This is similar to last week's assignment.
Think of the material you covered in the reading assignment for this week. Next find an interesting topic related to the chapter you read this week and search the internet for material on that topic. You might, for example, find people who are doing research on the topic, you might find web pages that discuss the topic, you might find youtube clips that demonstrate something related to the topic, etc. What you find and use is pretty much up to you at this point. I would like you to use quality informative website though.
Once you have completed your search and explorations, I would like you to say what your topic is, how exactly it fits into the chapter, and why you are interested in it. Next, I would like you to take the information you found related to your topic, integrate/synthesize it, and then write about it in an informative manner so the reader will learn about the topic through your writings (not by referring them to a website) . At the end, please include working URLs for the websites used.
Please use at least 3 references (links or articles).
Please make sure you use the terms, terminology and concepts you have learned so far in the class. It should be apparent from reading your post that you are a college student well underway in a course in psychology.
Please use spaces between your paragraphs to make your post easier to read - thanks in advance
Include a list of the terms and concepts you used in your post. (example - Terms: memory, cortex, visual system....)
Let me know if you have any questions.
Web Divergence – Week #14
Topic: Problem Solving
Chapter 13 in my Cognitive Psychology book focused on Problem Solving. Problem Solving can be described as a mental process that uses problem finding as well as problem shaping to find solutions. Problem Solving is part of a larger problem process and is considered the most complex intellectual function. I found this to be interesting that something that is as common as problem solving is such a complex cognitive strategy. Throughout my search I found information regarding problem solving strategies.
One sight that I found had lots of information regarding Problem Solving Strategies. This sight talked about the steps needed in order to understand how to solve the problem. One of the first steps they believe that needs to be taken is to first identify and define the problem. The key to a good problem definition is making sure that you deal with the real problem, not the symptoms of the problem. The second step in problem solving is to understand the complexity of the problem. The sight recommends using certain diagrams and charts to help you map out the issues within the problem, the pros and cons of the problem, as well as understanding all the options. Some things that the sight had for availability were things like the Affinity Diagram, Cause-and-Effect Diagram, Flow Chart, Swim Lane Diagram, or a Systems Diagram. Finally, the third step in ensure good decision making during problem solving is to use problem-solving processes. Since problem solving is not an automatic process, you must use the skills that each person possesses and create solutions based on your knowledge.
I found a YouTube clip done by National Geographic that was very interesting. It talked about research done in Japan regarding problem solving. The researchers are studying the effects of cooperation and its result on problem solving. The researchers shape the chimpanzees to know that there is food under a stone. One the chimp has gotten that down; they replace that stone with a heavier one. This confuses the chimp, but then they try to think of other ways to get to the food. This can be seen as a type of behavior modification. The ABC’s fit in nicely with this example. You can see that the Antecedent is a heavy stone with food under it, so that poses a problem as to how to get to the food. The Behavior is that a researcher comes over to help, so there are two people lifting the stone (Solution). And the consequence would be that the chimps are rewarded with the food.
Another video that I found that focuses on Problem Solving was very interesting. They started the clip using the old proverb, “Give someone a fish and they’ll eat for a day, teach them how to fish and they’ll never go hungry.” This is interesting when you look at it as a problem solving strategy. The narrator then went on to talk about the idea of learning skills and how that can be broken down into dependence and secondly, self-reliance. It also brought up the idea that if a person memorizes the answer to a particular problem then that single problem is mastered, but if you make yourself understand the basic functions of that problem then that opens the door to the ability to solve lots of different problem that include those basic functions.
Terms: Self-reliance, Antecedent, Behavior, Consequence, problem solving, Cognitive strategies, mental processes
http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTMC_00.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOrgOW9LnT4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OLPL5p0fMg&feature=fvw
My reading assignment for this week came from chapter twelve, decision making and problem solving. For this assignment I chose the topic that discusses strategies groups use when making decisions. I also found research discussing the advantages and disadvantages of group decision making.
There are different styles and techniques groups can use to make decisions. Census, democratic, doctorial, are just a few of the many that were mentioned in my research. It's very important to determine what technique works best for your group members in order to have an effective decision making team. There are five stages in group decision making. These stages are problem recognition, information search, evaluation of alternatives, action, and outcome. One issue groups try to avoid during these stages is "groupthink." This term means that when there are high levels of group cohesion, many times groups consider less information and alternatives which can lead to poor decision making. To avoid groupthink, groups need to seek other sources of information and avoid isolation.
