Experiments Of The Mind

An inside view of the experimental practices of cognitive psychology—and their influence on the addictive nature of social media Experimental cognitive psychology research is a hidden force in our online lives. We engage with it, often unknowingly, whenever we download a health app, complete a Facebook quiz, or rate our latest purchase. How did experimental psychology come to play an outsized role in these developments? Experiments of the Mind considers this question through a look at cognitive psychology laboratories. Emily Martin traces how psychological research methods evolved, escaped the boundaries of the discipline, and infiltrated social media and our digital universe. Martin recounts her participation in psychology labs, and she conveys their activities through the voices of principal investigators, graduate students, and subjects. Despite claims of experimental psychology’s focus on isolated individuals, Martin finds that the history of the field—from early German labs to Gestalt psychology—has led to research methods that are, in fact, highly social. She shows how these methods are deployed online: amplified by troves of data and powerful machine learning, an unprecedented model of human psychology is now widespread—one in which statistical measures are paired with algorithms to predict and influence users’ behavior. Experiments of the Mind examines how psychology research has shaped us to be perfectly suited for our networked age.

"This book is an ethnographic investigation of the everyday professional lives of experimental cognitive psychologists, aimed at conveying to readers a sense of the social world of thelaboratory, and explaining how the field produces knowledge about human cognition. Emily Martin did fieldwork in three labs conducting research in normal human cognition. In the early daysof her fieldwork, Martin was struck by how irrelevant her own subjective experience was to the experimenters. What researchers conducting the experiments were seeking was data about how her brain responded to stimuli such as photographs and videos. Her own responses to the situation -- the set-up of the experiment, etc -- were very much beside the point. This led Martin to wonder when, in the history of this field, introspection and related "messy" data concerning the social conditions of lab experimentation came to be expelled. Her book examines this history, provides a comparison with the history of her own field (anthropology), and discusses the evolution of a pillar of contemporary experimental cognitive psychology, the psychological experiment. In the course of this book Martin reports on her discussions with practicing experimental psychologists about the efficacy of placing persons in such unusual settings in the search for generalknowledge. What emerges is an account of the cognitive psychology experiment as an artificial construction in which a certain kind of knowledge is produced and a certain kind of humansubject is created. But this book is not a "debunking" of the discipline of experimental cognitive psychology. Martin readily acknowledges the fact that real knowledge is produced in thesehighly-structured and artificial experimental settings. She does, however, question the tendency within this discipline to dismiss the significance of the social and cultural setting of the formalpsychological experiment, and argues that the field promotes a truncated view of the human subject and its capacities"--

Thought experiments are performed in the laboratory of the mind. Beyond this metaphor it is difficult to say just what these remarkable devices for investigating nature are or how they work. Though most scientists and philosophers would admit their great importance, there has been very little serious study of them. This volume is the first book-length investigation of thought experiments. Starting with Galileo's argument on falling bodies, Brown describes numerous examples of the most influential thought experiments from the history of science. Following this introduction to the subject, some substantial and provocative claims are made, the principle being that some thought experiments should be understood in the same way that platonists understand mathematical activity: as an intellectual grasp of an independently existing abstract realm. With its clarity of style and structure, The Laboratory of the Mind will find readers among all philosophers of science as well as scientists who have puzzled over how thought experiments work.

Brain Lab for Kids offers 52 family-friendly activities, science experiments, and models to help you understand how the brain accomplishes all that it does. Riding a bicycle, learning a new language, catching a ball, reading a book: these activities and everything else we see, hear, feel, and do are made possible by the soft, whitish-pink substance inside our heads called the brain. These hands-on projects will give you a new appreciation for your brain and the many amazing things it does for you. Have fun learning: how cerebrospinal fluid works by dropping eggs held in containers, with and without water. about touch receptors by making a touch maze with glue and cardboard. how people filter out unneeded sound by conducting a listening experiment. how vision interacts with taste and smell by tasting colored drinks. The labs are organized by unit themes: The Neuron, The Brain, Reflexes, Taste, Smell, Vision, Touch, Hearing, Sleep and Body Rhythms, and Memory. The "What's Going On" section for each lab explains the science behind the fun. “Brain Facts” are interesting, and perhaps surprising, bits of trivia related to each lab. Finally, “Thinking Deeper” has suggestions for taking the lab further. The expanding field of brain science, also called neuroscience, offers the opportunity for all of us to learn about ourselves and others, and how we can better communicate, motivate, inspire, and just plain collaborate together. The popular Lab for Kids series features a growing list of books that share hands-on activities and projects on a wide host of topics, including art, astronomy, clay, geology, math, and even how to create your own circus—all authored by established experts in their fields. Each lab contains a complete materials list, clear step-by-step photographs of the process, as well as finished samples. The labs can be used as singular projects or as part of a yearlong curriculum of experiential learning. The activities are open-ended, designed to be explored over and over, often with different results. Geared toward being taught or guided by adults, they are enriching for a range of ages and skill levels. Gain firsthand knowledge on your favorite topic with Lab for Kids.

Long out of print, I. A. Richards's extraordinary 1932 foray into Chinese philosophy is worth reviving for its detached interpretation of the Chinese classics.

Filled with philosophical puzzles that have intrigued great minds of many nations for centuries, insoluble logical paradoxes and moral dilemmas, This is Not a Book provides an intellect workout that will force you to confront the consequences of your beliefs.

You've probably heard of a few scientists... - Galileo Galilei and his telescope - Isaac Newton and his apple - Charles Darwin and his theory of evolution. But have you heard that... - Galileo was sentenced to life in prison for his shocking ideas about the solar system - Newton wasn't all that keen on science - sometimes it got on his nerves - Darwin wrote a book about his pet worms? Yes, even though they're dead, scientists are still full of surprises - and the nine in this book are more surprising than most. Now you can get the inside story from their lost notebooks, read the news reports as their breakthroughs hit the headlines, and find out all about the mind-blowing experiments! Dead Funny ~ Dead Gripping ~ Dead Famous

From microwave soap monsters to make-your-own lava lamps, this book is bursting with brilliant experiments that will teach you everything you need to know about the appliance of science.