Steven Lares

AP Psychology Summer Work

Brynie, F. (2011). Air Pollution Is Bad for Your Brain. Psychology Today. Retrieved from:
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/brain-sense/201107/air-pollution-is-bad-your-brain
Summary: This article explains how pollution can affect the part of thebrain known as the
hippocampus which is responsible for learning, memory, and mood. A study was conducted on a
group of mice breathing through two different types of air. One group breathed innormal air
while the other group breathed inpolluted air. The mice were then tasked with finding the exit
out of their starting location. The studies concluded that mice who were not exposed to pollution
had better memory and were able to find the exit. The mice who breathed inpollution, however,
had trouble finding their way out despite having practiced this task before.
Critique: I believe that this article was able to make good use of the main source that was listed.
The author had included adiagram, as well as some background information on the
hippocampus. The author was then able to use that background information to make an
informative comparison between the mice's performance inthe experiment and the effects of
pollution on aperson. This was able to provide abetter context to his claim that pollution can be
hazardous to your brain.
Applications to Approaches: This article isbest approached as biological psychology due to
information about pollution affecting the brai/nis was explained accurately by listing the
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results of the mice after having been exposed to pollution. The author then explains that pollution
has anegative effect onthe hippocampus. Therefore, humans arealso subject to the same
hazards as these test mice.
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