TO STRETCH THEIR ATTENTION.Byline: Greg Bolt The Register-Guard Teachers may one day be able to train youngsters to pay better attention, and in a way they'll have space monkeys to thank for it. But it was University of Oregon The University of Oregon is a public university located in Eugene, Oregon. The university was founded in 1876, graduating its first class two years later. The University of Oregon is one of 60 members of the Association of American Universities. psychology professor Michael Posner Michael Posner may refer to:
NASA in full National Aeronautics and Space Administration Independent U.S. to train monkeys for space travel to show that young children can strengthen the attention centers of their brains. In recently published research with colleagues at Cornell University's medical school, he showed that attention improved after just a few training sessions. The improvement was slight, but given the short period the children spent on the exercises Posner said it's clear that the therapy has potential. "This is a feasible idea," he said. "I think we have shown pretty convincingly we can train attention in this way." What Posner and fellow researchers did was adapt the NASA training tools into exercises somewhat similar to a video game intended to boost what is known as "executive attention," the ability to focus on a task and tune out distractions. It's an ability that children begin to develop about age 3 and is mostly in place by age 7. Researchers are interested in executive attention because of the role it may play in disorders such as attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder A persistent pattern of inattention, hyperactivity and/or impulsiveness; the pattern is more frequent and severe than is typically observed in people at a similar level of development. and autism autism (ô`tĭzəm), developmental disability resulting from a neurological disorder that affects the normal functioning of the brain. It is characterized by the abnormal development of communication skills, social skills, and reasoning. . Therapies that help develop the neural network neural network or neural computing, computer architecture modeled upon the human brain's interconnected system of neurons. Neural networks imitate the brain's ability to sort out patterns and learn from trial and error, discerning and extracting responsible for executive attention could help children with such learning disorders Learning Disorders Definition Learning disorders are academic difficulties experienced by children and adults of average to above-average intelligence. focus better on schoolwork. "Teachers know that teaching attention is important," Posner said. "People think that attention is a very basic thing, that you just know it instinctively. But it's something that can also be learned." Using electroencephalographs to monitor brain activity, Posner put 4- and 6-year-olds through five one-hour training sessions over a period of two or three weeks. The children initially were taught to use a computer joystick (hardware, games) joystick - A device consisting of a hand held stick that pivots about one end and transmits its angle in two dimensions to a computer. Joysticks are often used to control games, and usually have one or more push-buttons whose state can also be read by the computer. that moved a cat onto shrinking patches of grass surrounded by mud. The exercises gradually became more complex and children had to make choices amid rising amounts of visual distraction. After completing the sessions, the children were given a pair of standard tests that assess attention and intelligence. What Posner found was that children who received the training did better on both tests than a control group that did not receive training. The 6-year-olds in particular showed increased activity in the area of the brain responsible for executive attention. Executive attention also has a genetic component. Earlier research by Posner and others showed that adults with a certain gene that aids reception of the neurochemical neu·ro·chem·is·try n. The study of the chemical composition and processes of the nervous system and the effects of chemicals on it. neu dopamine dopamine (dōp`əmēn), one of the intermediate substances in the biosynthesis of epinephrine and norepinephrine. See catecholamine. dopamine One of the catecholamines, widely distributed in the central nervous system. could focus better than those without it, and he said that carried over to children in the study as well. Children with the gene who already had good attention skills did not show as much improvement as those without it. The research was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Scientists. Posner said the study only shows that it's possible to help children improve their ability to focus. Further work is needed to develop better exercises and determine at what age they are best used. "There are many, many unanswered questions," he said. "This is a big project." But the potential is significant. Successful therapies could help normal children arrive at school better prepared to learn, and make it easier for children with attention problems to keep up with their classmates Classmates can refer to either:
Posner said it also could become a key part of a pre-school curriculum. Although educators strongly support pre-school education, there is not yet agreement on what should be taught - or how - at that age level. "Everyone knows attention is a real important thing in school," he said. "Attention training could be a very good entry into getting more control of yourself before you start reading and math." CAPTION(S): Michael Posner, University of Oregon psychology professor, conducted research showing that young children can improve their ability to filter out distractions through training using specially designed video games See video game console. . But Posner says more work is needed to develop even better exercises. "This is a feasible idea. I think we have shown pretty convincingly we can train attention in this way." - MICHAEL POSNER, UNIVERSITY OF OREGON PSYCHOLOGY PROFESSOR |
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