If parents take this information, is it possible that they could actually shape their children's personality with the content of their talking to the child? For example, (just a simplistic generalization) could talking about a basketball game instead of a baseball game lead to a favoring of basketball? Then a little later on in their life, could they provide encouragement in basketball and discouragement in baseball, while providing a higher goal in basketball to do the same? Could the content of talking to children not only improve their intelligence, but shape their intelligence? Think of the old theory that playing Beethoven can improve intelligence of a baby. Would this make the baby enjoy classical music when it grows up? Connect your answer to what we learned about conditioning. If you answer this prompt with a qualification, provide examples of which personality traits can and can't be shaped early on.
-Josh Weisberg (superswimmer51@sbcglobal.net)
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ReplyDeleteParents are the ones who have the most responsibility of shaping their children. I think it is possible that they can shape their children's personality. We see this in our society as the kids who are well mannered and well behaved have parents who have nursed them to behave that way through strict disciplining and lecturing, whereas the children who act do whatever they want to do have parents who let them do whatever they want to do without instructing them on the differences of right versus wrong. Evidence of how talking and explaining something to someone sticks in their mind can be observed in a study done by 7th grade teacher L.S. Blackwell. She talked to her class about the benefits of having a growth mindset, and how utilizing a mind such as this can help and apply to their schoolwork. After this clinic, she observed a raise in her kids' schoolwork with respect to their grades (http://www.mindsetworks.com/webnav/whatismindset.aspx). This further shows the influence of how just talking about something can lead to implementation by listeners.
ReplyDeleteWhen talking about basketball mainly to ones kids, parents instill basketball thoughts in their kids minds. This can lead to that child favoring basketball versus other sports. Then, further encouragement in basketball helps motivate the kid to work harder for that sport that he has grown up talking about.
Yet even with encouragement and talking about basketball, a child will still not excel at the sport unless he has his own motivation to carry him forward. A growth mindset is needed for this. Even if one is placed in an environment that encourages development, one will not be able to make the most of his/her environment if his mindset isn't set to utilize it. In Shenk's novel, twins Otto and Ewald both had the same genes and the same environment to grow up in, but they turned out as different individuals. This is so because Otto was "a long-distance runner" and thus had a mindset to work his endurance, where as Ewald was a weight lifter and thus was motivated to increase his muscular strength (83).
The theory that Beethoven's music can improve intelligence is due to the fact that "the frequencies used are very specific and place the mind in highly distinctive states" (http://www.peakgenius.com/howmusiccanincreaseiq.html). I feel that listening to Beethoven repeatedly as a BABY would foster enjoyment of that music when grown up as it would be a type of imprinting, as the child learns at a young age, during his/her "sensitive period", to associate Beethoven's music with a feeling such as enjoyment (Campbell 1126). In essence, the baby would be conditioned to enjoy that music.
-Arjun Ahuja (aahuja12@gmail.com)