How to be a Wise Consumer of Psychology

http://www.psychologymatters.org/wiseconsumer.html

Read the tips listed in this brief essay provided by the American Psychological Association. What two criteria do they deem most important when evaluating the validity of good psychological research?

Select an article from the links provided below. Using what you learned from the American Psychological Association essay, briefly discuss questions, concerns or comments you have about a particular psychological study.

More recent studies:
(Caring for Pets - Good for Mental Health?)
http://www.newsweek.com/id/91445
(Doing Good - Feel Better? "The Helpers High")
http://abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=2685717&page=1
Older studies:
(Why Women Read More Than Men)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=14175229&ft=1&f=1007
(Stress and New Motherhood)
http://www.psycport.com/stories/bhsuper_2007_08_29_TDMA_0000-3303-KEYWORD.Missing.xml.html
(Women and Body Image)
http://www.psycport.com/stories/bhsgml_2007_08_27_29302_1325378571-0182-KEYWORD.Missing.xml.html
Birth Order and IQ:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/25/us/25sibling.html?ex=1189224000&en=a4fb80f21bee408c&ei=5070

Comments

eRiC said…
i read the study on young boys and I felt bad for the invisible children. I think that the so called "experts" should take a look at their own children before running all of those crazy group tests on innocent children. I think their findings were accurate because of the amount of children in each group. When going over so manyt years however, it makes it so that a lot of factors could have factored in to the crime rate.
September 7, 2007 at 11:00 AM
Tiffany said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
September 7, 2007 at 11:01 AM
Chelsea4 said…
I read the story that mothers are more likely to be depressed if they hold their children in their right arm. I think that's the biggest line of bs I've ever heard. I think what arm a mother holds her child in is what feels natural to her. I really don't believe this study is acurate. I babysit triplets and when they were young I obviously had to hold one in each arm..as did their mother..does that make her depressed?
September 7, 2007 at 11:38 AM
Ethan4 said…
I read about how excercise keeps your psyche fit... really didnt expect what I read. It said that Psychologists have found that exercise is a third successful alternative for depression. Excercise is a beneficial antidepressant both immediately and over the long term.
It was also really beneficial to those who are unfit and unhealthy. I think that people who have any signs or feel depressed should try and excercise for atleast a week to see what it does for them. If they don't like it then they might need to get the medication then.
September 7, 2007 at 11:42 AM
Colt4 said…
I read the article on how women read more then men and was slighlty confused on how this research was done. They walked through a LONDON PARK handing out 30 books and concluded that women read more then men. How the (explicative) does this include the rest of the people in the world?!? Is everyone else in the world in a LONDON PARK?!? NO!! I understand that kids don't read as much these days, that I agree with. However saying that one gender reads more then the other is a load of bull. In my family their are four readers, Me, my mother, my stepdad, and my sister. We have a library in our room, half of it is adult books, and half is kids. I read as much as my mother and stepdad COMBINED! In this past week I bought FIVE books at Goodwill and had them read by the time i posted this. Saying that one gender reads more then another, based on this BS study, is a complete load.
September 7, 2007 at 11:44 AM
Anonymous said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
September 7, 2007 at 11:47 AM
nathan4 said…
I read the study on why women seem to read more than men. I agree that one big reason is the different brains we have, but it seems that emotions also seem to have an effect. It also said that people read less now than they did in the past. TV would seem to be a major factor with that. I think a study on the diffferent tv shows men and women watch might tie into the different reading tastes.
September 7, 2007 at 11:49 AM
amber4 said…
I about the IQ study. They tried to prove that older siblings have a higher IQ than their younger siblings. I agree that the oldest child assumes more responsibility and teaches alot to their younger siblings but I don't know if that would have anything to do with their IQ score. It would be different with every family, I'm not sure any of that has alot to do with your IQ score.
