or patting yourself on the head, while taking a daily dose of medicine may be an effective strategy to help seniors remember whether they've already taken their daily medications, suggests new research.
14 Vote(s)
14 Vote(s)
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