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Integrated Data Management Processes Expedite Common Data Management Tasks in Autism Research
The cameras are rolling at the 25th APS Annual Convention. Watch Frank Farach from Prometheus Research, LLC present his poster “Integrated Data Management Processes Expedite Common Data Management Tasks in Autism Research.”
Many researchers engage in disposable data management (DDM) practices: They clean and organize data after a study has been finished, repeating the process for each new analysis. Anecdotal evidence suggests that these DDM approaches are inefficient because they waste money, human resources, and valuable time. In contrast, integrated data management (IDM), is a systematic process for managing data as a reusable resource. We investigated whether our organization’s adoption of IDM practices allowed data analysts to more quickly complete investigators’ data-management requests compared to pre-existing DDM practices at client organizations.
Using two years’ worth of available records logged by time- and request-tracking software, we examined the efficiency with which analysts responded to investigators’ data quality, data analysis, and study-tracking…
Tags: 2013 Convention Video Blogs, APS 25th Annual Convention (2013), Autism, Biological/Neuroscience, Data, General, Personality/Social, Video | No Comments »
Preserving the History of Psychological Science
APS Convention attendees stop by the Center for the History of Psychology exhibit to take a look at Milgram’s famous “shock box.”
Cathy Faye, Assistant Director of the Center for the History of Psychology at the University of Akron in Ohio, has a message for psychological scientists who have made significant contributions to the field:
Don’t throw away your notes, correspondence, or lab equipment!
Faye spoke on Friday, May 23, at the 25th APS Annual Convention to educate attendees about the Center’s collection of papers, photographs, recordings, moving images, and artifacts documenting the history of psychology — the largest such collection in the world.
The collection includes iconic items, such as the shock generator that Stanley Milgram used in his historic studies on obedience to authority.
The “shock box” is on display in…
Tags: APS 25th Annual Convention (2013), Experimental Psychology, History of Psychology | No Comments »
Birthday Flash Mob Surprises Convention Attendees
APS Executive Director Alan Kraut shows off his dance moves on the big screen
The 25th APS Annual Convention is off to a lively start — some might even call it a flashy start.
Last night, APS members who had gathered to watch science superstar Michael Gazzaniga’s Keynote Address on “Unity in a Modular World” were surprised when more than 30 of their fellow attendees broke into a choreographed dance while The Beatles’ “Birthday” blared from the loudspeaker.
If you missed the flash mob commemorating APS’s 25th birthday, don’t fret! There will be more opportunities to celebrate during this weekend’s convention, including an ‘80s-themed 25@25 Celebration and Special Concert on Saturday from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM in Salon 1.
Tags: 25th APS Annual Convention, APS 25th Annual Convention (2013), APS Fellows, General | No Comments »
Our Brains Are Conductor-Less Orchestras
In his keynote address, Michael S. Gazzaniga suggests the brain may work through local gossip rather than central planning.
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A composer standing with hands at his side while the orchestra plays a perfect symphony — that’s how the brain works.
At least that was the metaphor offered by Gazzaniga of the University of California, Santa Barbara, during the keynote address of the 25th APS Annual Convention. Gazzaniga argued that the brain’s specialized modules may converse with one another rather than be guided by some almighty leader.
“Maybe the brain is full of local interactions that are simply coordinated in some way,” he said.
Gazzaniga has been studying the distinct roles of brain’s left and right hemispheres for half a century. His many years of work has led him to conclude that brain activity is largely modular, occurring in particular areas with specific roles, but he’s…
Tags: APS 25th Annual Convention (2013), Biological/Neuroscience, Brain, Laterality, Video | No Comments »
The Benefits of Traditional vs. Wikipedia Assignments
The cameras were rolling at the APS 25th Annual Convention in Washington DC. Watch Megan John from Concordia College present her poster “The Benefits of Traditional vs. Wikipedia Research Assignments for Introductory Psychology Students.”
This presentation describes how a Wikipedia assignment was integrated into a psychology course to replace the traditional major paper typically assigned in such courses. Thirty-three students worked on significantly expanding and improving eight different Wikipedia articles over a period of 15 weeks. A 30-item survey was administered at the end of the academic semester in order to capture and quantify students’ perceptions of the experience. The survey yielded both qualitative and quantitative data on the perceived benefits of the Wikipedia assignment across multiple domains, and on ways the Wikipedia assignments could be improved.
The Wikipedia assignment particularly increased students’ ability to: 1) communicate ideas to general audiences, 2) take criticism, 3) present information with neutrality, and…
Tags: 2013 Convention Video Blogs, APS 25th Annual Convention (2013), Learning, Students, Teaching, Video, Wikipedia Initiative | No Comments »