September 7, 2007 at 11:49 AM
Katy4 said…
I read the study on who reads more, men or women? It was an interesting article and some of the reasearch conducted may have followed the APA guidlines of random selection and random assignment, but the article wasn't completely clear on how the reasearch was conducted. The survey of people in London Park may be representative of other research but definately doesn't follow APA guidelines
September 7, 2007 at 11:49 AM
J Frawley 2 said…
I Read The Article On Do Women Read More Books Than Men And I Think That They May Because Men Are More Into Physical Things Like Sports And Things Like That So They Don't Feel Like Using Their Brains Like The Women Do. The Women Read Books In A Way To Take Their Minds Off Things Or To Get Away From The Real World. The Women Just Aren't As Physical As Men Are.
September 7, 2007 at 11:50 AM
Anonymous said…
I read the article about the oldest child in the family has a better IQ than the younger ones and then they turn around at the end and say that in some families younger kids are smarter than the older than isn't that going against the whole point of the story? Anyway They don't even say how many they tested or who tested most of these and that more than one group has done this already and I think that usually the last child is probably the smartest because then the older ones can help them prevent from making mistakes and they can help them learn in school and get better but thats just what i think but does that really doesn't matter?
September 7, 2007 at 11:50 AM
Brittany4 said…
4th hour - - I read the study on IQ's and how they differ from older and younger siblings. I personally think that it depends on what the siblings are involved in and how they value different things. My younger brother is very active in sports and hangs out with friends regularly, me on the otherhand, I like time to myself and only dance. I think I have more of an advantage. Age can play a big deal on it too.
September 7, 2007 at 11:50 AM
Grant 4 said…
4th hour. I read the article about young boys who had emotional problems grew up to have criminal problems. I don't agree with the research entirely, I think geographic location may play a bigger role than the age of the child. They did test on a variety of boys but it is still questionable, or may be to some about the claim made.
September 7, 2007 at 1:06 PM
A Stenli said…
I read the study on "Why Women Read More Than Men", I think it was an ok article, but I was wondering about how much credit the research behind it deserves. In the beginning of the article it says that they randomly tested (gave away 30 free books) to people in London Park. Just because they tested these people in London Park it doesn't account for ALL women and men in the world. Also I was a bit confused about how the testing was done, and how many people they tested, the article wasn't very specific. It's a fact that the male and female brains are different, and I think that that could definitely be why women read more than men, but again, i think they need to hold more polls, and along the lines of the random sampling suggested by the APA.
September 8, 2007 at 11:12 AM
Maggie said…
I've read the article on how women read more than men.
I think the first part about the guy that handed out 30 books in a London Park doesn't prove anything. I mean, what if there were just more women out there that day because of some reason? And the article said that men "frowned in suspicion or distaste"... What books did they hand out? If it was a book for women, why should they like it? And if they don't like it, why should they take it? ;)

The next part sounds a bit better. It tells you about some surveys that prove that women read more. However, it doesn't say how many people were interviewed, or on how many people ther surveys were based. (No random sampling?)

In the end the article tells more on what women or men read and there's no prove for that except for some quotes of a few people.

I don't know, it may be true that women read more, but that article doesn't really prove anything. It doesn't question that women read more than men, it just tells you that and then gives some poor examples for prove.
September 9, 2007 at 3:38 PM
Sarah4 said…
I personally do not think that it matters what arm a mother holds her child in. Cold water for stress? Princess Diana? What kind of things are these to base stress levels on? This study like saying people who use their right hands more than their left are more stressed out. They probably have a study out there for that too though. It is going to be normal in the mothering process to be stressed out. You are raising another human being that cannot speak for itself and totally depends on you. That is a big load to carry, and I don't think that mothers need another thing to worry about like what arm to hold their baby in. :)
September 9, 2007 at 9:34 PM
Liz4 said…
The one about the mother cradling her child is just plain idiocy. There could be many reasons why a mother would hold her baby in her right arm. Like we discussed in class it could be because her left arm gets tired or it could be that she is right handed so would most likely use that arm. So does it mean that when she switches the baby to her right arm and reaches for something does that mean she's stressed? We came up with alot of reasons that could make a mother do that.