There are many advantages of group decision making. First, when working as a group it allows people to combine individual strengths and expertise to make the best decision. Group decision making also allows greater group commitment since every has a share of the decision making process. Last, when groups think together in terms of success or failure it helps create a strong sense of team spirit and determination. However, there are also so disadvantages that group decision making has. First, group decision making is more time consuming than individual decision making is . When there are more people involved in the group, the more time it takes for everyone to share their knowledge and opinions. Next, sometimes the team spirit and determination ceases to grow when some individuals opinions are not taken into consideration and they are left out of the group decision making process. Lastly, sometimes the responsibility and accountability are not equally shared throughout the group which usually leads to a spilt of the group and raises tension amongst the members.
Overall, group decision making appears to be effective. Many organizations, companies, and teams use this technique rather that individual decision making. Combining knowledge and expertise helps weigh out all options available and allows groups to make the best decision possible. It's important to use the appropriate style of decision making for the group members in order to make the group decision making process enjoyable and successful.
terms: group-decision making, group-decision making styles, advantages/disadvantages of group decision making.
url: http://www.chsbs.cmich.edu/leader_model/Development/media/Targeted%20Lessons/group_decis.htm
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-group-decisions.html
http://www.bnet.com/videos/group-decision-making-that-works-at-the-whiteboard/265796
The chapter I studied this week was on Cognitive Development. I have always been an enthusiast in regards to Piaget's stages of Cogntive Development in children. I chose to research about object permanence which was not mentioned in the chapter.
I am personally interested in child development which is why I chose to research this field. Having a three year old, I have recently seen these types of developments occur and have always been fascinated at watching a young child discover his or her world.
Object permanence is basically the ability of a child to realize that although an object may be hidden or out of sight for a brief period of time, it still exists. Object permanence occurs during the first stage of Piagetian Cognitive Development, or the Sensorimotor stage. Typically, children master this function around the 8 month period.
Object permanence is just one in a long line of sensory functions that children learn and development in the first year of their lives. Object permanence is somewhat realted to separation anxiety and attachment issues as well. When a baby is put down for a nap for example, the may cry out for their parent not understanding that they are still there and will return, yet they are not within visual range. While children generally master object permanence around 8 months, attachment issues can linger on into further years.
Terms: Piaget Cognitive Development, Sensorimotor stage, Object Permanence, Separation Anxiety
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHFjFr0hk2g&NR=1&feature=fvwp
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ue8y-JVhjS0&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwXd7WyWNHY
http://kids.emedtv.com/object-permanence/object-permanence.html
http://www.ehow.com/list_6791075_object-permanence-attachment-issues.html
After reading the segment on Piaget’s theories of development I thought most of this stages meant sense. But I also found the section on his critiques to be rather interesting as well. Researcher Jean Mandler argues against Piaget’s view of the ability in infants to think. According to Piaget, children in the sensorimotor stage of development are unable to do this. However, research may show otherwise. In one study, infants were given a smooth surfaced pacifier or a bumpy one. After the infant had grown accustomed to the pacifier, without being able to see it, so in other words, only being able to feel it in their mouths, it was removed. The infant was then presented with two pacifiers, one with the bumpy surface and the other with the smooth. It was found that children would spend more time looking at the pacifier that resembled the one they had originally been given. This study may show that some processing of association takes place even at this young age.
These critiques of Piaget’s theory got me thinking about other theories of development, specifically that of Vygotsky and Freud. In contrast to Piaget, Vygotsky had only devised three stages of development. The first has to do with social interactions. Piaget had believed that a child must develop before gaining more knowledge. In contrast, Vygotsky believed that children learn from their social surroundings and thus develop more knowledge. In this social or external stage the formation of thematic concepts in which relationships between objects are important. The second stage deals with being able to chain concepts together. And finally, they are able to form abstract concepts similar to adults. Vygotsky also had some major themes that Piaget did not. One such concept is the zone of proximal development. According to this, it is the distance in which a child is able to perform a task with the help of a superior and their ability to complete the task on their own.
