But how big will the next burrito bowl be? Generic burrito bowl photo: B Young/Shutterstock An important concept in both statistics and methods is variability. And this analysis conducted by Wells Fargo consultants does a nice job illustrating the concept of variability. They'd been seeing social media complaints about a popular restaurant chain wasn't always …
Running on cannabis
How did the researchers manipulate the IV in this study? Photo credit: mansong suttakarn/Shutterstock Cannabis is considered a performance-enhancing drug in the Olympic Games and other competitions, but it's also (stereotypically) associated with being too chill to work out. In the past, psychologists could not easily test the relationship of marijuana and exercise because the …
Really? Prenatal cannabis exposure and early language development
Photo: Viacheslav Lopatin/Shutterstock A story in PsyPost was headlined with, Prenatal cannabinoid exposure appears to have a strange impact on early language development. You might have noticed that the verb phrase, "has a strange impact on" is a causal one. We are being asked to believe that prenatal exposure to cannabis causes something in children's …
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When questionable survey methods reach the Supreme Court
According to the report, the Court may have been misled by the quality and true findings of survey on the habits of gun owners. Photo: B Christopher/Alamy Stock Photo Polling research can play a critical role in shaping public opinion and public policy, so it's crucial that it be conducted well. Polling (survey) research is …
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Loneliness and age: A curvilinear relationship
Loneliness is associated with poorer health. Photo: JCVStock/Shutterstock Loneliness has been called an "epidemic" by the U.S. Surgeon General. People who report feeling lonely are also likely to suffer from poor physical health. In a recent international study on adults, researchers detected a curvilinear relationship between age and loneliness. The study was summarized by the …
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Playing outside and myopia
In one study, the more time kids spent outdoors, the less likely they were to develop myopia. Photo: Evgeny Atamanenko/Shutterstock It's summertime--when kids head outdoors for beach time, pool parties, and picnics. Time spent outdoors is not only fun; it's also associated with lower rates of near-sightedness (myopia). A journalist from NPR covered this topic …
Patients of female doctors live longer, research shows
The study found lower mortality among patients of female physicians. Photo: PeopleImages.com - Yuri A/Shutterstock Here's a large study that tested whether the life expectancies of Medicare patients differed, depending on whether their primary physician was a woman or a man. The website StudyFinds reports: The study, published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine, …
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Kids’ brains while reading: Screens vs. paper
The study found that children's brains were differently active when they read on screens vs. on paper. Dasha Trofimova/Shutterstock As a reader, you've certainly had experience reading text on both screens and on paper. You probably have a preference for one over the other. Have you ever wondered whether your brain reacts differently to these …
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Exercise and health: Practice with mediators
Exercise is good for us. Brain-based mediators help explain why. Photo: muse studio/Shutterstock This summary of exercise research, written by a journalist for the New York Times, is a good opportunity to practice diagramming mediators: How exercise strengthens your brain. Here is one passage from the article: Exercise offers short-term boosts in cognition. Studies show …
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Really? Wearing high heels can improve your walking
Should we trust a study that tested only 8 people? Photo: sirtravelalot/Shutterstock Yahoo news picked up a story from the Washington Post , which, in turn, had covered an empirical journal article about high heels and walking (did you follow that?). The Yahoo headline read, "Can wearing high heels actually improve your walking?" In this …
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