September 10, 2007 at 1:24 PM
nora said…
I read the article on firstborns' IQ's. This study is so inaccurate! The thing that factors and is most responsible for any individual's IQ depends on THEM. The idea that the eldest child is more, "studious" or "down-to-earth" or "responsible" is a stereotype. Your intelligence was predetermined when you came into this world. If you're "smart" you can thank your parents for the brains they gave you. But something that DOES make a huge difference in LEARNING (Not intelligence – the more intelligence you have, the easier it is to learn) is also parents. Different parenting styles can greatly affect their childrens’ ability and desire to learn. The environment and friends can have a big chunk of responsibility for it as well. *I* think that the fact that someone has a younger sibling to tutor has very little to do with their intelligence or IQ.
September 11, 2007 at 10:51 AM
nora said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
September 11, 2007 at 10:58 AM
Anonymous said…
i read the story where the mothers that have stress related problems would hold their baby in their left arm but i dont think that true in the sense that your muscles get tired after awhile so you switch arms. i was holding on to my girlfriends baby sister in my right arm for awhile and then it got tired so i held her in my left arm but i dont think that i have stress related problems and that i dont think im trying to hide it from people i just think that your arm gets tired. and some people are left handed so that normally means that theyre stronger in their left arm,
September 11, 2007 at 11:00 AM
Tiffany said…
I read the article about the men with conduct and emotional problems as children. I think men who had conduct and emotional problems as a chlid are esen more to have commited a crime in they're early years becaues they don't get the help they need. Many of them who get help early on are less likely to do something drastic or get in trouble. Some of them don't realize damage they do but it's not always they're fault. Some do it and put the cause on other people or blame it on someone close becaues they may be angry at someone but really it's only they're inner problem.
September 11, 2007 at 11:00 AM
Bradie said…
I read the article about the young boys who had emotional problems grew up to have criminal problems. I found that it is a study that may have more factors than what were accounted for in the study... Like my fellow classmate, Eric, I think that many other things could have effected these young children. I dont feel like this is a viable study.Think about it...
September 11, 2007 at 11:00 AM
Cat said…
I read the study on women who carry their babies in their left or right arms. This study seems inaccurate because the women were studied in their own homes and there were only 79 mothers. Also, the mothers had just had their child. The technique of selection doesnt turn out accurate results, the article doesn't say if it was random selection or not, but it seems as though it wasn't. 14% of the mothers held their child in their left arm and 32% in their right. It doesnt seem very accurate.
September 11, 2007 at 11:00 AM
mona said…
I read the study on what hand mothers hold their baby in. Okay, what if the mother's right arm is stronger thatn her left and she doesn't want to drop him?? what if she has to hold the baby in her left arm so she can write or open a baby food jar or something, i don't think they are taking daily life into mind, a mother will hold her kid however she needs to.
September 11, 2007 at 11:01 AM
Miss Makara said…
I read the story,'Why women read more than men". I find these facts unbelievable true. Women do read more than men and thats understandable. Women have more active minds rather than men who prolly just want to be phyically active. Women enjoy reading while men enjoy sports. So like i said, it's very understandable. However, i'm unsure as to why men would want to read nonfiction books? Men prolly don't have time to read silly fairy tales?
September 11, 2007 at 11:02 AM
Unknown said…
I read the one about they women who read more then men. I find that not to be true because the only reason that women read more is that because women don't have much to do than men cause we have to do work around the house and other stuff.
