Monday, December 31, 2012

Article: Got Brain? Investing in Our Most Precious Asset in 2013



*****************************************
Kevin McGrew, Phd.
Educational Psychologist
Institute for Applied Psychometrics
Director IAP
*****************************************

Article: leading brains



*****************************************
Kevin McGrew, Phd.
Educational Psychologist
Institute for Applied Psychometrics
Director IAP
*****************************************

Article: Accelerating Students Along Neural Superhighways



*****************************************
Kevin McGrew, Phd.
Educational Psychologist
Institute for Applied Psychometrics
Director IAP
*****************************************

Thursday, December 27, 2012

Article: Digital Brain Health Market Report: Assess, Enhance Cognition


Digital Brain Health Market Report: Assess, Enhance Cognition
http://www.sharpbrains.com/executive-summary/

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*****************************************
Kevin McGrew, Phd.
Educational Psychologist
Institute for Applied Psychometrics
Director IAP
*****************************************

Article: Disrupted functional brain networks in autisti... [Brain Connect. 2012] - PubMed


Disrupted functional brain networks in autisti... [Brain Connect. 2012] - PubMed
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23259692?dopt=Abstract

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*****************************************
Kevin McGrew, Phd.
Educational Psychologist
Institute for Applied Psychometrics
Director IAP
*****************************************

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

To blog or not to blog...that is the question (December 28 - January 4)

I may be blogging lite, or not at all, from December 28 thru January 4th, as I recovery from some surgery. On the other hand, it may be possible that during my physical "down time" I may find more mind "up time" and may not skip a beat. Regardless, if there is a lull, do to fret, "I shall return"

 

Monday, December 24, 2012

FYI Brain Clock traffic

Site: "Tick Tock Talk: IQ brain clock" [ http://www.ticktockbraintalk.blogspot.com ]
>
> Total counter state:
>
> Hits: 154761
> Hosts: 72864
> Visitors: 90238
> Sessions: 97241
>
> From the beginning of the month:
>
> Hits: 1687
> Hosts: 681
> Visitors: 1137
> Sessions: 1334
> New Visitors: 1094
>
> Last week:
>
> Hits: 466
> Hosts: 230
> Visitors: 316
> Sessions: 350
> New Visitors: 272
>
>

Article: TED: Molly Crockett: Beware neuro-bunk - Molly Crockett (2012)


TED: Molly Crockett: Beware neuro-bunk - Molly Crockett (2012)
http://www.ted.com/talks/molly_crockett_beware_neuro_bunk.html

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*****************************************
Kevin McGrew, Phd.
Educational Psychologist
Institute for Applied Psychometrics
Director IAP
*****************************************

Article: Brain fitness class’ monthly Q&A: Memory, stress, emotions, and more


Brain fitness class' monthly Q&A: Memory, stress, emotions, and more
http://www.sharpbrains.com/blog/2012/10/30/brain-fitness-class-monthly-qa-memory-stress-emotions-and-more/

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*****************************************
Kevin McGrew, Phd.
Educational Psychologist
Institute for Applied Psychometrics
Director IAP
*****************************************

Saturday, December 22, 2012

Special Journal issue: Special Section on Replicability in Psychological Science: A Crisis of Confidence





The Nine Circles of Scientific Hell. (2012). Perspectives on Psychological Science, 7(6), 643-644

Alexander, A., BarnettCowan, M., Bartmess, E., Bosco, F. A., Brandt, M., Carp, J., Chandler, J. J., Clay, R., Cleary, H., Cohn, M., Costantini, G., DeCoster, J., Dunn, E., Eggleston, C., Estel, V., Farach, F. J., Feather, J., Fiedler, S., Field, J. G., Foster, J. D., Frank, M., Frazier, R. S., Fuchs, H. M., Galak, J., Galliani, E. M., Garcia, S., Giammanco, E. M., Gilbert, E. A., GinerSorolla, R., Goellner, L., Goh, J. X., Goss, R. J., Graham, J., Grange, J. A., Gray, J. R., Gripshover, S., Hartshorne, J., Hayes, T. B., Jahn, G., Johnson, K., Johnston, W., JoyGaba, J. A., Lai, C. K., Lakens, D., Lane, K., LeBel, E. P., Lee, M., Lemm, K., Mackinnon, S., & et al. (2012). An Open, Large-Scale, Collaborative Effort to Estimate the Reproducibility of Psychological Science. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 7(6), 657-660.

Bakker, M., vanDijk, A., & Wicherts, J. M. (2012). The Rules of the Game Called Psychological Science. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 7(6), 543-554.

Ferguson, C. J., & Heene, M. (2012). A Vast Graveyard of Undead Theories: Publication Bias and Psychological Science's Aversion to the Null. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 7(6), 555-561.

