"Should we be spending more time examining our true decision-making abilities and the things that influence our results, i.e., more time 'thinking twice' than 'blinking'? "
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This quote by James Heskett examines the two root causes for our behavior: those from imbedded influences of our upbringing and those as a result of utilizing the prefrontal cortex to decide on the best behavior.
This question invites us to take control of our behaviors by considering why we do what we do and determining what method is best. |
Are we at the mercy of our upbringing?
The following quote by John Bargh shares insight into profound impact of our upbringing. In Before You Know, he states: "Our identities have multiple aspects- mother, musician, teacher, yoga enthusiast, NASCAR fan. Within each of these is stored ingraine - implicit knowledge about appropriate values and behavior, likes and dislikes. Ways of being. Children learn from their culture what it means to be a boy or girl...a child or an elderly person-how you are supposed to act, what you are supposed to be able to do, and what you are not to do. And young children can adopt these cultural beliefs so strongly that they will actually behave differently, at a stunningly young age, depending on which aspect of their identity is primed. The mass media, both the entertainment and the news sectors, exerts tremendous power of the shaping of cultural beliefs and attitudes." (p. 82, 92) |
Can we overcome impulses?
In his famous book, Social Intelligence, Daniel Goleman, relates the necessity of using the prefrontal cortex in overcoming impulsive behaviors: "Many...perils and temptations stem from the more primal cravings of the low road as it confronts the explosion of opportunities for indulgence and abuse created by the high road. Surviving them depends equally heavily on the high road. We have to balance our short-and long-term interests." That balance comes via the prefrontal cortex, which wields the power to say no to impulse- squelching that reach for a second round of molten chocolate mousse- or that violent retaliation to a slight. In such moments the high road masters the low." (p. 73) |
Why it matters
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Teachers that understand that a child's behavior is founded upon his or her thinking, upbringing, energy levels, and brain circuitry can react appropriately. Additionally, teachers can proactively plan so their students can perform at peak levels. They can work towards creating positive memories and attitudes.
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Are we at the mercy of our
energy and brain circuitry? Authors Aamodt and Sam Wang, in their book, Welcome to Your Child's Brain, bring to our awareness the need of a healthy body for optimal behavior. They reveal: "Laboratory studies show that extinction does not directly modify the synapses involved in the original behavior, but instead strengthens the frontal cortex's ability to suppress the existing activity of those synapses. As a result, the undesired behavior may suddenly pop up again at moments when frontal cortex function is weak- such as when your child is tired or has spent a long time focusing on something , like homework or chores. This outcome is expected and does not mean that the approach has failed, but it might mean that the kid needs a rest. (p. 253) |
Can we overcome negative thinking?
Martin E.P. Seligman, author of The Optimistic Child encourages adults to use and teach the skill of disputing to over come negative thinking. He notes: "Although most adults and children are naturally skilled disputers when accused by someone else, we are poor disputers when we are our own accusers. We know that others' opinions of us can be biased and wrong, yet we treat our own opinions of ourselves as indisputable. Self-disputing is a lasting and effective way to challenge the validity of your unrealistic interpretations. Successful disputation requires a lot of practice." (p. 194) |