tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52047691610524097422011-11-27T23:40:47.550ZLittle drips of soothing revision goodness for experimental psychology students.Willnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1231100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-2823799566208455752009-04-04T23:50:00.001+01:002009-06-06T09:18:38.618+01:00

Simply, it's a blog to help the Experimental Psychology student out by someone who has done it already, namely me, Will. Hi.I wrote it because people were asking me too many questions and answers were mentally writing themselves while I was trying to get some sleep; Brain Milk was a ploy to answer all questions with a simple link to this page and in so doing get some more shut-eye.I also like

Willnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-71728240166872002352009-04-03T17:12:00.001+01:002009-04-04T17:22:45.855+01:00

Sarah Scrafford has very kindly submitted this post to Brain Milk to discuss how to control that exam beast, stress. Thanks very much Sarah; here you go ladies and gents:No matter how many lessons you take, how much advice you receive, and how well you’ve studied, stress and exams are a pair that go hand in hand. One is never seen without the other. While a small amount of tension is needed to

Willnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-50983459192172815492008-06-05T23:40:00.015+01:002008-11-13T04:14:54.579Z

Well it's all over (for most of you anyway, sorry Consciousness people - not long!). Feels amazing, eh?I don't like letting things whimper out so I thought I would officially end the blog.I really hope that you got something out of it, that you learned a little about how to better prepare and handle all those scary exams. And if none of that happened, well, there were some pretty pictures.My man

Willnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-65440981279741090702008-05-26T01:50:00.003+01:002008-11-13T04:14:54.671Z

When I finished writing my answers, I'd get a feeling like this picture. Rays of tranquility, the stillness of having finished...aaah it's all over.The trouble is I got this feeling prematurely: when you finish writing you still have one job to do. Checking it over. If I am honest, not every essay I wrote in exams was read through and checked either because I ran out of time or steam (or had

Willnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-36559857168762948852008-05-26T01:45:00.004+01:002008-11-13T04:14:54.778Z

Read the questions sloooowwwlyWhen the exam starts read the questions carefully. Sounds bleedin' obvious, doesn't it? But panic does funny things to us. Time feels like it's slipping away and reading the questions speedily is the outcome of this feeling. Besides, what you nod at here isn't often what you actually do. To make sure I read them properly, I didn't read them 'in my head' but as if I

Willnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-40360582128992151922008-05-26T01:22:00.001+01:002008-11-13T04:14:54.934Z

Avoid the wafts of panic that hang outside exams; find somewhere quiet and unflusteredOutside the exam ignore those people. You know the ones. Well-prepared but nevertheless spreading their own brand of insecure worry-vibes out on a strong frequency. Get your desk number and picture where your desk will be in the room.Then relax, perhaps find your revision buddies, talk about general course

Willnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-39547261004212768652008-05-26T01:14:00.002+01:002008-05-26T01:29:49.601+01:00

"Two point drop-down....There it is."'Any tips on exam technique?' seems to be the question of the moment.Technique is very important. It's the bottleneck through which all your knowledge must squeeze.The next few posts will address some techniques that might be useful before, during and after the exam.

Willnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-70902866353554888572008-05-21T00:11:00.008+01:002008-11-13T04:14:55.084Z

I had this scheduled to post a while back before all the exams kicked off but something went wrong with Blogger for some strange reason. Here it is now though. A pint of Guinness tonight and a couple of emails from you lot got me thinking about the difference between a 2.1 and the a First. What does it take to be the cream at the top?Having produced essays that range from shrugging 2.2 all the

Willnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-42408748292179145832008-05-20T23:00:00.003+01:002008-11-13T04:14:58.091Z

The Great Day of His Wrath by John Martin (1853, Oil on canvas)Exam days don't have to be the emotional equivalent of 'Mad Martin's' apocalyptic vision. It's probably much better if they aren't because all that worry is bad for performance, soaking up valuable working memory. At the same time total indifference is unlikely to get your brain fired up for sharp thinking. Instead, you want to aim

Willnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-51626564419074510792008-05-19T01:43:00.002+01:002008-11-13T04:14:58.420Z

You sit down, turn over the paper. The questions are revealed. You read over them quickly. An out-of-body experience begins to creep in. Your palms start prickling with sweat. What the hell are they asking? This wasn't even on the course, was it? Your heart is jumping in your chest. You look around. Heads are down. Please - someone give an indication that they are in the same position. No one. No

Willnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-83424593771872702182008-05-18T17:04:00.002+01:002008-11-13T04:14:58.791Z

No, this is not a drinking game where you take a shot for every page you write. It's about that habit some people have to continuously sip away at a bottle whilst they sit their exams. My advice is to hydrate before the exam and top-up on fluids (and sugar) between your two essays. All that sipping wastes precious time.It is also a cognitive no-no. The department's very own Peter Rogers and his

Willnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-80664806921413556132008-05-17T01:22:00.004+01:002008-05-17T01:48:17.098+01:00

winmac @ FlickrCreatively, digitally, altruistically, commercially and pedagogically, Brain Milk has been a bit of an experiment. From the fact that around 150 of you keep coming back every day together with all your lovely emails, it seems to have been successful.As you may have picked up on from various posts, I am dubious of the current way things are done when it comes to work throughout the

Willnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-1371944781693228532008-05-17T00:33:00.006+01:002008-11-13T04:14:59.510Z

Still thinking about conclusions, I starting thinking about The Matrix, which tickles me and annoys me a bit.It tickles me for for galvanizing a generation of pale guys to go out and buy long leather coats, adopt a slightly creepy, deadpan vernacular and walk around with knitted brows looking like they are cogitating the nature of Choice. (Aside: anyone else notice they always carry thin HMV bags

Willnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-3821683086605507692008-05-17T00:25:00.000+01:002008-11-13T04:14:59.813Z

I have blogged about getting the flavour of your introduction right to impress your reader. Now it's time to think about how to finish off.For this we are going to employ the use of some helium balloons for the mother of all contrived analogies. What we want to do is make the marker take off like this at the end of the essay:How do we do it? What we will need are lots of well-inflated balloons

Willnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-71333971331467838932008-05-16T23:37:00.003+01:002008-05-16T23:46:01.162+01:00

mark78 @ FlickrPeople have clearly developed a hunger for the posts on writing style. To sate that this post has a few references that you might like to explore further. It is probably one for second years to dip into next year, although it may be worth using a dead moment to take a look at them now before exams begin.Taines, C. (2007). A practical guide to writing for psychology. New York:

Willnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-44514067996467457122008-05-16T23:33:00.003+01:002008-05-16T23:43:01.771+01:00

If you use pronouns - like "this”, “that”, “they”, “these”, “those” etc - make sure it is clear what they refer to, otherwise do not use them. It's just another of those things to avoid reader confusion.

Willnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-23657037482916584422008-05-16T23:31:00.000+01:002008-05-16T23:32:40.550+01:00

“Formal writing differs from informal writing in being concise, clear, simple, scholarly, polite, careful, precise, and scrupulously grammatical…” (O’Shea, 2000, p.1).Nicely put.

Willnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-89882468372811922702008-05-16T01:25:00.003+01:002008-05-16T01:31:13.163+01:00

onefromrome @ FlickrThere has been a call for more psychoanalysis essays on the hub. It'll be useful before the exam on Monday. Upload now!

Willnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-9158261270447011122008-05-14T23:39:00.004+01:002008-05-15T01:59:33.726+01:00

chunyang @ FlickrExams are suddenly no longer just around the corner. Nerves are creeping in; you lot are (anxiolytically?) checking the blog more often per day than you were this time last week. As people feel time pinching up, the questions have taken on a common theme: how to use it most effectively in the coming days.My answer to these questions is this:1) Pace yourself - There is a

Willnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-88400974054687268682008-05-14T00:35:00.001+01:002008-11-13T04:14:59.999Z

Signposting is helpful for getting around a place. And essays can be confusing places. So, just like their physical namesakes, when used sparingly and at the right places they can make all the difference to someone trying to find their way around your essay.Personally, I find them helpful at the start of new paragraphs. They help provide the zip line for reader to glide down as they read.

Willnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-84796180566416297752008-05-12T19:14:00.005+01:002008-05-13T00:57:03.209+01:00

It's at DropBoks. Enter these details :username: brainmilker@gmail.compassword: i/l/i/k/e/s/h/a/r/i/n/g [remove all the "/" - this is to avoid bots]MediaMax have refused to restore any of the old data. Thanks to everyone who has uploaded again. You are all stars!

Willnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-16588842612086005702008-05-12T18:47:00.002+01:002008-05-12T18:50:59.517+01:00

broterham @ Flickr New research out in the Journal of Nuclear Medicine, which will get neuropsychiatrists fizzing. Using single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), researchers in The Netherlands were able to detect biochemical differences in the brains of individuals with generalized social anxiety disorder (also known as social phobia), providing evidence of a long-suspected biological

Willnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-87360800302690112532008-05-12T18:35:00.001+01:002008-05-12T18:40:16.403+01:00

florian_b @ FlickrYou'll often hear people asking each other how many pages they wrote in the exam as they exit, as if pages were somehow related to marks (even if that were true it would be confounded by writing size.)I think you could probably write a pretty sweet answer on two sides (if your handwriting were on the smallish size). I know you could write a terrible answer six sides long.The

Willnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-81140932378821356962008-05-12T18:06:00.001+01:002008-05-12T19:33:31.634+01:00

clspeace @ FlickrAnother thing I picked up on from the essays before MediaMax imploded: be careful with comparisons, which inevitably crop up all over the place.Saying "Females performed worse for Condition A" is meaningless because what other group did they perform worse than? The monkey wizards?While we're talking about "Condition A", I should mention I don't like refering to conditions by a

Willnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-58627995731615980322008-05-12T17:36:00.003+01:002008-05-12T17:50:27.250+01:00

toronto_lex @ FlickrIf last year is anything to go by, right now is an anxious time. You are far enough into your revision and close enough to exams to doubt whether you have enough covered and in proper detail. This puts space between where you are and where you want to be causing stress (and maybe even some out-of-body library experiences.)The first thing to say is that you can't know

Willnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-46992648001288350502008-05-12T17:00:00.000+01:002008-05-12T17:09:35.828+01:00

Tesco seem to piss incorrect signs out of their arse on a daily basis. For a litany of their agrammaticism see this collection. (Perhaps that's why the majority of the public incorrectly call them "Tesco's" - the grammar gods are redressing the balance for all the missing apostrophes).I just walked past the Carphone Warehouse which informed me "iPod's for sale". Unless they were just selling the

Willnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-9763938089505339832008-05-10T12:44:00.005+01:002009-10-16T09:42:54.554+01:00

Don't know about you, but I find the first taste of food to be the best. It's probably a combination of the hypothalamus getting its way, some neural adaptation thereafter and a bit of the primacy effect, if we are stripping down and getting really geeky. Science aside, I probably make my "Mmm, great", "Yeah, not bad" or "Ergh! Who cooked this?" after this first bite or two. It's the same with

Willnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-60779494329570029742008-05-10T11:21:00.000+01:002008-05-10T13:22:32.450+01:00

frank-wouters @ FlickrI wrote a post about keeping your words and style simple a few days ago. I want to refine this by making sure that you don't get too relaxed. Avoid contractions (e.g. aren't), slang (e.g. there are loads of criticisms of this study), empty phrases (e.g. 'of course' or 'obviously' - it is 'obvious'?) and weak modifiers (e.g. basically etc).

Willnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-63071409527690195982008-05-09T18:15:00.005+01:002008-11-13T04:15:00.907Z

Some words can upset scientists in a big way. Having mastery of the basics by avoiding silly mistakes is needed for a good mark. So here are few words not to use and a few words to be careful about how you use them. I'm sure most of you have them nailed but there are always a few.'Prove'Scientists don't 'prove' anything: they use data to support or falsify a theory.'Believe'Without evidence

Willnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-3634767370590496602008-05-09T00:25:00.004+01:002008-05-09T10:44:16.352+01:00

This is a classic Guardian ad. In the first eight seconds we conclude from the evidence the man is running away. After the next eight seconds the conclusion is that he is stealing a bag. In the last part we see that he saves the man from some falling masonry.Now let us imagine that the middle part were the only part we had seen. Scientifically, it would be imprecise to say 'The man is stealing

Willnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-70379167431577175042008-05-08T15:55:00.000+01:002008-05-08T15:57:01.340+01:00

oberazzi @ FlickrYou can find the question spotting stuff using the "question spotting" tag; however, I thought it might be nice to have them all in one place. These were my eight:NeuropsychiatryLanguage, Thought & Modularity of MindLanguageConsciousnessEvolutionaryHuman FactorsDevelopmental Disorders of CommunicationVision (no longer a course)

Willnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-53792325588584247172008-05-08T15:31:00.002+01:002008-05-08T15:51:16.337+01:00

undercover_surrealist @ FlickrGENERAL Discuss the view that language is domain-general with reference to developmental disorders of communication. People with learning disabilities can have problems with language. Does this provide evidence for the cognition hypothesis of language development? Nativists, such as Pinker (1994), believe that humans have an innate predisposition for language. Is

Willnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-67504422677695626002008-05-08T14:49:00.007+01:002008-05-09T10:49:45.128+01:00

margolove @ FlickrGENERALWhy do humans reproduce sexually and not asexually?Why do humans have two genders? What implication does this have on behaviour?How can evolutionary theory help us to understand human behaviour?Contrast the EP and HBE approaches in the study of human behaviour and psychology, with emphasis on their strengths and limitations."Many of the complexities of human behaviour

Willnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-28805580554993258842008-05-08T14:25:00.002+01:002008-05-08T14:47:47.353+01:00

geekmom @ FlickrLanguage, Thought, Modularity of MindBloom, P. & Keil, F. (2001). Thinking through language. Mind and Language.16, 351-367 (copy here)Kay, P., & Regier, T. (2006). Language, Thought, and Color: Recent Developments. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 10, 51–54 (copy here) (also see the rest of Kay & Regier's recent publications)Boroditsky, L. (2003). Linguistic Relativity. In L. Nadel (

Willnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-52427022456779695142008-05-08T13:40:00.004+01:002008-05-11T19:22:17.078+01:00

davemorris @ FlickrHuman FactorsParasuraman, R. (2003). Neuroergonomics: Research and practice. Theoretical Issues in Ergonomics Science, 4, 5-20. (copy here)Fundamental Human Factors Concepts, Civial Aviation Authority (copy here)Chalmers, P.A. (2003). The role of cognitive theory in human-computer interface. Computers in Human Behavior, 9, (5) (copy here)There's also a great chapter or paper

Willnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-41226001270556966082008-05-08T13:01:00.003+01:002008-11-13T04:15:01.224Z