September 11, 2007 at 11:33 AM
Jessie said…
The study that I read dealt with trying to teach yuong women to break the mindset of anorexia nervousa. I think that study they did was on target, because it focused on what form of teaching would stick to a girl's mind better, and what would retain more information. I do with that they would have used more people in the study, though; this is a problem that affects TONS of women everywhere, and they only used 75 college students. The conductors of this study were on the right track, but didn't meet my expectations. (( 4th hour Psych ))
September 11, 2007 at 11:41 AM
Seth 4 said…
I read the study about how women read more then men and thought that it was not planned out very well at all... on many levels. First, the study was only conducted in london park, when it couldve been done anywhere in the world so the results may differ. Second, all they were doing is handing out free books and seeing if they would take them, which isn't very good because a women couldve taken it and not read it, where as a man could've taken it home and read it in one day. There was also only two men handing out the books so that may have been a factor as well. Last, there was a limited number of people participating in the study.
September 11, 2007 at 11:42 AM
Becky4 said…
I read the story about women reading more then men do. It was very interesting and in some cases, this might be true. But really, everyone is reading less and less. The way that the two men conducted the study wasn't very reliable since they only did it one time, on one day. I wouldn't really rely on that article to tell me whether men or women read more..
September 11, 2007 at 11:42 AM
morgan4 said…
I read the study about how women read more than men. I kind of agree with it. I think that women do read a lot more than men. But I also think that they should have done their research a little more carefully and had a wider range instead of just handing out books in a park. Just because a woman(or man) takes a book from the poeple doesn't mean they are going to read it. I also agree with the part that said children are reading less. Personally, I love to read but I know many more people who absolutely hate it. It was an interesting article but I think that maybe they should have done their research a little differently.
September 11, 2007 at 11:43 AM
cassie4 said…
I read the study about anger in young boys. I know an eleven year old boy who plays a lot of video games and watches alot of T.V. He doesn't listen to his older siblings or his mother. I dont necessarily think that the tests that they are running are really proving much, but i do agree with the fact that the more media that they are exposed to might make them have more violent tendencies than ones who dont consume as much meia, but I think that this is true for everyone not just young boys.
September 11, 2007 at 11:44 AM
ashlee4 said…
I read the study on how a mother carries her baby and whether it shows that she's stressed or not. Wow this is absolutely insane !!! First of all I bet most of the researchers are men so they have no experience in this area. And every new mother is going to be stressed out no matter what. The group that they tested was also not even one hundred women. there are so many variables in this study that could easily change and that prove this study to be wrong.
September 11, 2007 at 11:49 AM
epeckham said…
I read the study on mothers being more depressed if they hold their baby in their right arm, and I thought to myself, WHY? Of all the horrible things that are going on in the world; poverty, war, hunger and prejudice, we choose to study this?! It makes me mad to think of all the money and time put into this study, when other people are suffering from much bigger causes.
September 12, 2007 at 9:39 PM
Jason22 said…
I read the one about women who read more than men. I think that to a point that is true, women do read more but in areas of interest.
The difference in who reads more is not that great, men read a lot too. The study did not say much about what I thought it would.
September 14, 2007 at 9:10 AM
Noelle4 said…
I read the study that claims that women read more than men. Though the article sites many studies, the main focus is the one conducted by an author and his son in a London park. There is no way you could claim that women read more than men simply by th fact that women were more willing to take the offfered books. You could make many claims based on this thoroughly un-scientific study. For example, we could say that women are friendlier than men (another probably untrue and proveable statement). Analyzing it using what I learned from the APA article, I find their "evidence" to be unfounded and therefore, invalid.
September 14, 2007 at 9:59 AM
Jared said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
September 14, 2007 at 10:41 AM
Colton said…
I read the article on how women that hold their child in their right arm are more prone to depression. I don't believe that testing 78 people was accurate enough to state that statement. I found the whole experiment to be actually kind of weird. I mean even if you hold the child in the right arm, I don't see how that really affects the way the mother acts or feels.