Fiedler, K., Kutzner, F., & Krueger, J. I. (2012). The Long Way From alpha-Error Control to Validity Proper: Problems With a Short-Sighted False-Positive Debate. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 7(6), 661-669.
Francis, G. (2012). The Psychology of Replication and Replication in Psychology. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 7(6), 585-594.

Frank, M. C., & Saxe, R. (2012). Teaching Replication. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 7(6), 600-604.

Fuchs, H. M., Jenny, M., & Fiedler, S. (2012). Psychologists Are Open to Change, yet Wary of Rules. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 7(6), 639-642.

Galak, J., & Meyvis, T. (2012). You Could Have Just Asked: Reply to Francis (2012). Perspectives on Psychological Science, 7(6), 595-596.

GinerSorolla, R. (2012). Science or Art? How Aesthetic Standards Grease the Way Through the Publication Bottleneck but Undermine Science. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 7(6), 562-571.

Grahe, J. E., Reifman, A., Hermann, A. D., Walker, M., Oleson, K. C., NarioRedmond, M., & Wiebe, R. P. (2012). Harnessing the Undiscovered Resource of Student Research Projects. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 7(6), 605-607.

Gullo, M. J., & OGorman, J. G. (2012). DSM-5 Task Force Proposes Controversial Diagnosis for Dishonest Scientists. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 7(6), 689.

Ioannidis, J. P. A. (2012). Why Science Is Not Necessarily Self-Correcting. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 7(6), 645-654.

Klein, O., Doyen, S., Leys, C., daGama, P. A. M. D., Miller, S., Questienne, L., & Cleeremans, A. (2012). Low Hopes, High Expectations: Expectancy Effects and the Replicability of Behavioral Experiments. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 7(6), 572-584.

Koole, S. L., & Lakens, D. (2012). Rewarding Replications: A Sure and Simple Way to Improve Psychological Science. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 7(6), 608-614.

Makel, M. C., Plucker, J. A., & Hegarty, B. (2012). Replications in Psychology Research: How Often Do They Really Occur? Perspectives on Psychological Science, 7(6), 537-542.

Nosek, B. A., Spies, J. R., & Motyl, M. (2012). Scientific Utopia: II. Restructuring Incentives and Practices to Promote Truth Over Publishability. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 7(6), 615-631.

Pashler, H., & Harris, C. R. (2012). Is the Replicability Crisis Overblown? Three Arguments Examined. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 7(6), 531-536.

Pashler, H., & Wagenmakers, E. J. (2012). Editors' Introduction to the Special Section on Replicability in Psychological Science: A Crisis of Confidence? Perspectives on Psychological Science, 7(6), 528-530.

Simonsohn, U. (2012). It Does Not Follow: Evaluating the One-Off Publication Bias Critiques by Francis (2012a, 2012b, 2012c, 2012d, 2012e, in press). Perspectives on Psychological Science, 7(6), 597-599.

Spellman, B. A. (2012). Introduction to the Special Section on Research Practices. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 7(6), 655-656.

Stroebe, W., Postmes, T., & Spears, R. (2012). Scientific Misconduct and the Myth of Self-Correction in Science. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 7(6), 670-688.

Wagenmakers, E. J., Wetzels, R., Borsboom, D., vanderMaas, H. L. J., & Kievit, R. A. (2012). An Agenda for Purely Confirmatory Research. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 7(6), 632-638.


Check out http://theconnecto.me/2012/12/the-top-5-neuroscience-breakthroughs-of-2012/

*****************************************
Kevin McGrew, Phd.
Educational Psychologist
Institute for Applied Psychometrics
Director IAP
www.themindhub.com
*****************************************

Friday, December 21, 2012

Brain video festival: Mind wandering, mono-tasking, the brain as a network

A few interesting video gems for your viewing.

First, forget multitasking and try mono-tasking.  Focus on just one thing...it may be beneficial.


Next, I have frequently blogged about the default mode or default brain network (Brain Clock posts; IM-HOME post).  The default mode (which is estimated to be active approximately 40% of our waking day) has been implicated in how our mind, when idling or resting, is very active--it does not rest while resting.  Difficulty quieting the default network has also been implicated in a variety of clinical disorders such as ADHD, Alzheimers, schizophrenia, and autism. This literature is now frequently referred to as mind wandering research (see Brain Clock mind wandering posts).  The following is a nice brief overview of the default brain network.

I have also suggested that some brain fitness technologies (Interactive Metronome in particular;  conflict of interest disclosure--I serve as a paid external consultant to IM regarding research) are achieving success by either directly or indirectly training controlled, focused attention, which requires shutting down and inhibiting the mind wandering predisposition of the default mode network.  I have posted both a set of PPT slides and the video of my recent IM keynote presentation at the Brain Clock blog where I presented the relevant research and hypotheses in detail.


