MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'empirical'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:52:39 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4676871&cid=t_170152_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F04%2F04%2Funderstanding-research-methodology-2-systematic-empiricism%2F Scientific research relies on the use of empirical data for acquiring knowledge.  Empiricism means making use of observation and experience.  Science goes beyond the use of the empiricism normally used in everyday life, however.  Scientific research employs systematic empiricism. Observation itself is necessary in acquiring scientific knowledge, but unstructured observation of the natural world will not lead to an increased understanding of the world. “Write down every observation you make from the time you get up in the morning to the time you go to bed on a given day. When you finish, you will have a great number of facts, but you will not have a greater understanding of the world.” (Stanovich & Stanovich, 2003, p. 12) Empiricism becomes systematic empiricism when it is stru... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4676871 Mon, 04 Apr 2011 09:54:10 +0100 4676871 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4615186&cid=t_170152_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F03%2F21%2Funderstanding-research-methodology%2F In order to fully appreciate and apply the knowledge that has been acquired through the scientific process, it is imperative to have a basic understanding of scientific research methodology. Methodology: scientific techniques used to collect and evaluate data. This is the first in a series of articles that will shed light on scientific research methods.  It is important to understand that all research methods play an important role in leading us to tentative conclusions concerning how things work in the observable universe.  But, it also important to realize different types of research should be interpreted and applied in a different manner. As an example, the primary goal of correlation research is prediction, while the primary goal of experimental research is explanation/understanding.... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4615186 Mon, 21 Mar 2011 11:43:47 +0100 4615186 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4377614&cid=t_170152_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F01%2F19%2Fhoward-stern-undergoes-psychological-testing-with-the-mmpi%2F On Wednesday, Howard Stern and his cohorts on his popular morning radio show discussed the results of their psychological testing (or “psych testing” as they kept referring to it on the show). The results made for some great radio. But it also highlighted some of the pros and cons of psychological testing. And perhaps inadvertently raised the question — should scientific or medical tools be used for entertainment purposes? The test they took — the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI-III) — is not meant to be taken by ordinary people who have no obvious psychological concerns. It was developed with a focus on personality and psychopathology — to help a psychologist better identify the areas of personality that are contributing to a person’s m... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4377614 Wed, 19 Jan 2011 12:55:34 +0100 4377614 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4372088&cid=t_170152_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F01%2F19%2Fhoward-stern-undergoes-psychological-testing-with-the-mmpi%2F On Wednesday, Howard Stern and his cohorts on his popular morning radio show discussed the results of their psychological testing (or “psych testing” as they kept referring to it on the show). The results made for some great radio. But it also highlighted some of the pros and cons of psychological testing. And perhaps inadvertently raised the question — should scientific or medical tools be used for entertainment purposes? The test they took — the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) — is not meant to be taken by ordinary people who have no obvious psychological concerns. It was developed with a focus on personality and psychopathology — to help a psychologist better identify the areas of personality that are contributing to a person’... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4372088 Wed, 19 Jan 2011 12:55:34 +0100 4372088 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4082134&cid=t_170152_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F10%2F19%2Fwhat-research-can-you-believe%2F There’s a fascinating article in the Nov. 2010 issue of The Atlantic by David H. Freedman that examines the world of medical research and that suggests much of our empirical, research-based knowledge may be flawed. Anyone who reads World of Psychology regularly already knows about the problems in a lot of industry-funded studies. But this article suggests that the problems with peer-reviewed research go far deeper than simple for-profit bias. Scientists are biased in many, many ways (not just for monetary gain). And this bias inevitably shows up in the work they perform — scientific research. This is not a new drum to beat for me — I’ve talked about researcher bias in 2007 and how researchers design studies to find specific results (this example involved researchers... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4082134 Tue, 19 Oct 2010 15:30:10 +0100 4082134 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4018216&cid=t_170152_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F09%2F30%2Fhoward-sterns-endless-psychotherapy%2F Howard Stern, the ubiquitous satellite radio talk-show host, is big proponent of psychotherapy. He has noted how he’s been in psychotherapy three times a week for the past few decades, much like Woody Allen. But what kind of psychotherapy is Howard Stern in? And why does it seem endless? This type of intensive, long-term psychotherapy is almost always psychoanalysis — a specific type of psychotherapy that focuses on how a person’s unconscious conflicts impact a person’s everyday functioning. People who undergo psychoanalysis almost always meet with their analyst 2 to 3 times a week, every week, for years on end. Howard Stern has said he sees his analyst 3 times a week, but sometimes feels like he would like to cut down to twice a week. Psychoanalysis is considered a... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4018216 Thu, 30 Sep 2010 17:33:38 +0100 4018216 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3625587&cid=t_170152_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F06%2F03%2Fthe-ghost-of-stanley-milgram-and-the-game-of-death%2F Nonviolence means avoiding not only external physical violence but also internal violence of spirit. You not only refuse to shoot a man, but you refuse to hate him. — Martin Luther King, Jr. From August 7th, 1961, through the end of May 1962, in the basement of a classroom building at Yale University, Stanley Milgram conducted more than 20 variations of his infamous obedience to authority experiments. He shocked the world with data on how readily people would punish others when cajoled or intimidated by an experimenter. This was a pivotal point in psychology because it was empirical evidence of man’s inhumanity to man — something no one, then or now, really wanted to hear. The experiments began only months after the start of the trial of German Nazi war criminal Adolf E... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3625587 Thu, 03 Jun 2010 12:52:07 +0100 3625587 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3538076&cid=t_170152_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F5P7uroEV4wg%2F By Mark A. CalabriaWhen it comes to banking policy, there are few people I respect more than Jonathan Macey and Arnold Kling; so when these two, independently, argue that we should be breaking up the largest banks, it is idea that merits consideration.  Yet I still have my doubts. First, lets start with what we are fairly certain of.  There is a large empirical literature that suggest most US mega-banks are beyond their efficient size.  There is a good survey of the literature by former Fed Economist Allen Berger .  So, at a minimum, the academic literature suggests the largest banks are beyond a size that is justified by the social benefits. However, there is also a small literature that suggests more concentrated banking systems are more stable, and less prone to crisis.  Some of t... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3538076 Wed, 05 May 2010 18:30:52 +0100 3538076 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3350258&cid=t_170152_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FUbaWkbQpyek%2F By Andrew J. CoulsonDiane Ravitch is a leading education historian. Her work in that field is characteristically thorough and well-researched, and her books The Troubled Crusade and The Great School Wars, in particular, made significant contributions to our understanding of U.S. education history. On the presumption that Ravitch is as much an expert on policy as she is on history, her latest book, recounting her change of heart on certain policy questions, has garnered enormous media attention. I suggest, with all due respect, that this presumption is a mistake. Unlike her thorough and rigorous historical writing, Ravitch’s policy opinions were never grounded in a systematic and comprehensive review of the relevant evidence. They should never have been given credence in the first place. ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3350258 Tue, 09 Mar 2010 23:41:51 +0100 3350258 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3197712&cid=t_170152_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F01%2F22%2Fpsychotherapy-how-much-is-enough%2F We recently posed a question to the New Mexico Psychological Association listserve about how long psychotherapy should last. We suspected that professionals may have wide disagreement about this issue. It involves a variety of important clinical and possibly ethical concerns. Specifically, the issue is how long should psychotherapy last? Sounds simple enough to answer, but is it? Here are just a few of the thoughts we shared with the NMPA group: Should psychotherapy last until the presenting problem is no longer diagnosable? (Source: World of Psychology) World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3197712 Fri, 22 Jan 2010 13:32:36 +0100 3197712 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2447696&cid=t_170152_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F05%2F31%2Flies-lies-lies%2F Psychologist Paul Ekman is a pioneer in deception research who heads a high profile consulting firm that works with the FBI and other big clients to solve cases. Ekman developed the FACS (Facial Action Coding System) based on facial muscle movements and gestures he calls microexpressions. Sound familiar? If you’ve watched the new hit TV series Lie to Me, it’s not only based on Ekman’s work, he’s a consultant for the show, which lends authenticity to the first-ever show about this type of science. [Not seen it yet? Watch it on Hulu if you're in America, or via torrents.] During the recent Association for Psychological Science (APS) convention, Ekman and the show’s head writer Samuel Baum were interviewed in a popular session, and other scientists detailed their... