David Shenk writes about educator John Mighton and how Mighton was "shocked to learn how har and fast [students] could progress with the right teaching methods"(Shenk 152). Yet, the sad reality is that "countless studetns fall behind in math and other subjects... [because] it makes [students] feel that their permanent limitations are being exposed" (Shenk 152-153). Of course, the obvious solution to this then is to change the method of thinking and make "failure... a learning opportunity rather than a revelation of students' innate limits" (Shenk 153). But Mighton suggests that there is a larger problem, the problem that "when an entire society believes something is impossible, it suppresses, by its very way of life, the evidence that would contradict that belief" (Shenk 153).
To what extent would you think that mentally has power over human growth and development? In a GxE environment, would a student fostered in a society of high confidence be more advantaged to develope positively than a student fostered in a society of low confidence? How could high confidence be a crutch? Does this suggest that the concept of GxE and the theme of Interdependence in Nature are intertwined?
Michael Kim (mikekim2012@gmail.com)
Mentality is a huge factor on how a person develops. The mindset of a growth mindset and a fixed mindset can influence a person dramatically. A person with a growth mindset is always looking for improvement. But those with a fixed mindset feel as if they are limited and that there is no room for improvement. An example of this is shown in the Mischel’s experiment with the marshmallow. The children that had a fixed mindset took the treat right away. They didn’t believe they could face up to the challenge. Thus when taking the SAT years later, these same children had the same fixed mindset when taking the test, which were shown by their SAT scores lower than those who could wait. Going off of that, those who tried to wait but gave in to the treat saw the reward at the end but gave up because the immediate reward was enough. But those that waited had the growth mindset. They took to the challenge of and achieved. In the end, they were rewarded with two marshmallows. This is also reflected in their SAT scores because their scores were much higher than those with the fixed mindset.
ReplyDeleteConfidence is also a mindset. Shenk finds that many who think that talents are based on genes or are inborn, doesn’t think that a person uses this to help them gain confidence in what they have now and of what they could become. The Jamaicans even said it is the “mind-set” that influences them. Even though they are small and poor, they believe in thus creating the champion sprinters. The mindset is what limits the people. Many believe that they cannot achieve greatness and that is what limits them because they don’t push themselves to be better. This once again brings it back to the growth mindset and the fixed mindset. The more an environment brings out a person’s potential by showing that they can achieve a goal, then the person will be more inclined to push past their “suggested” limits than those where the environment says that a person is stuck and that things are all about luck, traits, and genes.
High confidence can be a crutch in that, if a person tries to reach a goal completely out of their reach it can cause disappointment and frustration leading to a more fixed mindset. Confidence is great, because it allows for a person to push themselves, much like the Jamaicans and athletics, they train constantly and put themselves with realistic goals, one step at a time. If you try to get from Point A to point C without crossing point B, than those that never make it to point C will be heavily disappointed. This leads to a decrease in their confidence. This can also be an example of negative feedback; in that too much can lead to less of itself. (http://jaredtendlerpoker.com/instructional/overconfidence-is-a-silent-killer/)
GXE is highly influenced by nature. This does relate the two together. The gene that wishes to be expressed most strongly and grow relies upon nature. Where the starting point is, to the obstacles that are confronted and the challenges that are overcome as well as information taken in relies upon what the environment has to offer and how that person/gene can take in and process it. According to Shenk’s theory, the environment can affect the genes within a person by flipping the switch, or turning them on and off. The makeup of the environment has a huge influence on a person’s psychological being. An example could be by the mere temperature of the weather in the environment. If its cold than the biological makeup makes a person more active to continuously move to warm themselves up. This make a person have a more active lifestyle, whereas a more warmer temperature can make a person more lazy, creating a more sedative and still body make-up. (http://www.psychology4all.com/environmentalpsychology.htm). This shows that GxE and nature and its influence have a huge impact on the daily motions of person and their genetic makeup.
Christine Park (go2christine@hotmail.com)