Working memory is a better predictor of academic success than IQ

Published on December 21, 2010 by Tracy Packiam Alloway, PhD Working memory is the ability to hold information in your head and manipulate it mentally. You use this mental workspace when adding up two numbers spoken to you by someone else without being able to use pen and paper or a calculator. Children at school need this memory on a daily basis for a variety of tasks...

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"Accents in wombs"

BBC News ran a story yesterday on babies' ability to pick up certain aspects of their parents' accents in the womb. Before we get carried away by the image of neonates springing out into the world speaking broad Geordie or Brummie, we should look at the study (in press in the journal Current Biology) in a little more detail. The German researchers recorded and analysed the cries of some very young babies—between 2 and 5 days old—born into two language groups, French and German. There were 30 babies in each group. The analysis of the recordings...

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ADHD: Not Just Biology or Environment

ADHD is a biopsychosocial issue Published on October 4, 2010by Paul Cooper Last week there was a brief flaring of the public furore that surrounds ADHD from time to time. Researchers at Cardiff University were reported by BBC on line (and many other news outlets) to have found that "ADHD 'has a genetic link'" ( http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-11437079). My first thought on seeing this was to be severely underwhelmed. There is longstanding evidence of likely genetic variations being associated with ADHD. For an early review see the Rosemary...

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