What a beard.EvolutionaryCosmides, L. & Tooby, J. (2003). Evolutionary psychology: Theoretical Foundations. In Encyclopedia of Cognitive Science. (pp. 54-64). London: Macmillan. (copy here)Tooby, J. & Cosmides, L. (2005). Conceptual foundations of evolutionary psychology. In D. M. Buss (Ed.), The Handbook of Evolutionary Psychology (pp. 5-67). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. (copy here) Ermer, E.,

Willnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-10299396887320683442008-05-08T12:51:00.003+01:002008-05-08T13:47:05.994+01:00

ylvas @ FlickrDevelopmental DisordersMervis, C.B. & Becerra, A.M. (2007) Language and communicative development in Williams syndrome. Ment Retard Dev Disabil Res Rev, 13 (1), 3-15 (copy here)Brock, J. (2007). Language abilities in Williams syndrome: a critical review. Development and Psychopathology, 19, 97-127Abbeduto, L. Warren, S.F. & Conners, F.A. (2007) Language development in Down syndrome:

Willnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-68876425942782413702008-05-08T12:45:00.005+01:002008-05-26T01:55:28.943+01:00

ethanhein @ FlickrNeuropsychiatryKendler, K. S. (2005). Toward a Philosophical Structure for Psychiatry. American Journal of Psychiatry, 162, 433-440.Yudofsky S. C., & Hales E.H (2002). Neuropsychiatry and the Future of Psychiatry and Neurology. American Journal of Psychiatry, 159(8), 1261-1264.Price, B.H., Adams, R.D., & Coyle, J.T. (2000). Neurology and psychiatry: closing the great divide.

Willnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-9503257630690248632008-05-08T12:37:00.003+01:002008-05-08T13:54:44.071+01:00

simonbooth @ Flickr - Banksy's Kissing Policemen.One of Banky's main tricks is to subvert deeply established stereotypes. In cognitive terms, we are extremely sensitive to this because it stands in such stark contrast to the stereotype - it is category-inconsistent.Social Macrae, C. N., & Bodenhausen, G. V. (2000). Social cognition: Thinking categorically about others. Annual Review of

Willnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-33555171911983361882008-05-08T12:36:00.004+01:002008-05-08T13:55:54.533+01:00

apoptotic @ FlickrCritical Issues in Psychology Wikipedia article on Philosopy of ScienceTooby, J. & Cosmides, L. (2005). Conceptual foundations of evolutionary psychology. In D. M. Buss (Ed.), The Handbook of Evolutionary Psychology (pp. 5-67). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. (copy here)Ketelaar, T & Ellis, B.J (2000). Are Evolutionary Explanations Unfalsifiable? Evolutionary Psychology and

Willnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-87527479433258848272008-05-08T12:32:00.001+01:002008-05-08T12:34:37.390+01:00

cidsoe @ FlickrI'm pretty sure I promised a series of posts detailing good reviews. I think we can get that started today...

Willnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-83700117481916128482008-05-08T00:11:00.003+01:002008-05-08T02:15:16.714+01:00

mayaevening @ FlickrHad a few emails this week about structuring paragraphs. My main bit of advice here is the title of this post: spill the beans fast. That means saying your point before giving evidence for it.You are not writing detective fiction. The conclusion you arrive at in a paragraph doesn't have to be a wonderful 'aha!' surprise to the reader. It's better if it isn't.So when you are

Willnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-26299520177350572562008-05-07T03:25:00.004+01:002008-05-07T03:33:05.982+01:00

“I believe more in the scissors than I do in the pencil” - Truman Capote Bad papers, essays and writing in general use overly-long sentences. When you are dealing with difficult stuff inside the sentences don’t add to the confusion by making your sentences themselves difficult. Long sentences produce more cognitive sweat and deliver comprehension a harder kick in the nuts than shorter sentences.

Willnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-15585915367428806322008-05-07T03:09:00.004+01:002008-11-13T04:15:01.408Z

Some people have asked me about using "I" in essays. Although there are some areas of scientific publication where this is (becoming) acceptable, I recommend that you avoid it for the moment, unless you have cleared it with a specific lecturer.You should usually be able to state your position in third person. So instead of "I think the data are unreliable for the following reasons" you should say

Willnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-11431948801789257272008-05-07T03:08:00.000+01:002008-11-13T04:15:01.577Z

Fotographic by the great Carl Warner; everything in the photo is made of food. Click image to enlarge The brain is the 4x4 of the body, guzzling fuel in epic proportions. Every neuron needs energy every time it changes state, and you have 100 billion of them. When you are revising you are flexing your mental muscle considerably more than your usual student day. So, are there any ways you can

Willnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-64246498884405219912008-05-06T11:06:00.010+01:002008-11-13T04:15:01.815Z

Superlative writing is imbued with an unornamented elegance rather than appropriating a sesquipedalian demeanor. Or put better, the best writing is simple, not complex. The advice here is: Don’t be pretentious and puffed up with your vocabulary or style. It's all over the essays on the hub, this strange top-button-done-up register.I am sure many of you have right-clicked and selected 'Synonyms'

Willnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-31532708016609000152008-05-06T10:54:00.000+01:002008-11-13T04:15:01.927Z

