Genius: The Neurobiology of Giftedness
Toby Rosenberg, in all the five years of his life, has never been your typical toddler. At age 14 months, Toby could read aloud from posters his stroller passed by. A year later, he spoke both Polish and English fluently, and at the age of 4, he compiled a dictionary of hieroglyphics after visiting a museum shop and perusing through a book on ancient Egypt (1). From W.A. Mozart to Bobby Fisher to Toby Rosenberg, some children have since their birth amazed the world with their incredible intellect and abilities that can at times outdo even the brightest of adults. Why is this so, and, as many parents-to-be wonder, can a genius be created? It is evident that when a child's mental development is
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Although until recently scientists had believed that these are stages normal in adults, studies now indicate that many college freshmen and even adults have not yet reached this stage. Having such advanced cognitive abilities and early development, therefore, appears to be characteristics of the gifted. Why do such few children have these characteristics? The answer remains unsolved; however, neurological studies seem to hint towards several answers.
The study of the gifted brain has been utilized by scientists throughout much of history. The effort to reduce genius to bulges in the brain has its roots in 19-th century pseudoscience, where phrenologists pinned personality traits to swatches of the cortex and measured the size of bumps on people's heads. Vain Victorian intellectuals bequeathed their brains to craniometers, in order to measure up to the myth "bigger is better" (4). Today, various neuroimaging, more reliable technologies have been used to determine differences in brain structure between the gifted and those of average intelligence. The gifted brain is implicated in having more numerous, more complex, and more active neural connections (2). PET and EEG tests have revealed that the brain organization of exceptionally mathematically-inclined teenagers are atypical to some extent - several areas of the cortex are more differentiated in the gifted
The Role of the Frontal Lobes Table of Contents 1 Introduction_ 3 2 The Structure and Functional Anatomy of the Frontal Lobes 3 2.1 Figure 1. A diagrammatic representation of the brain_ 5 3 Luria’s Model of Brain Function_ 5 4 The Complex Function of Frontal Lobes 6 5 No Longer En-Gage-ing; What Happens When The Frontal Lobes Go Wrong?
I started my education in Erie, Pennslyviana.I attend McDowell High. I would say that we were one of the richer schools were I live. I am going to talk about my first assignment Brainology. I thought it was very interesting and it thought me a lot about how some people have different mindsets.
Most scientists agree that genes have some influence over general intelligence and special aptitudes in such activities as athletics, mathematics, music, and science. But genes are not the only factor involved in producing these characteristics.
In psychotherapy, it is important to be able to distinguish between a gifted person in crisis and one with a legitimate neurological diagnosis such as general anxiety disorder so that they can receive the proper therapy and treatment, helping them to learn to deal with their own exceptionalities (Grobman, 2009). However, if a gifted student is never taught how to self-assess and address their own anxiety, they are at risk for developing further neurological issues as a secondary way of coping with what they did not know to address from the
These prodigies, who had reached professional status at a very young age had varying theories of causation ranging from nurture to nature. The results indicated they had elevated level of intelligence, working memory and attention to detail. Interestingly, however, their family pedigrees showed an over-representation of relatives with autism. This indicates a potential commonality between child prodigies and savants genetically leading to the conclusion that child prodigies possess a form of autism but suppress typical signs.
It has been seen that gifted children have different coping mechanisms, as they are likely to face different problems than their peers. This usually means them being overlooked by staff as they are not seen to need the same assistance as other students. It is often found that gifted girls may learn to hide their abilities in order to blend in with other children whereas gifted boys are usually considered immature and are unable to socialise with children their own age. These children usually have different learning methods therefore teaching staff may find it hard to work with their needs. This may lead the child to feel bored in class when the work is not differentiated to their
Gladwell reveals that to excel in the world, one must be born with or introduced to the right tools. These tools may include being born into a high class home, when one is born, as well as being recognized early in school. When Lewis Terman, in 1921, conducted the Genetic Study of Genius observation, he only took into account the subjects I.Q. scores. It wasn’t until later, when he noticed the divergence of three different groups A, B, and C, did he realize that it wasn’t only about scores. The groups were separated by societal class, group A born from the high end of the scale while C was from the lower end. Group A, as well as most of B, did superb at the same time that group C fell out. Intelligence
The intelligence of a child is demonstrated by the use of signs, improvement of language, memory and the imagination when articulating in the non-logical and non-reversible way. The child’s sphere of socialization improves when the child is engaged with other people around them; if this does not happen and the child is reserved to itself there is a possibility the child will lack ability to make his/her own decisions in life after (Dodge, 2004).
A twin study, conducted by the National Institutes of Health Public Access in 2007, shows that genes account for 32% to 45% of mathematical skill at a young age. Individual effort accounts for 55% to 68%. A twin study measures the variation in conduct in a large group and estimates how much of the change is due to genetics, shared environment, or unique
Throughout history, many societies across the world have tended to banish people with mental disorders from the mainstream. Even today individuals with psychopathologies experience additional social handicaps and distress as a result of prejudice. Yet, according to statistics, one out of four adults suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year.
While the definition (“the ability to learn or understand or to deal with new or trying situations”) seems self-explanatory, what this translates to in showing someone with above-average intelligence is definitely a matter of opinion. The first definitions of giftedness all focus on intelligence as a quantifiable characteristic. Take a test and be given a number – this is the way that we can make sure to be fair to all students. And this definition is used for quite a long time, being California’s definition of giftedness maintaining IQ as the only characteristics that matters in determining intelligence until the late 1970s. Later definitions begin to include achievement as a qualifier of giftedness and, in turn, intelligence. The definitions
The PBS special "The Secret Life of the Brain" took us through all different aspects of the brain and its formation through life. These five movies taught us that the brain is plastic and is always changing, cutting unused neurons and filling with different ideas and thoughts that you learn from your environment. The five videos go through the five stages of life; baby, child, teenager, adult and finally the aging brain.
One of the most interesting and controversial areas in behavioral genetics, human intelligence is currently assumed to be subject to both genetic and environmental influences.
Craniology and cranial capacity, were the first methods used as a measure of brain size in relation to intelligence, with research by Galton, showing a 5% increase for students who graduated university with honours (Cairo,
William Blake, a poet that strongly believed in the power of mind, once wrote, "if we see with imagination, we see all things in the infinite." The Romantic poets use their imagination when gazing at nature, and therefore see and feel the infinite through their poetry. William Wordsworth expresses the serene beauty that nature possesses and its calming effects on the mind. Samuel Taylor Coleridge, one of the poetic geniuses of the age, uses nature and his imagination to create surreal atmospheres. Another Romantic poet, by the name of Percy Bysshe Shelley, shows great longing for the freedom that nature possesses and the freeing effect it has on him. These poets of the Romantic period look at nature from a higher consciousness