A Learning Machine: Plasticity and Change Throughout Life - Essay Example

A Learning Machine: Plasti and Change throughout Life Task The main point made by the is that the five psychologicalresearchers all showed that the brain is able to adapt to changes throughout life, from infancy to latest adulthood in response to the challenges faced by the person concerned. That the brain has extraordinary adjust itself according to the challenges it is facing. The author’s bases his or her main point on that the research was done by five researchers at different places and without communicating with one another. Though the research was approached by the researchers concerned from different angles and carried out from different fields, the findings were all in agreement. The author, basing his or her argument on one of the researcher’s findings shows that the brain can be trained to increase its response level according to how it is stimulated. The cerebral cortex, the part of the brain that is responsible in determining intelligence, personality, and motor function, planning and organizing and sensing touch was found to be able to reorganize itself to sense changes as was shown in an experiment with monkeys who were able to recognize the difference between two tones over time (Nelson, 2006). According to the another researcher, the adult brain has the ability to change in the process known as plasticity so as to filter only necessary information according to the individuals area of specification, unlike a child’s brain which receives all information. The author also proves through the research findings of the next researcher that the human brain can be revived so as acquire new skills. Though it has been said that when one gets older so does the brain, this researcher used computer games to reawaken the learning capacity of people aged between 70 to 95 whose recovery levels went back 25years after the experiment. Another finding was the power of imagination, which can be used to bring about new discoveries. Imagination about how things could probably work will was what led to evolution. When the minds imagination is allowed to stretch, there will then be new discoveries, changes and growth. The other finding was that the brain is able to respond in either of two ways, either to have what it wants immediately or choose not to. One could salivate at the thought of delicious food or not salivate when they think that the same food is harmful. This will aid later in life in controlling desires. The next finding was about the response to denial, as was found out in the children of Romania. Improving conditions for children who seemed to be mentally retarded caused by denial of proper living conditions, resulted in their brains returning to normalcy proving that the brain adjusts to change, whether positive or negative. The author concludes that psychological science is important and should become a great as physics and science as it can be used to change people’s lives. The strong features of the authors arguments are the findings of five researches done by different researchers and using different areas of research. The research followed proper scientific research methods whereby essential methods of research like observation, model and utility function were observed making the findings acquire a high degree of conclusiveness. The author, in depending on more than one area of investigation and more than one researcher to arrive at a conclusion shows that the research was well done. However, research probably ought to have been taken further so as to remove the possibility of other causes or interpretations by the author. Control groups so as to compare the findings with other conclusions are necessary so that a universal agreement may be reached on this very important field. Though the research has been conducted well, the author seems to have arrived at a conclusion based only on the research findings while the scope should be a bit wide for such an important research. I have learnt in the attached unit that the mind plays a very major role in the development and discoveries made by mankind. The unit explains about the way thinking presents a mental picture to the mind in the form of ideas and words (Pp. 51). This is in agreement with the author in the paragraph about the logic of imagination in the article. The world has evolved when man imagined or thought about things that did not exist, formed ideas and words of how they could work and then built them resulting in innovation. One area in the unit that probably goes against the authors argument pertains to the origins of intelligence as documented in the unit (Pp. 53). Heredity, one aspect that could affect a person’s brain in the area of intelligence was not covered by the research. I would apply one of the concepts about the purposes of plasticity whereby monkeys were able to develop a new skill after being trained through the introduction of a new concept. The conclusion of the research was that, conventional methods exist whereby; the human brain can be to be trained to regain the ability to learn, and accommodate new skills even when the person concerned is old. With training, new skills and discoveries will be made. The job market will get more skilled personnel which will enhance quality to the employer and income to the employees. Many people who are inactive due to inactive minds will regain their capability because it depends very much on the mind being directed towards fulfilling a purpose. In opinion, enough research on the brain should be done so as to enhance its capacity and capability. The world is at its present stage because of what was thought about and built by inventors. Man has had the tendency of sticking to old ways of doing things whereby, the brain is not put to work to come up with new inventions so as to bring about change. When existing ways work, there is the tendency to stop looking other ways. This in effect closes the door for new inventions. As we concentrate on other resources to enable us to meet the challenges ahead, the shaping of our brains so as develop our capabilities should be a priority. Reference Nelson, L. (2006). A Learning Machine: Plasticity and Change throughout Life. Association For Psychological Science. Retrieved on March 1, 2012 from: Read More