(thomashawk @ Flickr)I often wondered whether those little buds in my ears delivering a soothing wave of music were helping or hindering my revision. So I did a bit of detective work.The results? Broadly speaking, music is a bit of a cognitive criminal, stealing precious resources away. Music with lyrics is the worst, as it soaks up important language processing.But listening to it before work

Willnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-15901313802903428652008-05-06T07:59:00.000+01:002008-05-06T02:52:33.192+01:00

In March 2004 the then-White House Chief-of-Staff and counsel Alberto Gonzales rather dubiously went to the hospital room of John Ashcroft, the US Attorney General, to obtain the reauthorization of a domestic wiretapping program.In this video, after oddly commenting on it being the reporter's birthday (her retort is spot on: "I didn't realize the intel. brief was so far reaching"), Bush is asked

Willnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-68864511895787154382008-05-06T07:57:00.001+01:002009-10-16T10:02:57.617+01:00

gep @ FlickrI have had a peek at some of your essays up on the online hub and thought as the exam season pushes back from the future onto the present the next sensible thing to do is start writing about writing.This is an area where essay feedback is weak; you are rarely told how to improve your writing. Markers just don't have the time.That's a shame because I would guess that a very substantial

Willnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-12591530574136582782008-05-04T11:58:00.000+01:002008-05-04T12:10:07.970+01:00

A question from a Level 2 psychologist:"I was wondering whether you could send a message to third years, asking to please upload their second year coursework if they're putting their 3rd year stuff up as well? I think that it would really help us second years to have last year's coursework for revision purposes."So third years, you heard the man. Head over to the online hub and help out a second

Willnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-86285943806436732192008-05-03T11:50:00.000+01:002008-05-04T12:10:32.913+01:00

I've had a good question about removing your name from comments in your Word documents for the online hub. Just take a look at the following links (depending on your version of Word).Word 2003 | Word 2007

Willnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-61408687953111585102008-05-01T00:53:00.000+01:002008-04-30T17:03:19.328+01:00

Some suggestions from people:1) the blog should be organised chronologically2) the blog should be arranged by module if the content is module specific.3) Facebook Brain Milk group members should be notified when I post a blog.My response:1) Posts are arranged reverse chronologically, i.e., the freshest first - that is just the way all the blogs are in the world. Look down the right side in the "

Willnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-22774965379878122192008-04-30T23:24:00.000+01:002008-05-04T12:10:55.631+01:00

ryanr @ FlickrSo, you asked. I looked. And now I am happy to say, I've found. Here is one of last year's Level 3 online hubs, now integrated into MediaMax. Apparently there were others but they have since been deleted.Well done to everyone from Level 3 who has uploaded their stuff: excellent work. And for the people using it without uploading anything: tut. (Note, this is classic evo psych thing

Willnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-16403319588432362102008-04-30T22:01:00.001+01:002008-05-08T14:45:40.066+01:00

dere-street @ FlickrIs the perception of red altered by having language?Does the perception change between speakers of different languages?Can the perception of red affect the lower level properties of language?GENERALSystems in the brain do not interact. Discuss.How might language affect our perception of the world?How might the language we speak affect our perception of the world?(note the

Willnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-72709182540992237262008-04-29T12:33:00.001+01:002008-04-29T12:38:16.957+01:00

ucumari @ FlickrSome more recent stuff, this time for the Language, Thought and Modularity of Mind course: language makes a difference when it comes to knowing what's alive and what's not.

Willnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-55214939450214047402008-04-29T11:45:00.000+01:002008-04-29T11:50:50.042+01:00

wandering_angel @ FlickrInteresting one for the neuropsychiatrists: hypnosis might be useful in treating delusional disorders.

Willnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-29129855696447945342008-04-28T19:59:00.000+01:002008-11-13T04:15:02.151Z

Being critical is something that you will need to scoop the top marks. No news there. But how do you go about it? Of course, I can't tell you how to be critical of specific papers but I can tell you about a mindset that's useful as well as a systematic method of attacking a paper.When you read papers and books by academics you know you can trust what they are saying, right? Wrong. What you are

Willnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-24785333769919592342008-04-28T19:48:00.000+01:002008-04-28T21:25:10.236+01:00

kevinsteele @ FlickrDon't resign your TV to the bin during revision: it's probably good for you.I am a little bit addicted to shows and spent way too much time watching them during revision. You may think it is very weird advice to promote this activity during what are your most important exams to date. Surely you should be working? Well, all work and no play makes Jack more than a dull boy: it

Willnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-25869741481159007152008-04-28T15:41:00.000+01:002008-04-28T15:53:55.948+01:00

razorsmile @ FlickrA summary on how to revise Consciousness:1. Get sorted on the philosophy. Do you think functionalism cuts the mustard? If not, make sure you have a strong case for it. There's always a question on this.2. Organise the various theories; get intimate with them. If you're clever you'll create your own (psst: steal little bits from everyone else's and call it yours). A3 paper might

Willnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-40553801857149987562008-04-27T08:48:00.000+01:002008-04-27T00:04:49.925+01:00

thomashawk @ FlickrI mention this now because some of you will be starting to learn references some time soon.The APA says that with three to five authors the first reference to a paper includes all authors. Subsequent citations in the same essay may refer to the paper by the principal author plus "et al." For six authors the correct format is (Principal author et al., Year).Obviously you do this

Willnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-45696690076525119032008-04-26T09:58:00.001+01:002008-05-08T14:46:47.790+01:00

thomashawk @ FlickrGeneralOn the basis of neuropsychological data reject two theories of consciousness.Discuss three theories of consciousness. Reject two of them and support one.Discuss a theory of consciousness, explaining how it might account for sleep and waking, anaesthesia and coma data.Is consciousness localised?Is consciousness a property of the brain?What evidence should a theory of

Willnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-18945362068138588102008-04-26T07:59:00.000+01:002008-11-13T04:15:02.383Z

In the last posts in this mini-series on Consciousness we were philosogeeks, the one sitting on the edge of the party worrying about things like whether girls actually exist, whether human minds can ever understand girls and how the hell to chat them up. We are now going to be neurofunkers and just assume that girls exist and we can understand them. Neurofunkers aren't practising their chat up

Willnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-24500347681895267452008-04-26T04:58:00.000+01:002008-04-25T20:30:13.042+01:00

paulwatson @ FlickrSomeone has very kindly provided me with the 3rd year exam timetable. It is now on the right column. If you are a second year, please do email/comment your timetable in too.

Willnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-81465747064599759742008-04-26T04:10:00.000+01:002008-04-25T19:52:32.728+01:00

As I've been put in the mood for Consciousness today (that phrase does weird things if you over-think it), I was reminded of this recent Nature Neuroscience paper, a rehash of the classic Libet paper. Read it here.

Willnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-28372542198779740352008-04-26T03:31:00.000+01:002008-04-26T11:02:22.576+01:00

patrisha @ FlickrOk, last time I said how there were those who liked to talk about chatting up consciousness and those who actually did it. Here we are going to cover the former and specifically talk about what the problem is and how to approach it. This is a difficult area to get your head around. Let's try and make it a bit clearer.First, make notes about what the problem is. I find this is

Willnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-30313977918901973572008-04-26T02:24:00.000+01:002008-04-26T10:41:28.558+01:00

losviajesdelgatomagenta @ FlickrI've had a question about how to revise consciousness, which gives me an excuse to talk about it, something I have been itching to do for a bit. Consciousness is a feisty course and you could devote a career to it and still have more to read (although Semir Zeki, I have heard, claims he has read every single paper ever written about vision. Must have been nothing

Willnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-1927338692281224772008-04-25T23:51:00.000+01:002008-04-25T13:33:01.104+01:00

Discovery documentary on the brain. Probably wont live up to the ambitious title of "Everything you need to know about the brain" but might add colour to your knowledge.

Willnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-56314098999577281812008-04-25T14:51:00.000+01:002008-11-13T04:15:02.648Z

I'm getting quite interested in how architecture affects the mind; what kind of things make us work well and make us creative. The briefest of looks into the literature shows that there's not much on it (2nd years take note: 3rd year project - oh dear, I sound like a lecturer). Anyway, now you are all back in Bristol I thought it might be nice to talk about some places to work.First off, the Arts

Willnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-25460953989149789232008-04-25T00:29:00.000+01:002008-04-24T16:13:27.541+01:00

olivier-cornelis @ FlickrA few of you are wondering if I know anything about speed reading. I don't. But Keith Rayner a cognitive psychologist at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst does: "There is no such thing as speed reading...Not if your definition of reading is comprehending text." So, don't rush reading, you'll just have to read it again to understand it and that takes up more time

Willnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-47509358076063001382008-04-24T22:39:00.000+01:002008-04-24T14:21:54.071+01:00

toke @ FlickrWe have established a few things for note-taking. First, know what a course is about. This is vital for restricting your revision to the relevant stuff and being able anticipate questions that might be coming. Second, it's best to start off your research with a review paper or several introductions to recent papers. I am working on a post which has all the review references I ever

Willnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-20589361885044188362008-04-24T21:07:00.000+01:002008-04-25T13:26:59.815+01:00

yanivg @ FlickrRevising for psychology is a bit like trying to drink from a firehose: there's so much to get in and only a limited amount of time and mental willpower with which to gulp it all down. To keep your mouth open for longer and let you swallow faster it's no wonder so many people take to nootropics, the lovely technical term for drugs what make your noggin work better. The majority of

Willnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-65770249846683194252008-04-24T09:28:00.000+01:002008-04-23T21:56:37.381+01:00

Horizon documentary, God On The Brain:Part 1Part 2Part 3Part 4Part 5Ramachandran, the Temporal Lobes and God:Part 1Part 2

Willnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-19178838487320043912008-04-24T07:21:00.000+01:002008-04-23T21:43:52.572+01:00

Willnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-47921180882583416742008-04-24T07:16:00.000+01:002008-04-23T21:40:50.044+01:00

Willnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-65007710106583661382008-04-24T06:59:00.000+01:002008-04-23T15:00:34.866+01:00

khazaei @ FlickrIn a first, scientists have isolated hyperactive parts of the brain in depressed patients using a laser dissection microscope. They found differences at the molecular level relative to controls, which could explain the hyperactivity and pave the way for new therapeutic strategies. This is great stuff for Neuropsychiatry folks.ReferenceWang, S-S, Kamphuis, W., Huitinga, I., Zhou,

Willnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-23681436242976395592008-04-23T20:48:00.001+01:002008-05-08T14:47:02.410+01:00

Pink Floyd | Keep Talking | " For millions of years mankind lived just like animals. Then something happened which unleashed the power of our imagination. We learned to talk" Ah, what an opening. The question is: how did we 'learn' to talk and what cognitive tricks let us do it?GENERALSorry, can't find my general ones.SPECIFICLanguage and ThoughtAre there universal effects of language on

Willnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-9408704823016952732008-04-23T17:10:00.000+01:002008-04-23T11:44:36.916+01:00

davidprior @ FlickrYou've done the research. Half of the literature says one thing, the other half says the opposite. It's so annoying, you could nut someone.But that's what scientists do at the creative edge; pick away at the unknown, chuck it behind them, and then have a few (peer-reviewed) fights with each other about what's valuable. It just so happens you have got mixed up in this weird

Willnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-26999041318627655472008-04-23T10:49:00.000+01:002008-04-23T02:53:14.970+01:00

burnblue @ FlickrThis will only be of interest to a fraction of geeks, like myself, who like really fringe stuff.When two sounds with two different frequencies are played in stereo (i.e. to each ear), binaural beats are heard. These aren't real but equal to the difference between the stereo frequencies. You can listen to one here (headphones needed, toggle between each ear to see the effect

Willnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-28319965644791503442008-04-23T10:12:00.000+01:002008-04-23T01:54:36.345+01:00

pinkspleen @ Flickr"I have heard chewing gum is good for your memory. Do you know if this is true?"Thanks for this great question; I like a little challenge.This study says yes: Wilkinson et al (2002) but the effect is selectiveThis study says yes: Baker et al (2004) but if at the time of recall you weren't chewing memory was worse (context effects)This study says no: Tucha et al (2004) and

Willnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-58164937848523510512008-04-23T05:28:00.000+01:002008-04-22T20:35:33.992+01:00

will-lion @ FlickrCool new paper out in PNAS. Might be useful for Human Factors section on Error.

Willnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-71126751754760300052008-04-23T04:29:00.000+01:002008-04-22T13:38:45.688+01:00

Patient in hospital presenting with alien arm syndrome following basilar tip aneurysm rupture. Comments below video on YouTube page are quite interesting.

Willnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-35484985839986049772008-04-23T00:29:00.000+01:002008-04-22T13:28:42.686+01:00

Ramachandran on consciousness, qualia, and selfMore Ramachandran in his TED talkInterview with David Chalmers David Chalmers: Neural Correlates of Consciousness (I)David Chalmers: Neural Correlates of Consciousness (II)David Chalmers: Neural Correlates of Consciousness (IV) (III missing)Hameroff: Quantum Consciousness, Quantum Mind (I)Hameroff: Quantum Consciousness, Quantum Mind (II)Hameroff:

Willnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-19812222791087417802008-04-22T20:08:00.000+01:002008-04-22T13:06:42.243+01:00

Short documentary about Gerald, a man with schizophrenia. Part 1 and 2 shown below.Also, there is a bank of stuff on the disorder here. And, I can't remember where I recorded this from but it gives an insight into the subjective experience of the disorder. Someone has put sound effects over the top, presumably to match some of the heightened sense of reality and auditory hallucinations

Willnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-50547620787456530582008-04-22T10:56:00.000+01:002008-04-22T02:19:34.374+01:00

bfionline @ FlickrYou will have spent a long time on your essays, familiarising yourself with an area to exam-level detail. Fortunately, you only have to do an essay per course for coursework. Unfortunately, for exams you need to know lots more. One shortcut to familiarising yourself with all this other material is to read each others essays.Last year many of the Level 3 psychologists compiled

Willnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-45485904483932159032008-04-22T04:46:00.000+01:002008-04-21T13:15:17.350+01:00

rosswebsdale @ FlickrChannel 4 produced a documentary on dyslexia a few years back. On the whole, I find Channel 4 docs have rather too much of an appetite for controversy at the expense of seeing things clearly, but it might be good if only to bring alive the area. I haven't seen it but you can watch it here.

Willnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-841320024449540992008-04-22T02:42:00.001+01:002008-05-08T14:47:09.024+01:00

The Space Shuttle flight deck - probably one of the most complex systems in the world - before Human Factors people got their mits on it.The Space Shuttle flight deck after a Human Factors makeover. GENERALDiscuss why the value of cognitive ergonomics is being increasingly recognised by system designers. What is user centred design and why should it be used? Illustrate you answer with

Willnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-87817627025023450972008-04-21T10:23:00.000+01:002008-04-22T12:42:05.904+01:00

"Brainstem, brainstem!" Ahh...I love YouTube.

Willnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-9644693878827509252008-04-21T08:39:00.000+01:002008-04-21T13:23:50.232+01:00

58 minute long lecture on autism by Uta Frith, Professor in Cognitive Development at UCL and general big cheese in the study of autism:And getting a bit closer to autism; ignore the sell at the end:Also, if you like autism see a film called After Thomas, which superbly tells the true story of a family and the struggles they face with their autistic son. Keeley Hawes is fantastic.

Willnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-32325660308273679782008-04-21T03:38:00.000+01:002008-11-13T04:15:03.026Z

Before you all head back to Bristol and swing the stats, here's an analytics map from omniscient Google showing where all you lot hail from when you pop by the blog.

Willnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-43645395752598834172008-04-21T03:36:00.000+01:002008-11-13T04:15:03.922Z

I spoke about using metaphor a few posts back. This is basically thinking in pictures. Now, you can go beyond just using tropes and breathe visual life into these metaphors with actual pictures and videos salted and peppered throughout your revision.Just like I try to put a pic at the top of each article that links to the article's content in an interesting and memorable way, so you could

Willnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-31597167292049734982008-04-20T12:53:00.000+01:002008-11-13T04:15:04.047Z

To add page numbers to your revision bible simply, click VIEW>HEADER AND FOOTER. You should get this toolbar up.Click the 'Switch between Header and Footer' button (in the pic above with a blue glow). Centre align yourself. Then select the 'Insert Page Number' (in the pic above with a pink glow). Choose what you want then press close.

Willnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-87284730245481765882008-04-19T23:36:00.000+01:002008-05-06T02:59:50.737+01:00

benadamson @ FlickrThis one's for Mac users only. It's called Genius. It helps you learn; might be useful for getting those references in. Find out more here. Download here.

Willnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-86915953567388987472008-04-19T18:12:00.001+01:002008-04-19T18:14:19.614+01:00

Nice fresh stuff for neuropsychiatry: Marijuana, Genes, Medicines And Brain Scans Help Scientists Find Better Anxiety Treatments

Willnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-90411993304045117212008-04-19T15:33:00.000+01:002008-04-20T00:02:35.891+01:00

dunechaser @ FlickrJust off the back of the last post, I thought it might be useful to upload this. It's a spread sheet I nabbed off a physics student and modified to work out what you need to get in exams to get a certain classification knowing what your coursework marks are.Basically, it takes your coursework marks and calculates that as a percentage of the unit. It then works out the number of

Willnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-46062586629877429162008-04-19T13:35:00.000+01:002008-04-20T14:31:05.015+01:00

96dpi @ FlickrSomeone emailed wondering when you get your project marks, which means lots of you will be wondering about when you get your project marks.If last year is anything to go on, you will find out your project mark around the time you find out your exam marks, which is early-mid June. So as not to be working on the assumption that last year is correct for this year, you should pop into

Willnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-65297377957892433702008-04-19T10:53:00.000+01:002008-11-13T04:15:04.141Z

The dry business of acquisitions and mergers is given drama and clarity by this simple visual metaphor.Those of you with a keener literary eye will have noted my heavy sprinkling of metaphor/analogy in my writing (and perhaps unintentionally comic occasions where they are extended beyond their elastic point, so they only lie limp in my text looking a bit silly [like now]).Anyway, it's deliberate.

Willnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-5562561762034640332008-04-18T14:29:00.001+01:002008-05-08T14:47:15.714+01:00

laszlo-photo @ FlickrGENERALWhat is neuropsychiatry and should it take the place of the two sub-disciplines that already exist. Why?The mind and brain are separate entities. Assess the validity of this statement and indicate any implications your conclusions have for medical science.Are psychiatric 'illnesses' real?Why should psychiatry symptoms be evaluated from a neurological perspective?What

Willnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-85428637652624295622008-04-18T11:58:00.000+01:002008-04-23T12:22:41.268+01:00

rock_alien @ FlickrYou need to become question masters, experts in plucking latent questions out of the academic air. I thought you might like some help. I'll be releasing all the ones I came up with for Level 3. All forthcoming posts on this will be tagged with the label "question spotting".

Willnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-67769528259911829062008-04-18T09:49:00.000+01:002008-04-24T13:49:16.749+01:00

Naboo beats all the stress management techniques out there with the kitten in a barrel routineIt's highly likely that you're going to feel some stress in the coming weeks. A little is good: it sharpens your thinking and fuels your motivation; but too much is bad.Not is it only bad for all the malaise it causes but it damages your working memory (e.g., Morgan et al., 2006), which you need to think

Willnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5204769161052409742.post-44895187675004822892008-04-18T03:40:00.000+01:002008-04-18T01:41:54.022+01:00

Quarta-Feira de Cinzas/Epilogue by filmmaker Cao Guimaraes and artist Rivane Neuenschwander. Following the Carnival, the colourful confetti become the ants' treasure and we can watch them as they go about their collective labour (a little help was needed to get them excited by soaking the paper in either pork-fat or honey). There is also some nice tinkling added to the soundtrack. Currently at

Willnoreply@blogger.com0