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Memory weakens but steadies with age, study finds
BBC: Older people were more consistent in memory tests, research from Germany shows - although younger people did achieve overall higher test scores. The assessments were carried out in Berlin on 100 older people - aged between 65 and 80 - and 100 people in their 20s. They had to show up at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Berlin for 100 days of tests. "We were very nice to them and had a good atmosphere at the labs," says Prof Florian Schmiedek. ... Prof Schmiedek whose research was published in the journal Psychological Science, was surprised by the difference between the two groups.
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New Research From Psychological Science
Read about the latest research published in Psychological Science: The Relative Trustworthiness of Inferential Tests of the Indirect Effect in Statistical Mediation Analysis: Does Method Really Matter? Andrew F. Hayes and Michael Scharkow Mediation analysis is commonly used to examine the indirect effect of one variable (X) on a second variable (Y) through a mediator variable (M). Although many researchers conduct mediation analysis, not all do so in the same way. The authors examined the delta method, percentile and bias-corrected bootstrap confidence intervals (CIs), the distribution-of-the-product approach, the Monte Carlo CI, and the test of joint significance.
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Study techniques that work — and (surprisingly) don’t
The Washington Post: Is cramming before a test better than not studying at all? Is underlining material a good way to retain information? A new school year is a good time to look at the latest research on the best ways to study. What works and doesn’t may surprise you. A 2013 study called “Improving Students’ Learning With Effective Learning Techniques” and published in “Psychological Science in the Public Interest,” a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, evaluated the 10 most commonly used learning techniques and concluded the following about effectiveness. Read the whole story: The Washington Post
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Building a Better Mass-Market Tomato
The New York Times: Science is trying to build a better supermarket tomato. At a laboratory here at the University of Florida’s Institute for Plant Innovation, researchers chop tomatoes from nearby greenhouses and plop them into glass tubes to extract flavor compounds — the essence of tomato, so to speak. These flavor compounds are identified and quantified by machine. People taste and rate the hybrid tomatoes grown in the university’s fields. ... From there, Dr.
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Why video games may be good for you
BBC: A growing body of research is showing the flip side, though – video games can help people see better, learn more quickly, develop greater mental focus, become more spatially aware, estimate more accurately, and multitask more effectively. Some video games can even make young people more empathetic, helpful and sharing. As public debate on the subject is often highly emotive and polarised, and as more and more of us are becoming gamers, researchers say it is important to move beyond the generalisations that characterise much of the discussion.
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Why having sweaty palms before that big job interview could actually work in your favour
The Daily Mail: The age-old advice to 'just relax' before giving a speech or taking an exam may not hold true, research suggests. A study found that signs traditionally interpreted as nervousness - such as sweaty palms and a racing heart - may actually increase your negotiating power. In those who enjoy negotiating, it can be a sign of being 'revved up' for a challenge and improve your skills, say the team from America's Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Read the whole story: The Daily Mail