Finally, a more lengthy, thought provoking video is presented last.  This video makes it clear that the brain is best conceptualized as an evolving interconnected network.


Enjoy.

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Article: App for quizzing your way to being a mastermind



*****************************************
Kevin McGrew, Phd.
Educational Psychologist
Institute for Applied Psychometrics
Director IAP
*****************************************

Monday, December 17, 2012

Article: Want to Be Happier and Avoid Auto Accidents? A TED/BMJ Mashup

More on mind wandering....a function of the default mode or network

Want to Be Happier and Avoid Auto Accidents? A TED/BMJ Mashup
http://neurocritic.blogspot.com/2012/12/want-to-be-happier-and-avoid-auto.html

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*****************************************
Kevin McGrew, Phd.
Educational Psychologist
Institute for Applied Psychometrics
Director IAP
*****************************************

Saturday, December 15, 2012

Article: Getting inside your head



*****************************************
Kevin McGrew, Phd.
Educational Psychologist
Institute for Applied Psychometrics
Director IAP
*****************************************

Rice Metronome HIP-E technology

Something new in the area of metronome timing. Rice Metronome. Appears to be built on "natural tempo" brain clock research

 

 

Friday, December 14, 2012

"I think...therefore IM" (Interactive Metronome)--Dr. Kevin McGrew IM 2012 Keynote Conference presentation

Keynote presentation by Dr. Kevin McGrew at the 2012 Interactive Metronome professional conference in San Antonio, Texas. Dr. McGrew presents his three-levels of interpretation research and theory-based hypothesis re: the reason IM improves cognitive performance across different domains. The primary message focuses on improving focus (controlled attention), working memory and executive functions. Recent brain network research implicates improve brain network communication via white matter tracts, particularly the Parietal-Frontal Integration Theory (P-FIT) of intelligence

Taping was from a distance so the audio, at times, is weak. Listening with ear buds suggested.  Also, a non-audio version of the complete set of PPT slides is available for more reflective viewing via my SlideShare account.

[Heads up - the "cat" video clip near the beginning is not a mistake.  Don't think that YouTube has done something weird--I comment on the interpretation of the cat video after it is over]


Below is a snippet of a part of the larger video that explains the key concepts and PPT-based animations that are used in the Keynote presentation.


Finally, if you are unfamiliar with the  IM technology, you might want to watch the following brief introductory video before viewing the Keynote video.  The video is a bit dated with regard to current understanding of how IM may work, as explained in the Keynote video above.  However, it is a good video for understanding the task demands of IM


As noted in my conflict of interest disclosure statement, I am an external paid consultant to IM (Director of Research and Science)

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Article: Try Thinking and Learning Without Working Memory



*****************************************
Kevin McGrew, Phd.
Educational Psychologist
Institute for Applied Psychometrics
Director IAP
*****************************************

Monday, December 10, 2012

"Ned the Neuron" and "Your Fantastic Elastic Brain": Let's educate our children about their brains and brain fitness


Just in time for holiday shopping—some educational materials to help children learn more about their brains and brain fitness.

I believe that children should be taught, at an appropriate level with engaging media, to understand important concepts about their brains and learning. If you are a parent, educator, or therapist who wants to teach children information that will allow them to better understand themselves and empower their thinking (how they can control and modify their minds and behavior; a Growth Mindset), it is nice to know that a variety of groups have recently developed engaging books, videos and apps regarding the human brain and brain training or plasticity.  I recently discovered two sources of material that are worth attention.

The Adventures of Ned the Neuron is a free iPad app.  This well constructed app is 34 full color pages of material.  


The app includes:
  • Read to Me function with voice over and soundtrack
  • Interactive educational diagrams
  • Three mini-games
  • Over 30 neuroscience concepts introduced
The original version crashed on original generation one iPads, but that has now been fixed and it works without a hitch on my iPad (generation one).  A brief introductory video is available for viewing.  Additional information regarding this free app can be found at the Kizoom website.  The app can be found at the iTunes App Store link at the Kizoom website.  Below are a few select screen shots (the last being a collage of all screens). 

 [Click on images to enlarge]





Your Fantastic Elastic Brain:  Stretch It, Shape It is a multimedia resource by the DEAK Group.  It includes an app, a book, posters, and other education related resources.  These materials are not free, but the costs are minimal and, in my opinion, are good investments in the education of children.  My only complaint is that the app frequently crashed when I tried to navigate from one page to a different section of the program.  I am using a generation one iPad, so I don’t know the extent to which this generalizes to later iPads.  Visit the link above to learn more and to find a link to the iTunes App Store.




The book is also available at Amazon.com.  A brief introductory video is available for viewing at the web site or on YouTube

A few select screen shots from the app are below.






