Humanities and mathematics: why we think differently

Justified whether such a division

In society there is a point of view according to which all the people in matters of intellectual knowledge or have a tendency to mathematical pole, or a humanitarian. The child goes to school, gets a top five of the literature, and mathematics he did not given. "Nothing - say parents - he's a humanist." Often it found the opposite situation.

But how this is true? It is mathematics objectively more difficult to master than the humanities? Whether a person's ability laid down genetically or are the result of education?

In the study,Mathematicians were smarter humanities it turned out that if a student is well rents examinations of the exact sciences, in most cases it is just as well to cope with the humanitarian. And students in the humanities schools fail not only mathematics, but also languages.

Does this mean that the mathematical disciplines more complex? Not.

If a person submits all the exams well, it speaks of his responsibility, not abilities. Many people can easily handle abstract concepts and to learn languages, but it is very difficult math given. In addition, other studies show that between the development of mathematics and the humanities there is no connection at the level of brain activity. This is a completely different cognitive abilities.

The physiological basis of intellectual abilities

In the study,Origins of the brain networks for advanced mathematics in expert mathematicians scientists recorded brain activity of mathematicians and other people during the execution of various tasks. As a result, they came to the following conclusion.

When you perform mathematical operations in a human activated specific areas of the brain that are not related to language abilities.

It turns out that the difference between the mathematical and humanitarian knowledge lies at the physiological level. There are areas that are responsible for the mathematical thinking, is - for language. Can not say that some of them more completely.

Nature and nurture

The above-mentioned study, the researchers also found that children's ability to perform basic algebraic operations - the key to future mathematical success. After all, at an early age, even before any education in human brain regions develop differently. Someone mathematical areas are better developed, and someone - is worse.

Since both the elementary and more complex tasks activated a neural network, it is possible to predict the future talent of the child even before it has manifested itself. Kid realized pretty quickly why 1 + 1 = 2? Then in the future, it is relatively easy to give sines and cosines.

The same can be said about the humanities. The rate of development of child language, the ability to capture the basic laws of grammar allow us to estimate how good he is in understanding of the humanities as well as the early successes in this area indicate the potential of the corresponding region brain.

It can be assumed that the physiological characteristics determine our cognitive ability. However, this is not so and here's why:

• Not taken into account many other factors that influence the expression of talent. For example, a person may have the makings of mathematics at the physiological level, but there is absolutely no interest in this discipline, which is why his natural talent was not developed.
• What we're talking about both the physiological addiction, may actually be the result of early educational activities parents.

As noted Swiss psychologist and philosopher Jean PiagetCognition, Development and language, and mathematical cognitive abilities occurs in predoperatsionalny period (2-7 years). It can then be shown a physiological predisposition of the child to a specific activity.

This period in the development of the brain is the most important, since the creation of neural connections goes on the principle of frequency of useAbout the features of brain development from conception to adolescence. That is, after 2-3 years of beginning to develop those of its regions which often are utilized.

At this stage of development of the brain depends on human activity and repeating them any practices.

Also sheds light on the formation of human capabilities to study twins. The set of genes they have approximately the same, and therefore differences in intellectual abilities is likely to be driven by external factors.

These studies conducted by Russian scientists in the 90sWhere do babies come from smartWe showed that with two years of intelligence in twins really becomes similar in respect to the same environmental conditions.

Around the same conclusion reached by scientists from the University of California at Santa BarbaraThe high heritability of educational achievement reflects many genetically influenced traits, not just intelligence. The external environment is important and plays a role of the conditions for the implementation of the biological basis.

conclusions

whether a person will become a humanitarian or a mathematician, it depends on heredity and biological factors that predetermine the development of his brain. However, the manifestation of this factor strongly influences the activity in childhood. We are talking about the period when a person is not immediately began to study the subjects themselves, but During the game, and communication with parents some way involves different areas of the brain, stimulating them development.

In practice, this means the following: parents should not force the child activity to which he had no special desire and in which he was not very successful. We must try to find the talent and promote its development.