September 14, 2007 at 10:46 AM
Jared said…
I read the one about the way mothers carried their kids and how it showed stress and things. I think the thing was dumb because they polled like 80 people. Then the whole point of the project was pointless, does it matter how they hold their kids? Their was no real way to tell if the mothers who cradled their kids in their right arm were depressed or not. The way a mom holds her kid is just a natural action. I dont think the way the test was done or why it was made any sense so i dont agree with the outcome.
September 14, 2007 at 10:46 AM
taylor said…
so...i typed a huge comment here a few days ago and then i copuldnt log in cuz i hadnt verified my account yet and then the bell rang so now i have to retype it all. i dont remember all of what i said though. i read the experiment about the mothers and which side they hold their baby on. i guess there are times that that might show something, but for the most part there are hundreds of other, more reasonable, reasons for which side you would hold your baby on.
September 14, 2007 at 10:47 AM
bruce said…
i read about the excersise keeps you psyche fit. i pretty much exspected what i read. it said that psychologist have said that excercise is the third successful alternative for depression. it is all so great if your outa shape and unheathly. it is said to be a antidepression. it is benificial for short term depression and long term.
September 14, 2007 at 10:48 AM
ltemplen said…
I read the study on the assumption women are more likely to be stressed out or depressed if they are holding their children in their right arm.I think that all the research in that is not even prove-able.There really is nothing to back up that the evidence is even possible.It doesnt matter what arm a mother holds her child in...some mothers are multi-tasking and depending on what they are doing its a matter of whats the easiest.I really dont think there is any potential for this study to go very much further and pretty much think that this entire study was stupid.
September 14, 2007 at 10:51 AM
ltemplen said…
I read the study on the assumption women are more likely to be stressed out or depressed if they are holding their children in their right arm.I think that all the research in that is not even prove-able.There really is nothing to back up that the evidence is even possible.It doesnt matter what arm a mother holds her child in...some mothers are multi-tasking and depending on what they are doing its a matter of whats the easiest.I really dont think there is any potential for this study to go very much further and pretty much think that this entire study was stupid.
September 14, 2007 at 10:51 AM
Evan said…
My Summary
This study is written by Eric Weiner and it is all about why Women read more than Men. Ian Mc Ewan conducted a study in London’s Park and handed out more than 30 novels in a few minutes. (A lot of the study took place in England, Canada, and the U.S.) There were more women taking them because they were excited to read them while the men frowned and didn’t care about them. But according to a poll in the Associated Press and Ipsos, it said that only one out of four adults don’t read a book at all. Also book sales have been decreasing all across the nation, but on average Americans read about 4 books a year. Women read nine books while men read five books per year. When there are books written by males, women dominate in reading their books. In one of the bookstores in Washington D.C. the store owner noticed that women head for the fiction section and that men head for the non-fiction section. In another store in Miami they were puzzled by how many women customers they have compared to men. According to Cognitive Psychologists women who read fiction are more likely to be empathetic and emotional. Girls can sit longer than and read better than guys because they have mirror neurons which is why they like fiction better than Non-fiction books. But there was one series of books that more guys read compared to girls who read it called Harry Potter. According to the statistics there were 61 percent of guys who read it compared to 41 percent girls who read it.
My Opinion
I think this study is a great one to do because they can determine in the future why some teens are having low test scores when taking a major test. This could be a breakthrough on how important reading is and why kids, teens, and adults should do it more often. People who read more will most likely be better at comprehension and tend to get higher test scores. If women start to push their husbands to read fiction maybe this will make their relationship better because they will become more emotional which in the long run will make them avoid fighting verbally and physically. Also if a child or teen reads more often this could possibly affect the outcome of what kind of a person they will be when they grow up.
September 16, 2007 at 2:16 PM
Unknown said…
I read the story about mothers are more likely to be depressed if they hold their children in their right arm. Well i think that is stupid beacuse most people are right handed and it's eaiser to hold them in your right arm. Plus new mothers are usually stress beacuse it's their first child. So of course there going to be stress.
