houseofmind:

Are Search Engines And Internet Use Making Our Brains Lazy?: The Effects of Having Information At Our Fingertips
A new era began with the advent of computers and the internet. The constant stream of open access to everything (really) and anything changed our lives. I mean, can you actually remember what your sources where before the internet? As one of the few that remembers sifting through library catalogs, I keep being amazed at the amount of phrases I can type into Google search and get results for… As a neuroscience student, I can’t help but being concerned about the impact that this may have on our (very plastic) brains. Sometimes I believe that the internet is making us dumber. But is it really?
In a recent Science paper, psychologists Betsy Sparrow, Jenny Liu and Daniel M. Wegner postulate a very interesting role for the internet- an external memory source where information is stored collectively outside ourselves. In psychology, this type of memory, often referred to in the literature as transactive memory, is not new. According to Wegner, when people are in dyads or groups, they form transactive memory systems in which they are able to create and access memory stores in other individuals. Thus, the authors questioned whether internet and search engines have become a primary transactive memory source. 
In a series of experiments, the authors tested participants who were asked to read and engage in a typing task for memory recall in order to study the nature of how we encode online information. The studies found evidence for an adaptive use of memory involved in information storage and recall. 
When participants believed that information would be available later in the future (as happens when using search engines), they had worse information recall. Apparently, participants did not make the effort to remember or encode the trivia facts if they thought they could look them up later.
Believing that the information would not be available in the future enhanced memory for the information itself. Believing that the information will be necessary in the future (like in exams) also increased memory recall. 
On the other hand, believing that the information was stored externally (similar to bookmarking pages or going through internet history), enhanced memory recall for the fact that the information could be accessed but not for the memory itself. 
Overall, participants recalled the places where their statements were kept better than they recalled the statements/information itself (see figure above)
It seems like that when information is presented in a transactive memory system, the location (or “where”)  of a memory is favored over the identity (the “what”) of the memory. Is this a result of our brain adapting to new information/communication technology? As our reliance on computers and gadgets increases, are we becoming symbiotic with these tools?
Sources: 
Sparrow, B., Liu, J. and Wegner DM. 2011. Google effects on memory: cognitive consequences of having information at our fingertips. Science. 333 (6043): 776-8. 

houseofmind:

Are Search Engines And Internet Use Making Our Brains Lazy?: The Effects of Having Information At Our Fingertips

A new era began with the advent of computers and the internet. The constant stream of open access to everything (really) and anything changed our lives. I mean, can you actually remember what your sources where before the internet? As one of the few that remembers sifting through library catalogs, I keep being amazed at the amount of phrases I can type into Google search and get results for… As a neuroscience student, I can’t help but being concerned about the impact that this may have on our (very plastic) brains. Sometimes I believe that the internet is making us dumber. But is it really?

In a recent Science paper, psychologists Betsy Sparrow, Jenny Liu and Daniel M. Wegner postulate a very interesting role for the internet- an external memory source where information is stored collectively outside ourselves. In psychology, this type of memory, often referred to in the literature as transactive memory, is not new. According to Wegner, when people are in dyads or groups, they form transactive memory systems in which they are able to create and access memory stores in other individuals. Thus, the authors questioned whether internet and search engines have become a primary transactive memory source. 

In a series of experiments, the authors tested participants who were asked to read and engage in a typing task for memory recall in order to study the nature of how we encode online information. The studies found evidence for an adaptive use of memory involved in information storage and recall. 

  1. When participants believed that information would be available later in the future (as happens when using search engines), they had worse information recall. Apparently, participants did not make the effort to remember or encode the trivia facts if they thought they could look them up later.
  2. Believing that the information would not be available in the future enhanced memory for the information itself. Believing that the information will be necessary in the future (like in exams) also increased memory recall. 
  3. On the other hand, believing that the information was stored externally (similar to bookmarking pages or going through internet history), enhanced memory recall for the fact that the information could be accessed but not for the memory itself. 
  4. Overall, participants recalled the places where their statements were kept better than they recalled the statements/information itself (see figure above)

It seems like that when information is presented in a transactive memory system, the location (or “where”)  of a memory is favored over the identity (the “what”) of the memory. Is this a result of our brain adapting to new information/communication technology? As our reliance on computers and gadgets increases, are we becoming symbiotic with these tools?

Sources: 

Sparrow, B., Liu, J. and Wegner DM. 2011. Google effects on memory: cognitive consequences of having information at our fingertips. Science. 333 (6043): 776-8. 

Source  houseofmind

Reblogué depuis houseofmind

Steve Jobs ou la parfaite illustration du pouvoir charismatique

Article fort intéressant de Denis Colombi, publié en septembre dernier à l’occasion de l’annonce du départ de Steve Jobs, et qui mérite aujourd’hui que l’on s’y attarde quelques minutes.

Directement inspiré de la théorie de la domination de Max Weber (un des fondateurs de la sociologie compréhensive), le charisme du cofondateur et ex-PDG d’Apple

n’a pas besoin de résider dans des capacités exceptionnelles réelles : il suffit que les autres, et plus particulièrement un petit groupe actif rassemblé autour du leader, soient convaincu de l’exceptionnalité de celui-ci

[…]

C’est donc d’abord la façon dont a été mise en récit son parcours, avec ce qu’il faut de légendes, de mystères, de traversées du désert et tout ce qu’il fallait pour respecter un canevas finalement déjà écrit, qui lui a conféré son charisme. 

