Sadly, many of our cognitive abilities decline when we age, making it more difficult for older people to cope with complex listening situations of everyday life. Fortunately, older people seem to be able to rely on their preserved language skills and vocabulary to successfully compensate for these negative changes.
Exam grades can be improved by a full grade point if one learns factual knowledge using a method based on learning principles from cognitive psychology. This method, developed in the Experimental Psychology group, is now offered by Noordhoff Publishers as part of their online learning system for secondary education.
The latest BCN Neswletter was out last week and we are thrilled to share with you an interview with one of our very own. Linda Geerligs did her PhD in the Psychology Department with Prof. Monicque Lorist and now works at the University of Cambridge, in England, on ageing. Robin Mills talked to her about her research, past and present; the challenges of being a researcher; and her goals as an academic.
Is it possible to identify the sounds people pay attention to, based on brain signals? If so, this could have important implications for urban planning aimed at reducing the noise pollution in today’s cities.
Key statistical concepts are poorly understood. I discuss a recent study in which we asked 120 researchers and 442 first-year students a series of questions about confidence intervals. Both groups performed miserably. Surprisingly, researchers failed to outperform the students, even though the students had not received any statistical education whatsoever.
After a few months in the planning, Mindwise, the blog for the Psychology Department of the University of Groningen is online! Find out how Mindwise will serve to inform the world and members of the Department about everything that happens in Psychology in Groningen.