Chapter 11: Exercises

Comprehension Check

1. List three lines of evidence that disprove the 10% brain myth. For each, explain why it's incompatible with the claim.

2. What is the difference between hemispheric lateralization (real) and the left-brain/right-brain personality model (debunked)?

3. Explain the difference between near transfer and far transfer in the context of brain training. Why is this distinction critical for evaluating brain training claims?

4. Describe what the original Mozart Effect study actually found. How did the finding mutate through the pipeline to become "classical music makes babies smarter"?

5. What is the "seductive allure of neuroscience explanations"? How does it distort how people evaluate claims?

Application

6. Find a current brain training app. Examine its marketing claims: - Does it promise near transfer (improvement on trained tasks) or far transfer (general cognitive improvement)? - Does it cite peer-reviewed research? If so, does the research support the specific marketing claims? - Knowing about the Lumosity FTC action, how would you evaluate the claims?

7. Take the "neuroscience language" test on a psychology claim you've encountered recently: - Rewrite the claim without any brain/neuroscience terminology - Does the claim seem less impressive without the neuroscience framing? - Does the evidence change when you remove the brain language?

8. Ask five people whether they believe the 10% myth. For those who believe it, ask where they heard it. Map the sources — are they movies, self-help books, teachers, or social media?

9. Find an article or video about the "right-brain/left-brain" model. List every specific claim it makes. Then check each claim against the Nielsen et al. (2013) findings. How many claims survive?

10. Research what interventions actually improve cognitive function. Compare the evidence for exercise, sleep, and brain training. Which has the strongest evidence? Which is most marketed?

Critical Thinking

11. The 10% myth persists despite being thoroughly debunked. What psychological needs does it serve that make it resistant to correction?

12. The FTC fined Lumosity $2 million — a small fraction of its revenue. Is this sufficient deterrent? What regulatory approach would more effectively address misleading brain training claims?

13. The Mozart Effect policy responses (free CDs for newborns, mandatory classical music in daycare) were enacted before the finding was replicated. What does this tell you about the relationship between science and policy? How should policymakers evaluate preliminary findings?

14. Weisberg et al. showed that irrelevant neuroscience makes explanations seem more credible. How should science communicators address this bias? Should they avoid brain language, or use it more carefully?

15. If someone told you they'd been doing brain training for six months and "feel sharper," how would you respond? Is subjective improvement meaningful even when objective measures don't support it?

Fact-Check Portfolio

16. If any of your 10 claims involve neuroscience, brain function, or cognitive enhancement: - Strip the neuroscience language. What remains? - Check for the far transfer claim: does the intervention improve general cognition? - Is there a product attached to the claim? - Update your evidence rating.