for Independent and Vital Elderly Cognitive Training Trial on Cognition and Everyday Functioning in Older Adults Training Effects on Cognitive Abilities
This paper would be dedicated to the assessment of the way, the science and technology are written to a variety of audiences. The object of the discussion is the way, the advanced cognitive training affects the cognitive abilities– as this information is represented in the scientific investigation of Rebok et al (2014) – the article published in the scientific journal and representing the set of scientific implications, which may be used for further research as well as applied into the practice. The second article, which would be assessed in this paper, is written for the following target audience – newcomers in the brain training area. It is essential to refer to the fact that it was initially polished as online source and its title attracts by the hint of the further contents and unclear context: “Brain game–maker fined $2 million for Lumosity false advertising”.
The scientific representation of the topic mainly emphasizes on the way, the investigation was conducted, the participants of the study, their characteristics, the limitations of the study, its advantages, further implications etc. The core purpose of the authors was to get an answer for the following question – what are the impacts of the cognitive training for the everyday functioning and cognitive abilities of an individual over the timeframe of 10 years. The authors have conducted a randomized, controlled and single-blind trial for supporting their findings with the evidence, statistical data and for proving the validity of the investigation. In addition, the scholars have referred to the previously-published scientific studies in the related area – to set the direction from the current investigation and determine the currently existing gaps in this scientific field- for their further fulfillment.
After conducting this study, the scholars have indicated that in each case, the advanced cognitive training for the vital and independent cognitive intervention leads to the fewer declines in self-reported IADL. Such factors as speed and reasoning lead to the improvement of the targeted cognitive abilities (Rebok et al 16).
While referring to the article, regarding the brain training, published in the internet – for mass reading rather than for the scientific investigation, it is possible to state a fact that the author has clearly represented the core mechanisms of the marketing fraud, regarding the popularization of the expensive software and games- which are aimed to improvement the cognitive abilities of an individual as well as enhancement of one’s memory. In order to support this argumentation, the author of the article has referred to the set of corresponding scientific investigations – such as recent study in the journal PLOS or the FTC’s finding. It was claimed that the advertisement of the popular “brain-training” program is not fair as the effectiveness of such production is neither supported clinically nor by the mass improvements among its users (Underwood 1).
That is why, it is possible to see the integration of science and popular mass media sources, while revealing the effectiveness of particular production for its end users. In other words, the scientific evidence, transferred to the mass audience, assists in the decision-making process in the following cases ‘whether to be or not to be’
Major change in the information, transferred from the expert target audience (scholars) to the end users of the expert’s opinions (those people who are tending to get an answer for their question, while searching it in the internet and having no previous experience in this area of professional studies) is its simplification and absence of the scientific terms, notions and detailed explanation of the major mechanisms. The only needed evidence in such case is citing the academic source, peer-reviewed journal or the study, conducted by a competent agency.
Works Cited
Rebok, G.W., Ball, K., Guey, L.T., Jones, R.N. Kim, H.Y., King, J.W., Marsiske, M., Morris, J.N., Tennstedt, S.L., Unverzagt, F.W., and Willis,S. L. “Ten-Year Effects of the Advanced Cognitive Training for Independent and Vital Elderly Cognitive Training Trial on Cognition and Everyday Functioning in Older Adults” JAGS 62:16–24, 2014. Print
Underwood, E. Brain game–maker fined $2 million for Lumosity false advertising. 2016 < http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2016/01/brain-game-maker-lumosity-fined-2-million-false-advertising>
