Guarding against misconceptions: existing research doesn't always back up the common wisdom behind lifeguard training. Here are eight misconceptions about lifeguarding and the science that may set the record straight.(lifeguarding, a distinctive skill)

Several important aquatics professionals and lifeguard training agencies have questioned whether lifeguard surveillance techniques are based on science. While many opinions abound about lifeguard scanning, few of them are rooted in actual science. That's too bad because science has a lot to say about how to make guards more effective.

One of the most reliable methods is a science called human information processing, which deals with the way in which people process information, especially during complex tasks. During scanning, lifeguards look at, and think about, patrons in their area of responsibility. Psychologists call scanning an example of human information ...