Fix It Dr. Ali Reads a Journal Article Arguing That Concussions Are

question 3

Essay

Fix It
Dr. Ali reads a journal article arguing that concussions are related to cognitive impairments later in life. Realizing that blows to the head are the leading cause of concussions, Dr. Ali decides to study cognitive impairments in a sample of boxers. Dr. Ali identified 15 professional male boxers who are now retired and at least 60 years old. All of the boxers' matches were recorded and each boxer competed in at least 20 matches. Dr. Ali randomly selected five matches to watch for each boxer and calculates the mean number of blows each boxer received. A blow to the head was defined as any instance in which the opponent's glove made contact with the boxer from the neck up. Dr. Ali also measures the severity of each blow. Severity is defined by how many steps the boxer takes back following a blow to the head (0 steps = least severe; 5 or more steps = most severe). Dr. Ali brings the 15 boxers to his lab where he administers a neuropsychological assessment of cognitive function. On this scale, higher scores reflect more cognitive impairments. His results reveal that each boxer sustained, on average, 12 blows to the head each boxing match. The mean score of the neuropsychological data also reveals that the boxers have moderate cognitive impairments. Dr. Ali concludes that boxing is detrimental to cognitive function later in life and should be banned as a sport.
Dr. Ali developed his research project based on an empirical study he read in a journal article. What do you think of that? What kind of sample did Dr. Ali obtain to test his hypothesis? What concerns and limitations do you see with Dr. Ali's study and the conclusions he drew? How might you fix them?

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Definitions:

Nitrogen Fixing Bacteria

Microorganisms capable of converting atmospheric nitrogen into forms usable by plants.

Rhizobium

A genus of bacteria that forms symbiotic relationships with legumes, fixing nitrogen from the air into a form the plant can absorb and use.

Mutualism

A symbiotic interaction between two different species where each benefits from the relationship.

Species Richness

The variety of species found in a specific ecological community, landscape, or region.