“All previous statements are inoperative:” Remembering politicians’ flip-flops

“This is the operative statement. The others are inoperative.” This 1973 announcement by Richard Nixon’s press secretary, Ron Ziegler, effectively admitted to the mendacity of all previous statements issued by the White House on the Watergate scandal. Most flip-flops by politicians are less monumental, although they can sometimes haunt an entire election campaign: During the […]

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Why is self-directed study more effective than “following along”?

A common idea in educational theory is that “active” or “self-directed” learning tends to be better than passive forms of instruction. That is, as compared to watching a lecture or listening to a discussion, students learn more effectively when they take an active role in deciding what to learn and how to learn about it. The notion that […]

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Join the conversation at this week’s Annual Meeting

The annual meeting in Long Beach is rapidly approaching. Unlike previous years, the meeting will feature a social-media angle—and everybody attending the meeting is welcome to contribute. We will be running a Twitter stream with a dedicated hashtag, #Psynom14. If you are new to social media and are unsure about how to get started, we have three […]

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US National Institute on Aging is updating their strategic plan

Our partners at FABBS (Federation of Associations in Behavioral & Brain Sciences) have brought to our attention this notice from the US National Institute on Aging. They are updating their strategic plan. If you are an aging researcher (and aren’t we all?), you may want to have some input into that plan. Here is your […]

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Are your experimental findings better than a guess? Guess what, …

Ask any chemist and she will tell you that an electron microscope needs to be carefully calibrated.  If not, its measurements are not trustworthy enough for research purposes.  As psychologists, our laboratories typically do not include electron microscopes, but we do employ various measurement devices. At the most basic level, this includes our statistical “machinery.” […]

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Drugs save lives – but what about their side effects? Who can remember them?

Statins reliably reduce cholesterol levels and help save lives by preventing or ameliorating cardiovascular disease. But they have side effects: About 1 in 10 people suffer nosebleeds, a sore throat, headaches, or muscle and joint pain, to name but a few of the common side effects. On balance, however, statins are widely believed to be saving lives. So […]

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