Freud also had different views on the development stages. Because Freud was the psychoanalytic type, his stages have more to do with psychosexual development, but are developmental stages none-the-less. His first stage begins from birth to the age of 18 months. It is during this time, the oral stage, that the infant receives gratification through oral activities, such as sucking. If too much fixation occurs during this stage, the result could be that the individual develops a habit of biting their finger nails or becomes a smoker.
The second stage, the anal stage, occurs from the age of 18 months to three years. It is during this time that the child learns to control the expulsion of wastes. If fixation occurs in this stage, it can result in one of two things: anal retentive—being overly neat and clean or anal expulsive—being sloppy.
The third stage is known as the phallic stage. During this stage, which lasts from age three to six, Freud believed that young boys developed an attraction to their mother. They begin to envy their father, but out of fear that the father will destroy him, he learns to identify with their father. This is the stage in which gender identity is formed.
The fourth stage spans from age six to puberty. The latency stage involves mostly play among same sex peers. It is during this time that the opposite sex is view to have “cooties.”
The final stage of Freudian development is the genital stage, which constitutes the time period from puberty onward. After learning from the previous stages, heterosexual interests now develop and last through the rest of the lifetime.
Terms: Vygotsky, zone of proximal development, Freud, oral stage, anal stage, anal retentive, anal expulsive, phallic stage, latency stage, genital stage
Sources:
textbook
http://www.learning-theories.com/vygotskys-social-learning-theory.html
http://allpsych.com/psychology101/sexual_development.html
I read the chapter on problem solving, so I did a few searches on exactly that. I noted in my other post that I thought that problem solving is very relevant to the class and to people in general. Understanding how you got to a solution can help you to get to a solution faster the next time around.
Problem solving, defined, is the process that people use when they are confronted with unfamiliar tasks. So basically, a problem is any question where there is doubt to what the correct answer or solution is. This is a high cognitive process that uses attention, perception, memory, language and reasoning and is a conscious, controlled process.
Based on research on this topic there has been a cycle developed for exactly how we reach a solution to a problem:
1. Recognize or identify the problem.
2. Define the problem and determine its limits.
3. Develop a solution strategy.
4. Organize knowledge about the problem.
5. Allocate and use the mental and physical resources needed to solve the problem.
6. Monitor progress toward the solution.
7. Evaluate the solution for accuracy.
This cycle is descriptive and does not necessarily follow all of these steps in order. People who are sucessful at problem solving actually are the ones who are flexible, so the ones that can deviate from the set path.
Problem solving does not usually just start with a statement of fact as to what the problem is, rather it is defined by the environment first and then must be defined by the person mentally. There are two types of problems; ill-defined problems and well-defined problems. Well defined has a clear goal and path to a solution, while ill-defined ones do not have a clear path or understanding.
Well-defined problems have been studied repeatedly, often using algorithms to desribe each step and how it was solved. Ill-defined problems are harder to study. Scientific investigation frequently involves a detailed study of ill-defined events with little preliminary data. Usually, a real-world model is built to help make predictions. To study the cognitive processes underlying these decision making processes, researchers observed scientists at work in their laboratories. There are complex processes at work for problem solving, and can often use model combination, which is the combined help to form a solution from multiple people.