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2447696 Sun, 31 May 2009 16:00:01 +0100 2447696 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2441698&cid=t_170152_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F05%2F22%2Fno-significant-relationship-between-violence-crime-and-mental-illness%2F I hope that, once and for all, the message is clear — someone who has a mental illness is at no greater risk for violent crime. So says a new study that looked at the rate of violent crime in over 8,000 people diagnosed with schizophrenia between 1973 and 2006, and a control group of 80,000 people from the general population of Sweden. According to the new study published in JAMA, five percent of the general population was convicted of violent crime during this time period, compared to eight percent of those with schizophrenia and no substance abuse, which was not a statistically significant difference. These results echo previous research in the U.S. that has also found no significant relationship between mental illness and violence. What the study did find was that the overreprese... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2441698 Fri, 22 May 2009 18:59:18 +0100 2441698 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2416993&cid=t_170152_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F05%2F18%2Fcomputers-rotting-our-brains%2F There are some scientists who are becoming increasingly concerned about the negative effects of long-term, widespread computer usage, brought about primarily by the rise of the Internet and immersive video games. The only problem is that there’s very little good quality research that suggests this is so. That hasn’t stopped neuroscientists like Susan Greenfield, a renowned UK scientist, from presenting a very one-sided, biased picture about this topic. Oh, and of course, from promoting her book about identity in the age of technology. The problem is, once you start cloaking things in the language of the brain, you start sounding like you’re talking “science” and know far more than the science actually shows, as Bad Science points out: There is much talk of th... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2416993 Mon, 18 May 2009 15:03:12 +0100 2416993 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1911693&cid=t_170152_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F10%2F27%2Fsubtly-sexist-language-abstract%2F Pat K. Chew and Lauren Kelley-Chew recently posted their interesting article, Subtly Sexist Language (16 Columbia Journal of Gender and Law 643 (2007) on SSRN.  Here’s the abstract. * * * Sometimes, sexist language is blatant and universally shunned. Other times, it is more subtle and even socially acceptable. For instance, as summarized in this article, substantial social science research has considered the use of male-gendered generics (the use of such words as he, man, chairman, or mankind to represent both women and men) rather than gender-neutral alternatives (such as she or he, human, chairperson, or humankind). This research concludes that male-gendered generics are exclusionary of women and tend to reinforce gender stereotypes. Yet, these words may not be recognized as disc... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1911693 Mon, 27 Oct 2008 13:55:35 +0100 1911693 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1466336&cid=t_170152_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F05%2F23%2Fthe-situation-of-capital-punishment-abstract%2F This article presents the results of an empirical study of intentional homicide cases in Missouri. The authors created a database of 1046 cases; it includes substantially all of the homicide cases prosecuted in Missouri over a five year period that were initially charged as murder or voluntary manslaughter and that yielded criminal convictions. The authors selected 247 cases from the larger database for more detailed analysis. We analyzed geographic and racial disparities in the rates at which: prosecutors charge first-degree murder versus lesser charges; prosecutors seek the death penalty, not lesser punishments; defendants are convicted of first-degree murder versus lesser crimes; and defendants are sentenced to death, not lesser punishments. The Missouri statute gives prosecutors very b... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1466336 Fri, 23 May 2008 23:12:31 +0100 1466336 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1432424&cid=t_170152_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2008%2F05%2F09%2Fdsm-vs-conflicts-of-interest%2F Earlier this week, the Boston Globe’s health blog dived into the issue of conflicts of interest for the latest mental disorder diagnostic manual being formulated. The diagnostic manual is known as the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) and a fifth version of it is currently in development. How a disorder makes it into the DSM — which is used by mental health professionals and insurance companies to legitimize and pay for a mental health concern — has been the subject of numerous research papers and essays. It is a messy process, like sausage-making, and involves a combination of expert testimony (often given by the same experts who lead a subcommittee on the specific disorder), research on the disorder, and, of course, a healthy dollop of politi... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1432424 Fri, 09 May 2008 15:27:43 +0100 1432424 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1239241&cid=t_170152_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2008%2F02%2F18%2Fpsychotherapy-and-the-divide-between-practice-and-research%2F If you’re a therapist, you can get frustrated by the lack of research into easy-to-use techniques that can be readily integrated into your existing set of techniques. Most research into psychotherapy requires use of a specific “program” or manual of instructions or exercises that most therapists, in the real world, have trouble sticking to. Because if you’re been practicing for 5, 10 or 20 years, you’re not likely to throw out everything you’re currently doing just because some new research suggests a different technique might be more effective. Researchers, on the other hand, have a hard time understanding what it’s like to be a clinician. Most researchers work within a very small niche or section of psychology, studying just one well-defined asp... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1239241 Mon, 18 Feb 2008 13:48:38 +0100 1239241