Tall Tales about the Mind and Brain

Tall Tales about the Mind and Brain PDF Author: Sergio Della Sala
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN: 9780198568766
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 550

Get Book

Book Description
Does listening to Mozart make us more intelligent? Does the size of the brain matter? Can we communicate with the dead? This book presents a survey of common myths about the mind & brain. It exposes the truth behind these beliefs, how they are perpetuated, why people believe them, & why they might even exist in the first place.

Tall Tales about the Mind and Brain

Tall Tales about the Mind and Brain PDF Author: Sergio Della Sala
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN: 9780198568766
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 550

Get Book

Book Description
Does listening to Mozart make us more intelligent? Does the size of the brain matter? Can we communicate with the dead? This book presents a survey of common myths about the mind & brain. It exposes the truth behind these beliefs, how they are perpetuated, why people believe them, & why they might even exist in the first place.

Tall Tales about the Mind and Brain

Tall Tales about the Mind and Brain PDF Author: Sergio Della Sala
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0191665843
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages :

Get Book

Book Description
Does listening to Mozart make us more intelligent? Is there such a thing as a gay gene? Does the size of the brain matter? Does the moon influence our behaviour? Can we communicate with the dead? Can graphology tell us anything about a person's character? Is the human brain clonable? What role do dreams have in cognition? Can mind conquer matter and diseases? Are out-of-body experiences possible? Can we trust our intuitions? To some, the answer to all these questions might well be a resounding 'no', but to many people these represent serious beliefs about the mind and brain - beliefs that drive their everyday behaviour, beliefs that cost them huge amounts of money. Whole industries have developed founded on these dubious claims about the mind and brain. Even major corporations have dabbled with assessment methods such as those advocated by graphology, accepting and rejecting candidates on the basic of their handwriting. Expectant parents buy books and tapes by the dozen showing them how to improve the intelligence of their child by playing them classical music. People subscribe to expensive therapies founded on beliefs rather than science, or risk their health buying books that tell them how they can conquer illness through positive thinking, perhaps at the expense of more scientifically proven treatments. Tall Tales about the Mind and Brain presents a sweeping survey of common myths about the mind and brain. In a lighthearted and accessible style, it exposes the truth behind these beliefs, how they are perpetuated, why people believe them, and why they might even exist in the first place.

Popular Myths about Memory

Popular Myths about Memory PDF Author: Brian H. Bornstein
Publisher: Lexington Books
ISBN: 0739192191
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 334

Get Book

Book Description
In Popular Myths about Memory, Brian H. Bornstein confronts popular myths about memory with scientific evidence on memory permanence, recovered memory and repression, amnesia, eyewitness memory, superior memory, and other topics. This book is recommended for scholars interested in psychology, media and film studies, communication studies, and sociology.

50 Great Myths of Popular Psychology

50 Great Myths of Popular Psychology PDF Author: Scott O. Lilienfeld
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1444360744
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 358

Get Book

Book Description
50 Great Myths of Popular Psychology uses popular myths as a vehicle for helping students and laypersons to distinguish science from pseudoscience. Uses common myths as a vehicle for exploring how to distinguish factual from fictional claims in popular psychology Explores topics that readers will relate to, but often misunderstand, such as 'opposites attract', 'people use only 10% of their brains', and 'handwriting reveals your personality' Provides a 'mythbusting kit' for evaluating folk psychology claims in everyday life Teaches essential critical thinking skills through detailed discussions of each myth Includes over 200 additional psychological myths for readers to explore Contains an Appendix of useful Web Sites for examining psychological myths Features a postscript of remarkable psychological findings that sound like myths but that are true Engaging and accessible writing style that appeals to students and lay readers alike

Neuroscience in Education

Neuroscience in Education PDF Author: Sergio Della Sala
Publisher: OUP Oxford
ISBN: 0191629006
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 402

Get Book

Book Description
In the past ten years, there has been growing interest in applying our knowledge of the functioning of the human brain to the field of education-including reading, learning, language and mathematics. This has resulted in the development of a number of new practices in education-some good, some bad and some just crazy. The 'good' is nearly always sound cognitive research that has clear implications for educational practice. The 'bad' is the use of neuroscience jargon to lure the unwary and to give an apparent scientific aura to flawed educational programs with no evidence base and which no reputable neuroscientist would endorse. The 'ugly' is simplistic interpretation and misapplication of cognitive theories leading to errors in their application. More and better could be done if neuroscientists and educationalists acknowledge the limits of their disciplines and start listening to each other. Neuroscience in Education brings together an international group of leading psychologists, neuroscientists, educationalists and geneticists to critically review some of these new developments, examining the science behind these practices, the validity of the theories on which they are based, and whether they work. It will be fascinating reading for anyone involved in education, including teachers, psychologists, neuroscientists, and policy makers as well as interested parents.