terms: model combination, ill-defined problem, well-defined problem, algorithms, problem solving,
http://helpingpsychology.com/problem-solving-in-cognitive-psychology
http://catdir.loc.gov/catdir/samples/cam033/2002041238.pdf
http://psychcentral.com/news/2009/09/22/researching-creativity-and-problem-solving/8508.html
http://drphil.com/videos/?Url=/house/flv/9004_3.flv&background=header_drphil_video.jpg
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.html
http://www.dys-add.com/define.html
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/dan_pink_on_motivation.html
Book: Daniel Pink, A Whole New Mind
Newsweek Broadcast: The Deep Dive, July 13th, 1999
My topic for this assignment is creativity. Most times we are faced with a problem we have algorithms (rules that lead us from point A to point B in a calculated sort of manner) and Heuristics (like a rule of thumb that works, at least most of the time for the given situation). These are all fine and dandy until we are faced with a novel problem we must solve. This is when our creativity needs to come into play. Daniel Pink in his Ted talk discusses a simple task that uses our minds creatively to find the answer. You may be familiar with the task, participants are handed a box containing candles and tacks and are asked to find a way to attach them to the wall and ensure that no wax drops on the floor. The point of the task is to use these items creatively, to see the box as not a box, but find a new purpose for it, in this case it is now a candle holder. Attach the box to the wall with the tacks and place the candles in them. The box will catch the wax drops, and our problem has been solved. Seems easy, but I did give you the answer... you might be surprised at the amount of time people will ponder the problem, seeing the box as nothing more than a convenient way to transport the items to the lab. We don't have some handy algorithm that tells us a box is a wonderful replacement for a candle wall sconce. I watched (for another class so I have no link.. sorry) a nightline special on a company called IDEO, one of the worlds leading design companies. IDEO prides itself on being able to come up with new and novel ideas for almost any product from cell phones to toothpaste tubes. One of their techniques is brainstorming, but with a bit of a twist. The employees are told that no idea is too crazy, too out of this world. They are instructed to come up with ideas that are niether feasable or practical. Hovercraft shopping carts are not silly to them. From the initial anything goes brainstorming they make a list of the more practical ideas, and go from there. I really like this idea for breaking out of those algorithyms and catapulting the mind into more creative thought. Try it next time you're stuck on an idea... it's fun and productive!
This brings me to the question of where these rules and creativity suppressors come from. When we look at the rain we know there are two hemispheres, and within these two hemispheres there are areas that tend to work in certain ways. This brings us to the Right/ Left brain dominate debate. Frankly, both halves of our brains are involved on most of our daily processes to some degree. If we really wanted to designate them as different we find that our left side is more analytical, logical, decisive, linear, and focuses on past and future. The right side lives a little looser, creatively, steeped in intuition and living only in the present. Daniel Pink wants us to know he is a left brainer... he likes charts and pie graphs... alot. I read his book, "A Whole New Mind" which focuses on cultivating the use of our right brains to get an edge in this world. As he points out, computers are left brain mimics, and if we want to keep our jobs we need to be capable of being more right brained than our technology. We need to see the box as a not a box... we need to think outside of the box.
How do we know if we are left or right brained? If you would like, Dr Phil has provided us with a test! He fully admits it may just be hogwash, but it only takes a second, so what can it hurt? We are asked to look at a figure of a dancer spinning. THe direction we see her spin will tell us what side of our brain is dominate. Counter clockwise is left-brainers, clock wise is right-brainers. Presumably this all ties into Gestalt psychology and weather we process the spinning figure according to the whole, or the parts. The right brainers see the whole figure and take into account all parts of her motion. The right side of our brains is where we have stronger processing of movement and spatial reasoning. Interesting, huh?
So, let's talk about that right side a bit. My husband is dyslexic, so I've crammed my head full of fun information on the subject. When the dyslexic brain is studied we find interesting support for this whole left/ right side debate. Dyslexic people tend to have larger Right hemispheres to their brains, and a bit different wiring. They struggle with many of skills attributed to the left side: language, reading, writing. But they also excell with those on the right side: spatial skills, artistic skills, athletics. I'm impressed with the creative skills many dyslexics I know come up with to survive in a left dominated society and school systems, but that's a whole other fun delve into cognitive psychology, isn't it?
Speaking of education systems and cultivating a society of Left brains, Sir Ken Robinson has something to say about that. This guy's Ted talk makes me wonder if him and MacLin should get together over a pint and giggle for a bit. But more on subject, Robinson wants us to look at the education system from a left/ right brain view. He gives his opinion on the education by saying that we tend to educate our children progressively from the waist up... eventually to only the head, then only to one side. We slowly teach the creativity out of people to the point that when we are all grown up we no longer find ourselves able to think creatively with out great struggle. We have these wonderful skills associated with the right side of the brain that get neglected. When humans first differentiated themselves from animals I'm sure there was a reason we kept that side of the brain and all of the wonderful skills it brings us.