October 5, 2007 at 1:48 PM
kait08 said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
February 4, 2008 at 10:35 AM
Palmer2 said…
I think having people take home $1000 can really help benefit. When Opra has people on her show take home a $1000 and spend it on someone else other than their family means a lot to the people recieving a gift. When a person does good to another I think it will increase their helth because they have a happy feeling inside knowing they have helped someone in some way. The person recieveing, I think, will feel happy and cared for when some one does something nice for them. Either way I think it really can improve your health. Doing good for some one not only makes them happy, but makes them happy. It shows the real person that is inside of you!
February 4, 2008 at 10:42 AM
ckupsh3 said…
I read the study about how older siblings supposedly have a higher IQ. The article really doesn't make a lot of sense. They say that the results varied greatly from family to family. If it varied greatly, how can they make one statement about everybody? The article doesn't even give you any evidence, like how many families were tested or if any specific groups were targeted. I think IQ is unimportant, but if it's determined by anything, it's how the kids are raised, not who was born first.
February 4, 2008 at 10:47 AM
drake2 said…
I read the story about, "How Animals can Help your Health." I thought it made some great points about how a dog would get you up off your couch, and introduce you to new poeple while your walking them. I also found it interesting how studes shown that having an animal around can reduce stress, because I have gotten pretty mad before and saw my cute lil kittie, and it just makes me want to play with him. All in all I agree with this study, and find that it would be very possible that getting a pet could be good to your help.
February 4, 2008 at 10:47 AM
sommer3 said…
I read the women and body image article. I thought it seemed accurate. It makes sense that the video group would have different (and unhealthy) results. I agree that the more media and visuals people see, the more they are influenced in sometimes the wrong ways. The study left out a lot of important things though. I've learned before that it's usually girls in middle to upper class that are more suceptible to an eating disorder. They used girls 18-21...which is a pretty small range. This study seemed to prove the obvious. People are more influenced by visuals and media/entertainment.
February 4, 2008 at 10:48 AM
ryan3 said…
I read the study on "Why Women Read more that Men." It seems to me that the experiment couldn't have been that accurate, considering that Ian McEwan just went to a random park, and started giving away free books. I think that if it is true, then it is because of the society we live in. Most people play video games or watch tv, and it seems that books can't live up to that. I think that if this study is true, that girls have a better imagination.
I think if they actually wanted to do a study on it, they would tell how many people they asked, and ask people all over, not just in London.
February 4, 2008 at 10:49 AM
TravelTheWorld said…
I read the study on I.Q. and i thought that they really didn't have enough evidence to say the the late born tend to have higher I.Q.'s because they're more likely to take risks creatively. they did do the random sampling, assignment, and longitudinal study but from most of the experience i have with a lot of people i know' I'm pretty sure it's not always true that the late born is smarter. I think that the persons I.Q. should be based on how much they really would like to succeed in intelligence.....?
February 4, 2008 at 10:51 AM
Hamilton3 said…
The two main criteria that the essay had were the use of random sampling and experimental manipulation. Random sampling takes a samll portion of a population, surveys it, and makes inferences about the whole based on this data. The second uses the control priniple: 1 half gets the treatment, the other is a control and doesn't (or in the case of drug trials, gets a placebo).
February 4, 2008 at 10:51 AM
Anonymous said…
I read the article about the mothers holding thier babys in certain arms. I think its stupid. I know whenever I hold babies, I hold them in my left arm because I am right handed, and I like to do things with my free hand. I'm not at all under stress, it doesnt mean I'm not under stess. Over half of the women who were under stress held thier baby in thier left hand.. wouldnt that mean that left hand was more stressful? I dont think this study is very accurate at all.
February 4, 2008 at 10:52 AM
allbaugh3 said…
I read the article on why women read more than men. I don't believe that testing 30 random people in a park was accurate enough to state this statement. The facts and research should have been constructed in a better, more efficient way.
