WEBVTT - BrainStuff Classics: What Are the Most-Believed Myths About Our Brains?

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to brain Stuff production of I Heart Radio. Hey

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<v Speaker 1>brain Stuff, Lauren Vogelbam here with another classic episode for you.

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<v Speaker 1>This one deals with some literal brain stuff. The human

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<v Speaker 1>brain is still pretty mysterious and misunderstandings about it abound,

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<v Speaker 1>even in people who work with brains all the time.

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<v Speaker 1>Today's episode covers some of the most believed myths about

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<v Speaker 1>our brains. Hey brain Stuff, Lauren fogelbam Here. Considering the

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<v Speaker 1>popularity of brain teasers and brain training apps, you think

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<v Speaker 1>that people would know quite a bit about the brain's

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<v Speaker 1>role in education. But according to a recent study, the

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<v Speaker 1>general public and even educators have a hard time squashing

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<v Speaker 1>misconceptions about the brain and learning. For instance, many of

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<v Speaker 1>the research participants believed that students brains shrink without sufficient

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<v Speaker 1>water and the kids are less attentive after devouring sugary treats.

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<v Speaker 1>Both of these statements are totally false, by the way.

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<v Speaker 1>The brains behind the study, published in the Journal for

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<v Speaker 1>Tears of Psychology, gave a survey featuring thirty two true

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<v Speaker 1>or false brain related statements to three different groups of people, educators,

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<v Speaker 1>the general public, and people with high neuroscience exposure. That is,

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<v Speaker 1>those who had taken many college level neuroscience courses. Of

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<v Speaker 1>those thirty two statements, the researchers focused on seven common

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<v Speaker 1>myths that stem from what they call single explanatory factors,

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<v Speaker 1>that's ones that reduce the complexity of human behavior to

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<v Speaker 1>a single explanation. Those seven myths are the following, and

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<v Speaker 1>note these are total myths. One that individuals learn better

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<v Speaker 1>when they receive information in their preferred learning style. Two

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<v Speaker 1>that children have learning styles that are dominated by particular senses.

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<v Speaker 1>Three that a common sign of dyslexia is seeing letters backwards.

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<v Speaker 1>Four that listening to classical music increases children's reasoning ability.

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<v Speaker 1>Five that children are less attentive after consuming sugary drinks

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<v Speaker 1>and or snacks. Six that some of us are left

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<v Speaker 1>brained and some are right brained, and that this helps

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<v Speaker 1>explain differences in learning, and seven that we only use

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<v Speaker 1>ten percent of our brain. Of the three thousand and

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<v Speaker 1>forty five general public respondents, an average of sixty eight

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<v Speaker 1>percent believed these brain myths. Fifty percent of the five

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<v Speaker 1>hundred and ninety educators surveyed believed in them, and forty

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<v Speaker 1>percent of the two hundred and thirty four neuroscience exposed

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<v Speaker 1>group believed that they were true. Some of the most

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<v Speaker 1>commonly held misconceptions among these seven or those about learning styles, dyslexia,

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<v Speaker 1>and classical music's affect on reasoning. Let's unpack a couple

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<v Speaker 1>of those. There's a theory about learning styles called VAC, visual, auditory,

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<v Speaker 1>and kinesthetic a k a. Tactile. The VAC theory suggests

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<v Speaker 1>that students have a primary way of grasping information visually, auditorially,

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<v Speaker 1>or kinesthetically. The myth is that some students may not

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<v Speaker 1>learn as effectively if their style is not emphasized. Of

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<v Speaker 1>public respondents believed this myth. Addition to seventy of teachers

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<v Speaker 1>and seventy eight percent of people educated in neuroscience, and

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<v Speaker 1>of the participating educators believed in the mozartifact the idea

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<v Speaker 1>that kids spatial reasoning skills improve when they tune into

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<v Speaker 1>classical music. However, these myths both hit sour notes. Research

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<v Speaker 1>does not corroborate these beliefs. The researchers did find that

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<v Speaker 1>having a graduate degree, taking neuroscience courses, having exposure to

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<v Speaker 1>peer reviewed science, and being younger all helped when it

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<v Speaker 1>came to telling neuroscience fact from fiction. But those factors

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<v Speaker 1>didn't completely help. Lead study author Lauren McGrath said an

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<v Speaker 1>a press release, the myths that respondence with neuroscience experience

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<v Speaker 1>believed were related to learning and behavior and not the brain,

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<v Speaker 1>so their training in neuroscience doesn't necessarily translate to topics

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<v Speaker 1>in psychology or education. Since many school districts put time

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<v Speaker 1>and resources towards peggogical techniques based on these myths, the

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<v Speaker 1>researchers suggest that this study may help neuroscience and educators

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<v Speaker 1>work together to come up with cross disciplinary training modules

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<v Speaker 1>that provide more accurate information and thus better education for

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<v Speaker 1>our students and better understanding of ourselves. Today's episode is

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<v Speaker 1>based on the article Even Educators Believe Common Myths about

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<v Speaker 1>learning study shows on how staff works dot com. Written

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<v Speaker 1>by Shelley Danzy. The brain Stuff is production of by

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<v Speaker 1>Heart Radio in partnership with how stuff Works dot Com,

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<v Speaker 1>and it is produced by Tyler clang A. Four more

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