Tweet from Neuroscience (@neuroscience)

Neuroscience (@neuroscience)
Children exposed to music at home have enhanced development of auditory abilities bit.ly/WZVI7v [article] #neuroscience

Download the official Twitter app here



Article: Working Memory: The Connected Intelligence (Paperback) - Psychology Press


Working Memory: The Connected Intelligence (Paperback) - Psychology Press
http://www.psypress.com/books/details/9781848726185/

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*****************************************
Kevin McGrew, Phd.
Educational Psychologist
Institute for Applied Psychometrics
Director IAP
*****************************************

Article: leading brains



*****************************************
Kevin McGrew, Phd.
Educational Psychologist
Institute for Applied Psychometrics
Director IAP
*****************************************

Sunday, December 09, 2012

The Annual Clock: Time in a larger perspective

 

Scott Thrift has developed a cool Annual Clock that helps people become aware of the larger scale of time. Check out the 2 minute video. For more info check out the website. It's only 2:00 minutes long.

 

Saturday, December 08, 2012

Article: Brain Scans Don't Catch The Brain In Action





*****************************************
Kevin McGrew, Phd.
Educational Psychologist
Institute for Applied Psychometrics
Director IAP
*****************************************

Wednesday, December 05, 2012

Article: Brain training and SharpBrains’ new report @ today’s NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams


Brain training and SharpBrains' new report @ today's NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams
http://www.sharpbrains.com/blog/2012/12/04/brain-training-and-sharpbrains-new-report-todays-nbc-nightly-news-with-brian-williams/

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*****************************************
Kevin McGrew, Phd.
Educational Psychologist
Institute for Applied Psychometrics
Director IAP
*****************************************

Tuesday, December 04, 2012

The Neuroethics of Smart Drugs (News and Features)

What does it mean for society that use of smart drugs is increasing among cognitively healthy people?









Sharp Brains New market report and infographic: Digital Brain Health reaches $1 billion



SharpBrains Logo
Special announcement
   
We are proud to release today what we believe is our best market report so far, analyzing how fully automated applications designed to assess, monitor and/ or enhance cognition and brain functioning are transforming brain health, and health overall. 
Infographic: The Digital Brain Health market 2012-2020  
 
 
To Learn More about this new market intelligence resource:
(If you are a reporter/ analyst/ blogger interested in covering this market and report, please contact us) 
 
Please note that this market report is a professional resource aimed at informing executives, entrepreneurs, innovators, investors, policy-makers. If you follow SharpBrains' work primarily for personal reasons, the eCourse How to Be Your Own Brain Fitness Coach is a much more appropriate resource.  
 
Looking forward to a great 2013!
 
 - The SharpBrains Team
 
 

SharpBrains | 660 4th Street, Suite 205 | San Francisco | CA | 94107

Monday, December 03, 2012

Time & Society Table of Contents for 1 November 2012; Vol. 21, No. 3


Time & Society Online Table of Contents Alert

Time & Society Online Table of Contents Alert

A new issue of Time & Society is available online:
November 2012; Vol. 21, No. 3

The below Table of Contents is available online at: http://tas.sagepub.com/content/vol21/issue3/?etoc


Editorial
Editorial
Hartmut Rosa and Robert Hassan
Time Society 2012;21 283-284
http://tas.sagepub.com/cgi/reprint/21/3/283


Articles
Gendered working-time arrangements and their policy implications: Korean experiences
Sook-Yeon Won
Time Society 2012;21 285-307
http://tas.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/21/3/285

Changing patterns of family time in adolescence: Parents' and teens' reflections
Lynda M Ashbourne and Kerry J Daly
Time Society 2012;21 308-329
http://tas.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/21/3/308

Making consultations run smoothly: An analysis of doctors' skilful use of time inspired by science and technology studies
Astrid Pernille Jespersen and Torben Elgaard Jensen
Time Society 2012;21 330-350
http://tas.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/21/3/330

Living on a knife's edge: Temporal conflicts in welfare service work
Helena Hirvonen and Marita Husso
Time Society 2012;21 351-370
http://tas.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/21/3/351

Competing time orders in human service work: Towards a politics of time
Helen Colley, Lea Henriksson, Beatrix Niemeyer, and Terri Seddon
Time Society 2012;21 371-394
http://tas.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/21/3/371

Time to play: The temporal organization of chess competition
Gary Alan Fine
Time Society 2012;21 395-416
http://tas.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/21/3/395

 Special Issue Call for Papers: Gendered Time  

 

Saturday, December 01, 2012

Article: Why is it Impossible to Stop Thinking, to Render the Mind a Complete Blank?


Why is it Impossible to Stop Thinking, to Render the Mind a Complete Blank?
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=ask-the-brains-why-impossible-to-stop-thinking

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*****************************************
Kevin McGrew, Phd.
Educational Psychologist
Institute for Applied Psychometrics
Director IAP
*****************************************