February 4, 2008 at 4:50 PM
corcoran3 said…
i read the study about the mothers who carry their child on a certain arm are more likely to be depressed. i don't think it's a realistic study because i think the mother will do whatever feels comfortable for her. and being a new mother there is bound to be some stress so i dont really think it matters what arm the baby is carried in, its just what is natural.
February 5, 2008 at 10:29 AM
noble said…
Scientists said that using random sampling is a good way to conduct studies it is a good way to give everyone a chance to be part of the survey or study. They use a certain area of a large population and then estimate what that population is like based on the information that they get from the study.
February 5, 2008 at 10:29 AM
Hamilton3 said…
I read the stroy about women reading more then men. The first paragraph states that it was an unsientific study. They handed out 30 books in a park in london. First question: what type of books were they? Second, how many men do you actually see walking in a park during their lunch time? Based on this, I would say that the population was skewed against the men, due to possible dislike for the novel being offered and probale disadvante in numbers, the population of a park during lunch time probably being a 5+:1 women to men ratio.
February 5, 2008 at 10:29 AM
gander3 said…
I read the article on "Why Women Read More Than Men," I decided that this study wasn't a very good one! I don't understand how someone can "conduct a study" on random people in a single park. The people should have varied from different areas not just in the same town but all over. I can understand that statistics showing how the percentage of people reading books is decreasing, is a true statement when technology is increasing. More and more people would rather watch tv or listen to their iPod or something else rather than actually sitting down and reading a book, like people did before technologies had improved.
February 5, 2008 at 10:31 AM
Campbell 3 said…
I read the post that consisted of women and their body image. I thought it was very unique that it had some facts that shows how women are feeling about the way they look. I think that it is totally true about girls that look at those skinny models and think that is what girls need to look like. I think that is a bunch of B.S. The models should stop what they are doing and actually go to mcdonalds. It would probably help our country. but Im not saying to get fat though. People should be happy the way they look and eat whatever they want
February 5, 2008 at 10:32 AM
rosenkranz3rd said…
I read the study about older siblings having a higher IQ. I agree with the psychologist that even though the older children have a 3 point advantage in IQ, parents should relax. Many children that are older do have to have more responsibility which could lead to better grades in school but not necessariliy in IQ. The study also showed that younger siblings took more risks than the older ones. With such a small difference in IQ I believe it is what you do with your IQ that makes you successful. Therefore even though the older ones may have a higher IQ and be more responsible, the younger ones may take more risks and achieve things the older ones wouldn't have thought to try.

I think their findings might not be the most accurate since it would be very difficult to find a group of children that had all been raised the same. Depending on genes or family dynamics different children were probably changed differently.
February 5, 2008 at 10:34 AM
Bindl said…
I read the study on pets and your health. I think that it is very true that pets help relax the body because you take your mind off of yourself and focus on the pet. Also i believe that pets do help you get out of the house and can get you to exercise. It seems to me that i see alot of people walking dogs and running with them which benefits to your active life and can help the mind relax. Id recommend to anybody that doesnt have a pet to get one because they are fun and enjoyable aslong as your not allergic.
February 5, 2008 at 10:34 AM
Beranek said…
I read the study of how animals can be good for your health. I would strongly agree with this because pets are something you can love and talk to. I'd say a dog is the best companion for humans because they urge you to take them on walks and keep up your exercise to stay healthy. Plus, going for walks will take your mind off of stressful events and will relax you. Dogs greet you when you arive home and are always happy to see you. Of course, dogs may not be the best pet if you are allergic or scared of them, but there are other animals to choose from.
February 5, 2008 at 10:35 AM
noble said…
I read the study about how giving helps you feel better. I think its an accurate study because I know from personal experience that when I give someone something or help them with something it makes me feel better about myself. And when you feel good about yourself, you don't get in a down mood and you aren't being a butt-head all the time to other people.