So, as my last blog for the semester, I wanted to write about something fun. mission acomplished. Some people say we only use ten percent of our brains. We know that's crap. However, we need to find ways to use our whole mind, left, right, creative and logical. Classes like this should let us know that there is more than one way to learn. I learned what I wanted, went as in depth as I needed, spent the time I decided was sufficient to learn. And I learned creatively. Daniel Pink wants us to have symphony in our lives, to take things from one area and relate them to another and synthesize it all into one great knowledge. Sounds like a familiar blog assignment, doesn't it?
One of the interesting aspects of language is its relation to culture and thought. Are we the prisoners of our own language? If different people speak different languages does that mean they think differently? If they actually categorize the reality based on their mother-tongue?
The so called Sapir-Whorf hypothesis suggests we should answer “yes” to all these questions. Edvard Sapir and Benjamin Whorf worked on the idea of Linguistic Determinism and Linguistic Relativity. It basically means that individuals think in a way their language let them do it. They categorize objects and describe reality based on the categories given by the language. Thus in some languages (which means cultures) some objects are feminine, while in others the same things are defined as masculine; some are described as living objects, some as not. As language defines thought, difference in thought equals differences in languages.
An example of this idea might be found in literature. In George Orwell's book 1984, in which he discusses the use of a language entitled "newspeak" which was created for the purpose of changing the way people thought about the government. The new vocabulary they were given was created to control their minds. Since they could not think of things not included in the vocabulary, such as “revolution”, they could not think about it, and thus could not make one.
One of the most typical examples used is the amount of words for the concept “snow” in Eskimo language. It was suggested that Eskimo people categorize snow differently than, let us say, English speakers and have more than a hundred words for it. The data was first used by a famous anthropologist Franz Boas and later his student Benjamin Whorf. It appeared to be however, after careful analysis that Eskimo people do not have that many words. This number was multiplied only in the works of researches at the beginning of the 20th century. What also happened, is that both researchers actually combined the words from different Inuit languages and dialects, while each and every of them would certainly not have such a huge number of words for the same concept. Even if Eskimo people have several additional words for “snow” in comparison with English speakers, it is because they live in such environment, not visa verse.
In present time Sapir-Whorf hypothesis has no many advocates. It is applicable in the field of cultural anthropology So, language might influence thoughts, but it does not determine it. It only reflects partly the way humans think, as in addition to language we have non-verbal thinking as well.
Terms used: Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, linguistic determinism, linguistic relativity, categorization
http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/cultural/language/whorf.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sX-SIHqw66I&playnext=1&list=PL6054743BEA340BC8&index=2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nw-5A9dEo78&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pickj7cP8o4&NR=1
I researched the topic of cognitive differences between males and females or sex differences in the brain. I found a lot of information on line and most of it said the same things with slight variations. There are a few different explanation or the differences and a few discussion on what these differences may mean, if anything at all. This information fits into the chapter I read perfectly. It deals with sex differences and relates it back to gender differences. Again, I’m interested in this topic because it is something that everyone can relate to. We all have some information or knowledge in the area. With the new information that I found on the subject today I am even more interested in the topic.
The first couple of article I found online mentioned the usual information. They stated that we can trace cognitive sex differences back to the hunters and gathers scenario. One of the cites I looked at was also examining the difference between men and women and their opinions on what they thought was beautiful. The over all study was slightly skewed it simply looked at what areas of the brain were activated when a group of people viewed a piece of art. They did not, to my knowledge, ask the participants if they thought the piece was beautiful. Nonetheless, when men and women viewed these piece of art different areas of their brain were activated. Women were more interested in how objects related to one another; their location relative to others. Men were more interested in where objects were place, their absolute values.
Men think or view things more in the context of x,y coordinates. I can see how these preferences fit into a hunting and gathering society - like many of the sites said. I can also see who these attributes can go either way. As far as object location wouldn’t this be needed for women too? They need to stay close to their settlement and not wander too far looking for certain foods. I also think that hunters would need the cognitive function that allows them to see object relative to each other. While hunting I would think that they would need to have some awareness of certain objects in relation to others. What if certain hunters of certain parts of the heard were in areas that would ruin the hunt or their chance at catching the animals?