The Moon and Madness

The Moon and Madness PDF Author: Niall McCrae
Publisher: Andrews UK Limited
ISBN: 1845403312
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 262

Get Book

Book Description
Lunacy, the legendary notion of minds unhinged by the moon, continues to captivate the popular imagination. Although it violates the assumptions of modern science and psychiatry, such belief remains common among mental health workers. Furthermore, several studies have found a small, unexplained correlation between behaviour and the lunar cycle. The book is divided into two parts. It begins with a historical account of the lunacy concept, followed by an investigation of hypothetical mechanisms for a lunar effect.

Pseudoscience

Pseudoscience PDF Author: Allison B. Kaufman
Publisher: MIT Press
ISBN: 0262037424
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 537

Get Book

Book Description
In a post-truth, fake news world, we are particularly susceptible to the claims of pseudoscience. When emotions and opinions are more widely disseminated than scientific findings, and self-proclaimed experts get their expertise from Google, how can the average person distinguish real science from fake? This book examines pseudoscience from a variety of perspectives, through case studies, analysis, and personal accounts that show how to recognize pseudoscience, why it is so widely accepted, and how to advocate for real science. Contributors examine the basics of pseudoscience, including issues of cognitive bias; the costs of pseudoscience, with accounts of naturopathy and logical fallacies in the anti-vaccination movement; perceptions of scientific soundness; the mainstream presence of "integrative medicine," hypnosis, and parapsychology; and the use of case studies and new media in science advocacy.

Facts and Fictions in Mental Health

Facts and Fictions in Mental Health PDF Author: Hal Arkowitz
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1118311299
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 287

Get Book

Book Description
Written in a lively and entertaining style, Facts and Fictions in Mental Health examines common conceptions and misconceptions surrounding mental health and its treatment. Each chapter focuses on a misconception and is followed by a discussion of related findings from scientific research. A compilation of the authors' "Facts and Fictions" columns written for Scientific American Mind, with the addition of six new columns exclusive to this book Written in a lively and often entertaining style, accessible to both the undergraduate and the interested general reader Each chapter covers a different "fiction" and allows readers to gain a more balanced and accurate view of important topics in mental health The six new columns examine myths and misconceptions of considerable interest and relevance to undergraduates in abnormal psychology courses Introductory material and references are included throughout the book

Extrasensory Perception

Extrasensory Perception PDF Author: Edwin C. May
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
ISBN: 1440832889
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 873

Get Book

Book Description
Scholars from around the world collaborate to explain the history of parapsychology, the study of extrasensory perception (ESP), and the arguments of skeptics and supporters in this fascinating collection. This two-volume set introduces ESP—also known as anomalous cognition—and psychokinesis, addressing the history, research, philosophy, and scientific theories surrounding the phenomena. With contributions from leading research scientists from within the field of parapsychology and other areas of study, this reference addresses the fundamental questions that the evidence of ESP evokes; examines parapsychology research from all over the world; and explores the controversies, skepticism, and contemporary criticism disparaging the field. Written for a multidisciplinary audience ranging from physicists to psychologists to lay persons, the volumes present the scientific validity of the field. Volume 1 addresses the historical, philosophical, skeptical, and research viewpoints; volume 2 lays out the current theories on ESP. Chapters reveal how strict scientific protocols and state-of-the-art technologies enable scientists—at sites such as Harvard and Cornell universities to their international counterparts in Amsterdam, Austria, and Asia—to pinpoint and investigate ESP abilities. Appendices include a glossary of key terms in parapsychology, ESP research protocol, ESP research organizations, skeptic associations, and recommended reading.

A Very Short Tour of the Mind

A Very Short Tour of the Mind PDF Author: Michael C. Corballis
Publisher: ABRAMS
ISBN: 1468315463
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 73

Get Book

Book Description
“Thoroughly enjoyable” essays from a cognitive neuroscientist, filled with surprising facts (Kirkus Reviews, starred review). Modern computers might be faster, and whales might have larger brains, but neither can match the sheer intellect or capacity for creativity that the human mind enjoys. It is arguably the most complex organ in the universe. If you’ve ever wondered why your dog can remember where it buried its bone but you can’t find your keys, or whether it’s true that we use only ten percent of our brainpower, this concise book offers some answers—and introduces us to what science has learned about the intricacies of the human brain over the last fifty years. Leading us through behavioral experiments and neuroscience, cognitive theory and Darwinian evolution, Michael Corballis punctures a few hot-air balloons, and explains just what we know—and don’t know—about our own minds. “Poses questions we wouldn’t have thought to ask and then answers them with clarity and wit.” —American Scientist