Lieu: Salle des Actes, 45 rue des Saint Pères, 75006 Paris
The objective of the day is to elaborate a list of good laboratory practices while exploring the question of the experimenter's biases in data analysis. Students are split into groups of 5-6 and analyse a sample lab notebook describing a putative experiment.
14h30-15h30: questions/discussion 15h30-16h30 Wrapping up (& cleaning up)
To put things into practice, the Februrary Cogmaster presoutenances will function as a preregistration. In practice, if you are doing a experimental work, the recto-verso page should contain:
background & rationale
predictions
experimental paradigm (how does it address possible experimenter bias)
participants (nb, rejection criteria)
stimuli (selection method, validation)
analysis method (precise pipeline)
role of different people in the project
Here is the recommandation checklist for setting up your work in accordance with good practices.
Q1: explain the decline effect in terms of cognitive or other biases
Q2: what does it say about science
Pour en savoir plus 3 : Zombie beliefs
The relationship between science and society raises many debates, nowadays. E.g., cognitive and neuroscience are expected to provide education with knowledge about cognitive and learning processes that might possibly explain why what works works (and why what doesn’t work doesn’t). In this context the blossoming of misconceptions about mind-brain functioning – named “neuromyths” - is of both theoretical and pragmatic interest.
Assignment
Myth 1. The myth of the first three years: 3 years-old children have their windows of opportunity closed; lots of stimulation must be done before because an enriched environment helps the development of the brain
Myth 2. It is possible to robustly identify learning and cognitive profiles; addressing each profile with the corresponding educational tools (e.g. visual, auditory, kinesthetic) enhances learning
Myth 3. The Mozart effect: listening at Mozart’s music makes adults, children and even fetuses smarter
Myth 4. We use only 10% of our brain
Myth 5. Languages compete; in order to learn a new language, children must master their first language
Myth 6. Right/left brain = intuition, creativity, feminine/reason, logic, masculine; the two parts can and must be equilibrated (e.g. via suitable exercises)
Choose 1 myth, answer the following 2 questions and presents them:
Q1: Prepare a one minute answer to a journalist in the popular press about this myth (time it)
Q2: Every myth has a grain of truth. Brainstorm on novel scientific questions and/or experiments that could be inspired by the myth.
Bruer, J. (1997). A Bridge Too Far, Educational Researcher, 26, 8, 4-16.
Mozart effect:
Chabris, C.F. (1999). Prelude or Requiem for the “Mozart Effect”? Nature, 400, 826-827.
Krieger, D. (2010). Mozart’s Growing Influence on Food: Can Fruit, Vegetables, and other Foods Really Benefit fro Daily Doses of Classical Music? The Japan Times
Right/Left brain:
Hyatt, K.J. (2007). Brain Gym: Building Stronger Brains or Wishful Thinking? Remedial and Special Education, 28, 2, 117-124.
Learning Styles:
Pashler, H., McDaniel, M., Rohrer, D., Bjork, R. (2009). Learning Styles: Concepts and Evidence, Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 9, 3, 105-118.
Watherhouse, L. (2006). Multiple Intelligences, the Mozart Effect, and Emotional Intelligence: A Critical Review, Educational psychologist, 41, 4, 207-225.
10% myth:
Beyerstein, B. (1999). Whence cometh the myth that we use only 10% of our brain? In Della Sala, S. (1999). Mind Myths. Chichester: Wiley.
Pour en savoir plus 4. Scientific versus pseudo scientific explanations
The large diffusion of scientific myths and pseudo-science makes the case for the explicit education of critical thinking. How can critical thinking be improved?
Promouvoir une recherche integre et responsable, un guide (2014). Comité d'éthique du CNRS.