Homework: Listening to Podcasts Critically

We'll be working with the RadioLab podcast titled “Lucy.” You can hear it here: 

http://www.radiolab.org/2010/feb/19/lucy/

or you can download the mp3 directly here: 

http://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/audio.wnyc.org/radiolab/radiolab040910a.mp3

As you are listening, compose a retrospective outline of the podcast. Post this outline in a new Google Doc titled "[your name]'s RadioLab assignment." Share this Google Doc with me.

Example Intro 4

Recently students of high school level education and above have experienced difficulty maintaining concentration in their classes. As students have easy access to numerous distractions through cell phones, laptops and tablet PC’s, it is no surprise that concentration is a growing problem among students nationwide. Students have even resorted to often dangerous methods including prescription drugs, like Vyvanse, Adderall and Strattera, to help remedy their lack of attention. The results of a recent study, however, may provide some relief to these struggling scholars. An experiment conducted by Japanese researchers found a positive correlation between correct posture and improved academic writing. According to this study sitting with good posture allows students to increase their academic performance and remain attentive. The study suggests, rather than relying on external influences to increase concentration, students should instead improve their academic performances through conscious alterations of their posture.

Example Intro 3

Despite obvious health risks numerous women have currently engaged in jeopardous activities, such as smoking, in order to maintain weight and body image. Associate professor at Temple University in the Departments of Kinesiology and Public Health, as well as a Research Scientist at the Center for Obesity Research and Education, Melissa A. Napolitano has provided extensive research into this behavior in her article entitled “ Targeting Body Image Schema for Smoking Cessation Among College Females: Rationale, Program Description, and Pilot Study Results.” According to her article, body image as well as weight concerns, often fuel smoking behaviors among females. Undeterred by negative heath consequences women continue to smoke, in order to achieve aesthetic approval, but Napolitano discusses possible smoking interventions, including body image and exercise interventions, that may help modify this behavior.

Example Intro 2

Imagine a situation in which your friend is bothering you with how much she hates her chemistry professor, who you will have next semester. Imagine you had not met this professor yet, however, based on the information you already have, would you like or dislike her? Naturally most people’s first inclination would be to have a sense of dread towards having this teacher next semester. Why does this happen? After all you don’t know anything about this professor. Researchers at the University of Trier in Germany recently published a psychological study titled “The Role of Evaluative Conditioning in Attitude Formation”. In this post, I will summarize the methods and conclusions of this study.

Example Intro 1

Eating disorders among college students is a very pertinent issue of debate seeing that it so frequently occurs throughout the world. The article “Cognitive Behavioral Theories of Eating Disorders” by Williamson et. al gives a broad spectrum of various eating disorders that people encounter and the reasons to why they are so detrimental. Presumably many college students have encountered individuals who are diagnosed with some kind of eating disorder, and it is not an issue that should be left unattended. It is important to understand why individuals resort to eating as a coping mechanism for various problems and Williamson et. addresses some of these reasons. Eating disorders are a very pertinent area of psychological research since those who have encountered them wish to maintain a certain image, which in turn causes detrimental health affects.

Procedures for Requesting a Grade Change

Begin by locating the work for which you did not receive credit in Google Docs. Double check 1. that the document is shared with my correct email address and 2. that your work is clearly labeled with your name and date. Once you have double-checked these requirements, email me a link to the Google Doc and I will grade the assignment and send you a corrected grade for the unit.

Draft Workshop: Feeder 2 Data Sheets

3/1/12

Name: 

1. Your hypothesis should have identified a relationship between an independent and a dependent variable. How does the author measure changes in the independent variable? What about the dependent variable? Is the scale sensitive enough to measure subtle changes? Is it flexible enough to track unexpected changes?

2. We noted in class that the biggest danger to experiments of this nature is the confounding variable. What confounding variables do you anticipate might get in the way of proving the author's hypothesis? Are these variables accounted for in the data sheet? How might the author use the data sheet to keep track of these confounding variables and prove definitively that they have not shaped the relationship between the independent and dependent variables?

3. What other kinds of data might it be useful for the author to collect? Suggest at least two piece of data that the author might consider adding to his or her data sheet.

4. Is the data collected on the sheet adequately quantified? While there might be some space devoted to more open-ended, narrative responses, is the data predominantly in the form of numbers that can be quickly and easily analyzed? If not, how might the author collect the data in a way that is more quantitative and less qualitative?

If you find weaknesses in your data sheet, go ahead and revise them. At the bottom of your document (which you should have posted to Google Docs), write a short paragraph explaining what changes you made as a result of the draft workshop.