How is Psychology a Science?

Learning Goal: I’m working on a psychology discussion question and need a sample draft to help me learn.

One of the things that makes psychology a science is peer review – which is the processes of having other academics evaluate research before it become published to the public.

Use the links below and tell the class about an article you found interesting (and why you found it interesting).

YOU MUST FIND AN EXPERIMENT!!! (like this one)Links to an external site.

In laboratory time-based prospective memory tasks, older adults typically perform worse than younger adults do. It has been suggested that less frequent clock checking due to problems with executive functions may be responsible. We aimed to investigate the role of clock checking in older adults’ time-based prospective memory and to clarify whether executive functions would be associated with clock checking and consequently, with time-based prospective memory. We included 62 healthy older adults (62-85 years of age) and applied tasks of time-based prospective memory as well as of executive functions (i.e., inhibition, fluency, and working memory). We used mediation analysis to test whether time-based prospective memory declined with advancing age due to less frequent clock checking. In addition, we tested whether there would be an association between executive functions and clock checking or time-based prospective memory. Time-based prospective memory declined with advancing age due to less frequent clock checking within 30s prior to intention completion. We only found a link between executive functions and clock checking (or time-based prospective memory) when not controlling for age. Our results support the importance of clock checking for time-based prospective memory and add to the current literature that older adults’ prospective memory declines because they are less able to adapt their clock checking. Yet, the reason why older adults are less able to adapt their clock checking still remains open. Our results do not indicate that executive function deficits play a central role.

What were they studying, what did they find?

That older people who check the clock LESS are more likely to have memory problems.

What variables were they measuring?

Memory tasks (Dependent Variable) Clock Checking (independent variable) Age (independent variable).

Then watch the video at the bottom of the assignment.

Don’t buy anything – but you can read the summary of the article (called the abstract).

You can search (https://psycnet.apa.org/search/basicLinks to an external site.) and see if anything that you are interested in pops up or give Current Psychology a tLinks to an external site.ry it and post your responses to the discussion.

AND then watch this video and answer the following question…

Limits of Scientific Psychology | Nick Brown | TEDxRhodesLinks to an external site.

What does the video make you thing about your research article?