jueves, 1 de julio de 2010

Brain and behavior


Can show that they will always different according to age and sex

For centuries the human beings have not avoided compared, differentiated and even established functions that mark notarially the life between men and women. It turns out quite interesting to observe that some of them already continue these functions instinctively, it means, no one should have learned or shown them. Probably, everything mentioned is inherent in the (human) brain of every sex at the beginning of his/her existence, in other words, from his/her babyhood, childhood, and adulthood.
the main idea of all this is to try to understand certain behaviors between both sexes, although it is true every being living (and independent from his/her sex) has a brain as an also every brain of the individual it is a quite complex system that the current science has not able to understand it not in 50 % with all its advances. So, it turns out to be quite complicated to extract responses or hasty conclusions. As express Marian Diamond in his article "male and female brains": "the objective of my talk is to discuss whether the brain of one sex is Superior to the brain of the other" otherwise, it is possible that it turns out to be quite insulting to determine that sex is more intelligent.
Now then, the brain has three principal parts, the hind brain, mid brain and forebrain and divided into two hemispheres and every hemisphere has special functions, no matter the individual sex. It is thought (and with the help of rats experiments) that the difference of the behaviors relapses on cortical thickness. It means, the cortical thickness is the key factor that shows how it can be difference the sexes.

And so, in the studies of Mariam Diamond shows that in accordance with the cerebral cortex and its thickness can be influence enormously the way of acting of every sex. As a date awesome, the female sex is always that it develops the cortex first than masculine, noticing that in the majority of the cases female has the symmetrical cortex. Nevertheless, if the female is not ovulating, her cortex one will grow to the same step as that of the masculine one.
Finally, with all this information helps to justify, understand a little more the tendencies of every sex and show that the instinct masculine role is to defend his territory and the feminine role is always to look for the well-being of her family and offspring. Of course, it is information generated by rats. Nevertheless, with these conclusions, they make to notice that there are no so much differences with the human beings.

For other hand, it is necessary determinate other brains behaviors, in other words, there are more brains zone to investigate, just like hemisphere brains, For example: According to Judy Willis (2008) in her article “More about neuroscience and learning” there are brains regions most associated with different learning tasks, there are many significant processes occurring in our head at the time the students and general people are learning contents, although, the way the information is presented is very much related with the student’s engagement with it; educators need to support the student’s abilities as well, in order to influence the neural activity so their strengths and challenges will come to light, that is why Willis agree with Gardner’s about how those with different intelligence strengths learn more successfully when they can be engaged through those strengths. When students recognize their own strengths and learn how to develop them, the brain appears receptive to the new information and also can achieve higher levels of cognitive networks. It is pretty much about a correct recognition of brain potential and then a fully motivation.

For that, teachers and curriculum specialists are studying different methods to consider around these revelations. The contemporary schools have to adapt their modules into this big force of finding real steps to allow student’s development. Many successful brain-compatible strategies for individualized learning include experiential learning, experimentation, exploration, movement, and the arts, nevertheless teachers and parents need to be careful, first everyone has to understand how mind works; it is not about getting a multiple intelligence (cause sometimes students could limit their opportunities to access information), the main point around the learning process is for the information to become personally meaningful. Preferred learning style instruction is also more likely to evoke positive emotional responses, so affective filters will not block information access to the brain’s processing centers and information can become knowledge.
Also, Marian Cleeves, a neuroanatomist in the Department of Integrative Biology at the University of California, Berkeley believe that the environmental factors are extremely important when it comes to show the influence they have on the brain formation, both the pre- and postnatal. Cleeves wrote an article called “What are the Determinants of Children’s Academic Successes and Difficulties?”, here she made reference to a published in the Ming Dynasty in 1237 when women were advised to behave favorably during pregnancy so that their offspring would be bright and survive well. Good behavior included: "Sit and walk dignified and sedately; maintain a good temper”. Despite teachers are responsible for the education of a person, parents can and need to play a very active role in developing a child’s behavior.

According to Cleeves and some of her investigation results, parents and teachers have to provide a positive emotional support, love and encouragement, also children need to follow a nutritious diet with enough protein, vitamins, minerals and calories (this will help to develop the branches on the nerve cells, an atmosphere free of stress, social interaction, freewill and the chance to assess the results of his or her efforts, otherwise, these young students could present attention issues, isolation, delay learning, between others. In order to prevent all that, there is nothing to be underestimating, parents and teachers can use imaginative toys, rich language environment, music and art to enhance all kind of knowledge, respecting the brain’s time to transfer information into its association cortex. The mentor who really cares and listens is the one who remains in her/his mind when she later needs support.

References:
Marian Diamond (2003) “Male and Female Brains


Judy Willis, M.D., M.Ed (2008) commented on “More about neuroscience and learning blog

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