Using the Power Balance Wristband to Improve Students’ Research-Design Skills

Timothy J. Lawson; Ginette C. Blackhart; Brooke M. Gialopsos

doi:10.1177/0098628316662763

Using the Power Balance Wristband to Improve Students’ Research-Design Skills

Timothy J. Lawson
, Ginette C. Blackhart
, Brooke M. Gialopsos

Department of Psychology

Mount Saint Joseph University

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

We describe an exercise involving the power balance wristband (PBW) designed to enhance students’ ability to design scientific tests. An instructor demonstrated that the PBW improved a student’s balance, strength, and flexibility and invited students to design and conduct a brief scientific test of the PBW. Research methods students who participated in the exercise significantly improved their ability to design scientific tests of the PBW and another pseudoscientific practice (i.e., Healing Touch); students enrolled in the control sections of the course showed no improvement. Incorporating this single-class exercise into research methods courses has the potential to not only improve students’ critical thinking about pseudoscience but also improve their research-design skills.

Original language	American English
Journal	Teaching of Psychology
Volume	43
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1177/0098628316662763
State	Published - Oct 1 2016

Keywords

critical thinking
pseudoscience
research methods

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https://doi.org/10.1177/0098628316662763

Cite this

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title = "Using the Power Balance Wristband to Improve Students{\textquoteright} Research-Design Skills",

abstract = " We describe an exercise involving the power balance wristband (PBW) designed to enhance students{\textquoteright} ability to design scientific tests. An instructor demonstrated that the PBW improved a student{\textquoteright}s balance, strength, and flexibility and invited students to design and conduct a brief scientific test of the PBW. Research methods students who participated in the exercise significantly improved their ability to design scientific tests of the PBW and another pseudoscientific practice (i.e., Healing Touch); students enrolled in the control sections of the course showed no improvement. Incorporating this single-class exercise into research methods courses has the potential to not only improve students{\textquoteright} critical thinking about pseudoscience but also improve their research-design skills.",

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N2 - We describe an exercise involving the power balance wristband (PBW) designed to enhance students’ ability to design scientific tests. An instructor demonstrated that the PBW improved a student’s balance, strength, and flexibility and invited students to design and conduct a brief scientific test of the PBW. Research methods students who participated in the exercise significantly improved their ability to design scientific tests of the PBW and another pseudoscientific practice (i.e., Healing Touch); students enrolled in the control sections of the course showed no improvement. Incorporating this single-class exercise into research methods courses has the potential to not only improve students’ critical thinking about pseudoscience but also improve their research-design skills.

AB - We describe an exercise involving the power balance wristband (PBW) designed to enhance students’ ability to design scientific tests. An instructor demonstrated that the PBW improved a student’s balance, strength, and flexibility and invited students to design and conduct a brief scientific test of the PBW. Research methods students who participated in the exercise significantly improved their ability to design scientific tests of the PBW and another pseudoscientific practice (i.e., Healing Touch); students enrolled in the control sections of the course showed no improvement. Incorporating this single-class exercise into research methods courses has the potential to not only improve students’ critical thinking about pseudoscience but also improve their research-design skills.

KW - critical thinking

KW - pseudoscience

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UR - https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/15014

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JO - Teaching of Psychology

JF - Teaching of Psychology

ER -

Using the Power Balance Wristband to Improve Students’ Research-Design Skills

Abstract

Keywords

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