This article also talks about these brain processes being a result of gender differences that we still see today. It states that coordinate-reading brain systems are less activated by linguistic communication than categorical systems. Basically, because women talk so much they have better categorical systems. Because, men do not talk as much they have better coordinate-reading systems. This can related back to a hunter/gatherer scenario but it can also be a result of the gender differences that children are raised with today. As mentioned in a previous blog baby girls are talked to more than baby boys.
This starts to look at alternative explanations for sex differences from things such as social upbringing or hormones. One of my articles mentions that there are sex difference between the brains of newborn infants. Differences in their brain that can be seen in newborns (girls great capacity for language skills and boys greater capacity for spatial awareness). But, why are these differences here? It could be a result of our ancestors being hunters and gatherers. Another article I read talked about the evolution (hunters/gatherers) and environmental causes for these sex differences.
The environmental causes refers to the hormones that are in the mother’s body during gestation. If there is an increase in testosterone the infant seems to have more or better spatial awareness. When a mother has higher levels of androgens during pregnancy and is pregnant with a girl it can results in the daughter having congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH). These females have greater spatial ability. Than girls without CAH have. There has also been research/experiments done on rats. Extra female and male hormones were given to the rats (estrogen and testosterone). Only in the case with extra testosterone were significant differences found.
After doing this research I do think that some sex differences can be attributed to an evolutionary theory that we have developed differently because of our ancestors hunting and gathering. Then I wonder why our cognitive systems haven’t adapted yet. We have not lived by those ways of life in many years. A lot of gender roles have changed in recent years - if evolution is the answer then when will our brains catch up with our behavior? I have more faith in the ideas of environmental impact on our cognitive differences. If hormones have the ability to change children into adults then I think they are capable of effecting cognitive systems as well. Finally, though there are cognitive differences in the processes we use I keep going back to our frames of intelligence. We may use different processes our overall intelligence and cognitive capacity are not that different. There is not a superior sex despite our many differences. Some of the sites I briefly looked at say that sex differences in the brain are not much greater than individual differences. This makes me wonder if these cognitive differences and differences in processes are even that important? Interesting yes! But what can we gain from this knowledge? What problems can we solve by just know that there are subtle differences and subtle differences?
Terms: Sex differences, gender differences, relative space, spatial awareness, coordinate-reading systems, linguistic systems/language skills, evolution, environmental, CAH, frames of intelligence.
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/02/brainandbeauty/
http://www.cerebromente.org.br/n11/mente/eisntein/cerebro-homens.html
http://www.sfu.ca/~dkimura/articles/constraints.htm
In the cognitive development chapter in my textbook it noted that we typically lose a lot of synapses before we turn 16 years of age, then not again until the later years in our life. A question that I had was if we did not have enough synapses at a young age, if this would ultimately hurt people for the rest of their life. This lead me to further research degeneration of synapses as well as times that they are in rapid growth. Learning about this can help me to further understand different psychological disabilities and to just learn about cognitive development in general.
There at several points in development that the brain undergoes an explosive increase in the synapse formation, this is known as exuberant synaptogenesis. During this process way more synapses are produced than required for a certain experience. The reason so many synapses occur may be because our brain is trying to prepare us for certain experiences, then if they do not happen, we lose that synapse. This is known as synaptic pruning. It is estimated that between birth and the 28th week after conception we lose about 70% of the neurons in the human cortex. Other important times of pruning are during infancy, middle childhood, and adolescence. Synapses are typically generated in response to specific experiences, not in advancement.
It turns out that research shows that we do seek a particular number of synapses so that communication in the brain works effectively. Baylor College of Medicine found out that the protein MeCP2 is crucial to allowing our brain to have a certain amount of synapses. Too little of the protein MeCP2 can end in Rett’s Syndrome and too much can end in mental retardation, problems with gait or spasticity, and symptoms of autism.
Having the “right” amount of MeCP2 can really help make sure the brain has the proper amount of synapses for healthy brain development. If the development of the brain is not right, then the brain will try to compensate by undergoing secondary changes. This starts to open up ways to think about adult diseases that involved loss of synaptic function. Interestingly enough research is starting to show that autism may be a disorder mainly related to abnormal functions of synapses.