February 5, 2008 at 10:37 AM
Mike OxBig said…
I read the post about how males are smarter than females and thaught it was genious! After all I mean we all have known it to be true for centuries, they might as well make it a fact.
February 5, 2008 at 10:38 AM
dalberg3 said…
First off, the two major things to look for, according to the essay, when seeing if research is grounded, is that they require evidence, not just opinions, and sound research methods (such as random sampling and experimental manipulation based on random assignment). Secondly, the study I chose was the one about older siblings being smarter than the younger ones. My brother has always been big into the "older sibling being the smartest" ideal. He claimed that it was because he was from a prior ejaculation, when my parents were more in their prime. However, I enjoyed reading this study as I had always agreed with it being a psychological thing, not biological. I believe, in coordinance with the study, that the reason older siblings are smarter on IQ tests is because they've grown with the ideal that they are the best, just like the results in the blue eyes/brown eyes experiment showed when one color was superior over the others.
February 5, 2008 at 10:39 AM
wilson3 said…
I read the study on when you help other people you feel better mentally and physically. I agree with the study saying that giving and helping makes you feel better. I'm a little skeptical of the part that says that you will live longer if you help people, but i suppose that it is possible. The bottom line is that if people have the time and resources they should definitely help out the less priveleged. Even if you don't live longer its just the right thing to do.
February 5, 2008 at 10:39 AM
Ben Dover said…
I find those comments totally sexist Mike! Your a Online Bully!
February 5, 2008 at 10:44 AM
Bake n Take said…
Is this a chat room? I think I know who you are Oxdale!!! you are that one guy from the other night at the donut shop right>???? LOSER
February 5, 2008 at 10:45 AM
kait08 said…
after reading the study on new mothers and the stress it brings i have come to the conclusion that this study is not very valid. if the study was done on only 79 new mothers how can they say that those women respresnt the other millions of women in the world....and on top of that you have to think of the age of the child and other children at home work status income level...these factors could all contribute to the stress that the mother is in...also at the same time how can they compare the stress of a child to that stress that you get from sticking your hand in cold water
February 5, 2008 at 10:45 AM
Bake n Take said…
I know what I wamt you to do tonight.... BEND OVER!!!! ha ha
February 5, 2008 at 10:47 AM
the answer 3 said…
I read the story about how having a pet can help you improve your health and I agree with what they had to say. When you have a pet you will always have them to take on a walk or go play fetch with and if you dont have anything to do itleast you will have your pet to give you some company other wise a lot of people would probably just sit and wathch tv all the time.
February 5, 2008 at 10:47 AM
noble said…
I also read about how exercise can make your psyche better. I definitely think thats true because the study says that exercising and playing sports helps decrease depression and make you feel better. I play sports regularly and it really does make you feel better. If you are having a bad day, all that disappears once you step into the gym or onto the field. All my problems go away because it gives me something else to think about.
February 5, 2008 at 10:50 AM
simons said…
3rd hour. I read the study of Women's Body Image Issue. It had stated that there were three tests that they had conducted with college women. With the initial group of women studied they were not presented with any educational material based on women in the media. The second test group was given an artical that showed the falsity of images of women in the media. The final group were shown a video informing women and encouraging skepticism towards women in the media.
After the information was read/viewed the women were given a test to view their knowledge as well as their judgement of their own body.

In conclusion, the studies proved that the media's impact on women in our society plays a major role in the way that women view themselves and each other. It is proven that women who are educated in the ways of media promotion and advertisement are more critical of societies impact and less impact on women's behavior i.e. eating habits/restraints.
I believe that children as young as 6 and 7 are being influenced by the models they see on TV, magazines, posters, ect. The media is affecting not just college aged women but as early as our children. We must educate with the intent of making youth aware of the cripling agendas of our society/media.
February 19, 2008 at 9:58 PM
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