En d’autres termes, le charisme de Steve Jobs s’appuie, certes, sur sa vision innovante du marché de l’informatique grand public mais également sur son talent à rassembler autour de lui un noyau dur de collaborateurs dévoués et de fans qui, par leur travail et leur évangélisation, ont contribué à faire naitre le mythe d’Apple, et donc, le sien.

le charisme est le mode d’exercice du pouvoir privilégié par les prophètes. La religion fournit une matrice de la domination, politique ou économique. Si le chaman s’appuie sur la tradition et le prêtre sur l’institution, le prophète s’appuie sur l’exceptionnalité qu’on lui prête - d’où l’importance, par exemple, des miracles (pas de la magie : la magie est une technique de chaman qui respecte des règles anciennes, les miracles sont quelque chose qui n’appartient qu’au prophète). 

Le fait que Steve Jobs doive une grande partie du succès des premiers ordinateurs Apple à Steve Wozniak, l’autre cofondateur de la marque, ou au travail acharné des équipes de développement et de design pour l’iPod ou l’iPhone, le fait est que son image restera à jamais associée à ces trois produits cultes…

stoweboyd:


Sarah Kessler, How The World Uses Social Networks
Social networks in every country might live on the same Internet, but  that doesn’t prevent differences in online customs and culture from  developing along geographic borders.
Ongoing market research service Global Web Index has mapped these differences in the infographic above (click it to enlarge).
The research, run by London-based consultancy Trendstream,  has conducted six waves of surveys about global consumer adoption of  the Internet and social media in 36 markets. It used data from its  February 2011 surveys of between 750 and 2,000 online users in each  market to define three behavior types: messagers, groupers and content  sharers.
In some countries, many of them Asian, most people were  focused on content sharing. Others, like the UK and Canada, had more  people who put a greater emphasis on sending messages.

Trendstream also used data from the survey to map social network penetration in each country that it surveyed.
(via Kenyatta)
Global Web Index has created a Lite Tool that allows you to fool with the data:

stoweboyd:

Sarah Kessler, How The World Uses Social Networks

Social networks in every country might live on the same Internet, but that doesn’t prevent differences in online customs and culture from developing along geographic borders.

Ongoing market research service Global Web Index has mapped these differences in the infographic above (click it to enlarge).

The research, run by London-based consultancy Trendstream, has conducted six waves of surveys about global consumer adoption of the Internet and social media in 36 markets. It used data from its February 2011 surveys of between 750 and 2,000 online users in each market to define three behavior types: messagers, groupers and content sharers.

In some countries, many of them Asian, most people were focused on content sharing. Others, like the UK and Canada, had more people who put a greater emphasis on sending messages.

Trendstream also used data from the survey to map social network penetration in each country that it surveyed.

(via Kenyatta)

Global Web Index has created a Lite Tool that allows you to fool with the data:

Source  Mashable

Reblogué depuis stoweboyd

Une infographie assez sympathique sur tout ce qui passe chaque minute sur le web. Selon MSNBC, les chiffres indiqués semblent corrects mais, comme toujours, mieux vaut les vérifier avant une utilisation plus poussée…

Search engine Google serves more that 694,445 queries
6,600+ pictures are uploaded to Flickr
600 videos are uploaded to YouTube, amounting to 25+ hours of content
695,000 status updates, 79,364 wall posts and 510,040 comments are published on social networking site Facebook
70 new domains are registered
168,000,000+ emails are sent
320 new accounts and 98,000 tweets are generated on social networking site Twitter
iPhone applications are downloaded more than 13,000 times
20,000 new posts are published on micro-blogging platform Tumblr
Popular web browser FireFox is downloaded more than 1,700 times
Popular blogging platform WordPress is downloaded more than 50 times
WordPress Plugins are downloaded more than 125 times
100 accounts are created on professional networking site LinkedIn
40 new questions are asked on YahooAnswers.com
100+ questions are asked on Answers.com
1 new article is published on Associated Content, the world’s largest source of community-created content
1 new definition is added on UrbanDictionary.com
1,200+ new ads are created on Craigslist
370,000+ minutes of voice calls done by Skype users
13,000+ hours of music streaming is done by personalized Internet radio provider Pandora
1,600+ reads are made on Scribd, the largest social reading publishing company

(via Technolog from msnbc.com - What happens on the Internet every 60 seconds)

Une infographie assez sympathique sur tout ce qui passe chaque minute sur le web. Selon MSNBC, les chiffres indiqués semblent corrects mais, comme toujours, mieux vaut les vérifier avant une utilisation plus poussée…

  • Search engine Google serves more that 694,445 queries
  • 6,600+ pictures are uploaded to Flickr
  • 600 videos are uploaded to YouTube, amounting to 25+ hours of content
  • 695,000 status updates, 79,364 wall posts and 510,040 comments are published on social networking site Facebook
  • 70 new domains are registered
  • 168,000,000+ emails are sent
  • 320 new accounts and 98,000 tweets are generated on social networking site Twitter
  • iPhone applications are downloaded more than 13,000 times
  • 20,000 new posts are published on micro-blogging platform Tumblr
  • Popular web browser FireFox is downloaded more than 1,700 times
  • Popular blogging platform WordPress is downloaded more than 50 times
  • WordPress Plugins are downloaded more than 125 times
  • 100 accounts are created on professional networking site LinkedIn
  • 40 new questions are asked on YahooAnswers.com
  • 100+ questions are asked on Answers.com
  • 1 new article is published on Associated Content, the world’s largest source of community-created content
  • 1 new definition is added on UrbanDictionary.com
  • 1,200+ new ads are created on Craigslist
  • 370,000+ minutes of voice calls done by Skype users
  • 13,000+ hours of music streaming is done by personalized Internet radio provider Pandora
  • 1,600+ reads are made on Scribd, the largest social reading publishing company

(via Technolog from msnbc.com - What happens on the Internet every 60 seconds)

Source  MSN