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fMRI in popular science magazines: Neuroscience Communication
1. Neuroscience communication through popular science magazines The depiction of functional brain imaging (fMRI) in popular science magazines Eva Lems, BsC 22-06-09 Management, Entrepreneurship and Policy Analysis in the Health and Life Science
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5. An analysis of disseminations on fMRI in Natuurwetenschap & Techniek and Psychologie Magazine POPULAR SCIENCE MAGAZINES
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14. APPLICATIONS * Including; communication on new research centres or systems, science awards, adolescent brain development, personality, humour, differences between men and women, decision making, making mistakes, social reward, hypnosis, paranormal skills and meditation ** Including; basic research, racial evaluation, personality, deception and neuro-marketing ‘ What’s his name again-area discovered’ (NWT,10-05,Hoe heet ie nou-hersengebied ontdekt) ‘ Give me your hand…’ (PM, Geef me je hand, 03-07) ‘ Serves your right, thinks man’ (PM, 04-06, Net goed denkt man..) ‘ Pinokkio in the brainscanner’ (NWT, 12-07, Pinokkio in de hersenscanner) ‘ Bad Habits’ (PM, 05-06, Slechte gewoontes) 100.0 39 Total 2.6 1 Multiple** 46.2 18 Other* 15.4 6 Basic research 2.6 1 Sexual arousal and love 10.3 4 Cooperation and empathy 7.7 3 Deception, lie detection 15.4 6 Health % N
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Hinweis der Redaktion
Initially only articles containing the key words fMRI and functional MRI were collected by searching in the database on the websites of the selected magazines. Often ‘MRI’ was mentioned in the popular articles while fMRI was meant, for example an article on humour in the brain which says; ‘14 participants listened to jokes while the researcher visualized the active brain areas by use of a MRI-scan.’ [1] [1] Translation of the Dutch quotes was done by the researcher Only articles in popular magazines that were based on a peer-reviewed scientific journal were selected. differences and similarities in academic and popular science magazines
were arranged into categories which regularly appear in neuroscience literature; (localization functions and basic cognitive functioning).
For example a statements such as: ‘our results suggest’ of ‘this might indicate that’ were coded as ‘somewhat likely’. Conclusions such as ‘this will lead to new treatment’, was coded as ‘certain’. ‘More research is necessary to prove..’ was coded as ‘unlikely’. For example an article ‘ He thinks the government should prohibit every use of fMRI– lie detection until it is effective and save. ’ was coded as critical (2). An article elaborating on possibilities and not mentioning limitations; for example: ‘This results might lead to a diagnostic test which allows early detection of children with dyslexia’ was coded as moderately positive (6) Valuation tone was assessed in both academic and popular articles and was used to score explore differences between the academic and popular journals.
Facts communicated in the popular journals are not wrong, the contextual relation differed from the academic journals
Neuro-realism: human behaviour often just explained by brain activity in different brain areas: Neuro-essentialism: diminishing human personality to biological brain activity:
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