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How ECT works

March 20, 2012 by .

Posted in: Abnormality Psychology A2 Psychology AS Psychopathology WJEC topics

A team of Scottish researchers (Perrin et al., 2012) have produced evidence that ECT decreases connectivity in the brain of depressed patients, leading to a reduction in symptoms. They used fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) to scan the brains of nine patients, all of whom had severe clinical depression and had not responded to drug therapy. Each received ECT for two sessions per week, an average total of 8 treatments. They were scanned before ECT was applied, and then again afterwards. Using a new mathematical analysis they were able to determine to what extent 25,000 different brain areas ‘communicated’ with each other.  This indicated changes after ECT in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortical region; connectivity was reduced and this was associated with improvements in depressive symptoms.

When a patient has depression, parts of the brain that control mood and those involved in concentration and thinking have an overactive connection. So it appears that ECT ‘turns down’ these connections leading to improved mood.

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New spreads for A2 Anomalistic psychology

March 15, 2012 by .

Posted in: Anomalistic psychology Psychology A2 Textbook updates

A teacher has pointed out a small error to one of our updated spreads. On the ‘Personality factors in anomalous experience’ spread that replaces pages 266-267, reference is made to an article by Wiseman and Watt (2004). In the text this is incorrectly referred to as Watson and Watt. In the box the results say ‘found a stronger link between neuroticism and negative superstitions than with positive superstitions’ but it should be the other way round ‘.. between neuroticism and positive superstitions than with negative superstitions’.

If you haven’t downloaded these free updates you can find them here.

 

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Bad food -> bad behaviour?

March 14, 2012 by .

Posted in: Aggression Psychology A2

We’ve known for ages that trans fats are seriously not good news health-wise. Now it is being suggested that there could be a direct link with aggressive behaviour. The link has not been established as causal, but the research methodology seems quite sound and there could be important applications – though the researchers’ picking out of  “schools and prisons” as examples of real life might be an illustration of an unconscious effect!

The team (UC San Diego) analysed the relationship between trans fatty acids and aggression or irritability using baseline dietary information and behavioural assessments of 945 adults, men and women. They measured factors such as a life history of aggression, conflict tactics and self-rated impatience and irritability, plus an “overt aggression” scale about recent aggressive behaviours. Results were adjusted for sex, age, education, and use of alcohol and smoking.

They found that greater trans fatty acids in the diet were significantly associated with greater aggression, and were more consistently predictive of aggression and irritability than the other known aggression predictors.

It seems that it is wise to avoid eating trans fats for more than physical health reasons, as well as not including them in foods provided for communities such as schools and prisons.
Golomb, B.A., Evans, M.A., White, H.L. and Dimsdale, J.E. (2012) Trans Fat Consumption and Aggression. PLoS ONE, 7 (3)

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The scientific process up close

March 12, 2012 by .

Posted in: Psychology AS

A tale has recently come to light of a bit of scientific backbiting. John Bargh et al. published a classic piece of research in 1996 showing that behaviour can be affected by trigger words. This is called a priming effect. In the case of Bargh’s research, participants were given a word task. When the word related to being old, the participants left the lab more slowly i.e. the word primed a tendency to a particular response. According to Google Scholar this research has been cited almost 2,000 times – which means it has had a reasonable impact.

In the spirit of good science it is important to confirm such an important finding but no one has done this until just recently. Stephane Doyen and colleagues (2012). They used more participants but failed to find an effect. What they did find is that participants did move more slowly if the experimenter expected them to move more slowly (i.e. had been told the research hypothesis) but no effect was found if the experimenter did not have this expectation. An example of experimenter bias.

This is where the story gets really interesting – Bargh has launched a scathing attack on the new study, including personal attacks on the authors as incompetent. This goes against the principles of science where replication and objective discussions should be welcomed. The scientific community has rallied round and brought the issue out in the open (for example here). This all illustrates the process of science at work.

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How to tell if your mouse is depressed…

March 10, 2012 by .

Posted in: Abnormality Psychology A2 Research Methods

link

 

 

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Earworms

March 7, 2012 by .

Posted in: Memory Psychology AS

Have you had an earworm? Can’t get that song out of your head?

It’s all about encoding according to Dr Vicky Williamson, a memory expert at Goldsmith’s College in London.

Here’s the article….

 

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Limited Edition Revision Pack

March 6, 2012 by .

Posted in: Miscellaneous News Psychology AS Textbook updates

Limited Edition Revision Pack

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’ve just heard that there are some Limited Edition AQA Complete Companion Revision Packs for AS Psychology coming out later this month, I thought I’d let you all know so you can snap them up! The pack is £15.00 and will include a copy of the AS Exam Companion and the AS Mini Companion (a saving of approx. £6.00 if the books are purchased individually). If you’d like me to order you some before they are relased please email me at claire.beatt@oup.com - alternatively they will be available on Amazon (ISBN 978 019 912996 6).

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Spot-on support for research methods

March 5, 2012 by .

Posted in: Psychology AS

Do your students struggle with research methods in A Level Psychology? Then you’ll be pleased to hear that Cara is currently working on a new book, The Research Methods Companion. Out this summer, this textbook is a practical, activity-based resource designed to boost students’ confidence and provide the skills, knowledge and understanding needed to get to grips with this part of their course (AQA A, AQA B, Edexcel, OCR and WJEC).

We’ve already had feedback from teachers on the first chapter, they’ve said: “I feel this will help to engage students in what most of them find a relatively dull topic area of Psychology. Importantly, you have achieved what I feel is a good balance between making something look interesting without losing the essential content needed for success in exams.” Jeff Hardman, Head of Psychology at Holy Cross College in Greater Manchester.

For more information or if you’re a school or college wishing to order an inspection copy (free for 30 days), please email me at claire.beatt@oup.com with your address.

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The Myth of the eight-hour sleep

February 22, 2012 by .

Posted in: Biological rhythms and sleep Psychology A2

Today’s BBC website carries a fascinating article that challenges the commonly held view that an eight-hour period of continuous sleep is natural for human beings.

We often worry about lying awake in the middle of the night – but it could be good for you. A growing body of evidence from both science and history suggests that the eight-hour sleep may be unnatural.
In the early 1990s, psychiatrist Thomas Wehr conducted an experiment in which a group of people were plunged into darkness for 14 hours every day for a month.
Read the rest of this entry »

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High quality day care follow-up

February 13, 2012 by .

Posted in: Attachment Psychology AS

Back in the 1970s 111 infants from disadvantaged backgrounds were recruited into quite an intensive daycare programme, the Abecedarian Project. Thirty years later, 101 of them were still being monitored by researchers (Frances et al., 2012). This was a scientific, controlled investigation into the benefits of high quality daycare for children who were at risk of developmental delays or academic failure linked to their low-income backgrounds. The children attended full-time, all year, from infancy up to kindergarten. All sorts of educational activities were provided to support their language, cognitive, social and emotional development. The follow-up studies have supported other findings which have consistently shown that children who receive early educational intervention really do perform better at school, resulting in their having greater chance of adult educational success and a better life.

This longitudinal study challenges the idea that such programmes only provide short-term gain for the children.

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