Research is also starting to show that the balance between synaptic proteins and their degradation is essential for normal neural transmission and plasticity. Angelman syndrome is another neurodevelopment disorder caused by a mutation in UBE3A gene. When this enzyme is not made in the brain it causes a loss of synaptic plasticity and this loss is accelerated by using the synapses. The research in Angelman mice showed that plasticity is preserved by experience. The best way to preserve a normal functioning of the brain is to engage in activities that keep the mind active. By trying new things and expanding your range of experiences the Ube2A may stay around longer in the brain.
Learning about different neurodevelopment brain diseases can help us to learn about what proteins or synapses did not form correctly or which ones we had an abundance of. Learning about these more in depth can help us evaluate what we may be able to help correct or protect from in the future.
http://www.science20.com/measuring_mind/aging_and_angelman_syndrome_there_link
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071003130855.htm
http://books.google.com/books?id=IEFIilUc5ugC&pg=PA129&lpg=PA129&dq=losing+brain+synapses+from+birth+to+16&source=bl&ots=5lemkEkLB8&sig=ke7ggUspfswGXoY4k9_wgcTIatM&hl=en&ei=02QFTdb-A5iJnAfQjLjlDQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CBMQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false
Terms: Cognitive development, Angelman Syndrome, synapse, exuberant synaptogenesis, synaptic pruning, Rett’s Syndrome, Autism
After learning more about creativity I became curious about how creativity is used in education or if it is being implemented at all. I came across a Ted Talk video that gave an interesting perspective on the topic of creativity in education. The speaker made the argument that creativity should be viewed in the same light as literacy. Meaning he thinks creativity should be just as important as learning to read within the educational world. I whole heartedly agreed with the speaker when he made the point to say that children have the advantage of not worrying about if what they say is wrong. This lack of conscientiousness allows them the freedom to be original and think up their own unique ideas. As children mature into adults they begin to fear being wrong. Their stability within their careers usually demands the person to be right. In school, children are socialized to think that errors are a major problem. The more errors one makes the less successful they are.
According to the speaker, society is educating children away from creativity. Instead of growing up and becoming more creative most people are born with creativity and grow out of it. I felt this video was very informative and gave me more insight about human intelligence. In America, intelligence is deemed almost a necessity for survival. Yet, creativity is downplayed by adults and teachers who begin to tell children, don’t practice art because you aren’t going to be an artist, or don’t study music you won’t become a musician. Instead our role models tell us to focus on what will provide us each with a beneficial income later in life. Academic structure is changing and more students are earning degrees than ever. When a college degree used to land someone a job now jobs are demanding master’s and doctorate degrees. The way we view intelligence is changing and this can create problems. In my first blog I questioned where creativity came from. It is the speaker’s opinion that creativity stems from different perspectives of seeing things. On a side note this video was very interesting and was a great humor relief! If anyone has extra time I suggest watching this video.
I found another article in Newsweek that supports the previous video mentioned. This article refers to studies that have been completed over the years that have been measuring creativity. Results unfortunately show that creativity is found to be decreasing throughout the years. This decrease is most significantly found in children in kindergarten to sixth grade. Which would support the idea that as children age they are educated away from creativity. What was really interesting to hear was that some studies have shown a large significance in correlation between children’s creativity levels as a child to their creativity levels as an adult while their intelligence scores were rarely significantly correlated.
I was able to build on this knowledge of declining levels of creativity by watching another video which began to explain how to teach creativity to students. In my first blog about creativity I wrote about the stages that make up creativity. One stage that comes to mind is the preparation stage in which formulating solutions occur. This video supports this idea by saying that creativity can be taught by allowing students the freedom to problem solve on their own accord and find solutions through their own processes. Preparation is also important because encouragement occurs during this stage and that is exactly what teachers do when implementing a creative based learning environment. I was able to relate to this video personally because it also mentioned how students benefit from a learning environment that the student creates. Just like this class (Cognitive Psychology) we as students are given a great deal of freedom in choosing what we want to learn about and how. Some results show that students are more likely to remember concepts and ideas compared to a learning environment that relies on reciting facts.
Terms: Creativity, preparation
http://www.jensenlearning.com/news/are-schools-killing-creativity/brain-based-learning
http://www.newsweek.com/2010/07/10/the-creativity-crisis.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLVTV-vXJBg