I chose to review this study because of its ecological validity. Ecological validity is a fancy term that refers to the applicability of empirical findings to real-world conditions. While there have been previous studies that have looked at the effects of peer presence or social cues on cognitive control, one could argue those studies have low ecological validity because in the real world, peer presence and social cues often occur together.… Read More

Cavanaugh and Cauffman recently published a study examining the relationship between rates of reoffending of first-time male juvenile offenders and their mothers’ characteristics. These characteristics included their participation in their sons’ court cases and their legal knowledge.

The sample consisted of over three hundred mother-son pairs. The vast majority of the mothers were the biological parent but in a few cases, they were the biological grandmothers, step or adoptive mothers.… Read More