Page 67 - 2024-bfw-MyersAP4e-TE

Module 1.4a

The Power of Neuroplasticity
TEACH 1.4-2
oplasticity?
How do biology and experience together enable neur
1.4-2 How do biology and experience together enable neuroplasticity?
1.4-2
Active Learning
Your brain is sculpted not only by your genes but also by your life. Under the surface
of your awareness, your brain is constantly changing, building new pathways as it (10 minutes) Have students engage
adjusts to little mishaps and new experiences. This change is called neuroplasticity . in a directed paraphrasing activity.
Neuroplasticity is greatest in childhood, but it persists throughout life ( Lindenberger &
Lövdén, 2019 ). Ask them to explain neuroplasticity to
To see neuroplasticity at work, consider London’s taxi driver trainees. They spend years neuroplasticity the brain’s their best friend, who has never taken
learning and remembering the city’s 25,000 street locations and connections. For the half ability to change, especially a psychology course. In this activ-
who pass the difficult final test, big rewards are in store: not only a better income but also an during childhood, by reorganizing
enlarged hippocampus, one of the brain’s memory centers that processes spatial memories. after damage or by building new ity, students should provide enough
London’s bus drivers, who navigate a smaller set of roads, gain no similar neural rewards pathways based on experience. information so that their friend clearly
( Maguire et al. , 2000 , 2006 ; Woollett & Maguire, 2012 ).
We also see neuroplasticity in well-practiced pia- understands the concept. Remember:

nists, who have a larger-than-usual auditory cortex area, The mind’s eye Daniel Kish, who Take time to address any misinforma-
a sound-processing region ( Bavelier et al., 2000 ; Pantev is completely blind, enjoys going for tion that comes up in this assessment
walks in the woods. To stay safe,
et al., 1998 ). Practice likewise sculpts the brains of bal- he uses echolocation — the same
lerinas, jugglers, and unicyclists ( Draganski et al., 2004 ; navigation method used by bats and activity.
Distributed by Bedford, Freeman & Worth Publishers. Not for redistribution.
Hänggi et al., 2010 ; Weber et al., 2019 ). dolphins. Blind echolocation experts
such as Kish engage the brain’s visual
Your brain is a work in progress. The brain you were centers to navigate their surroundings
born with is not the brain you will die with. Even lim- ( Thaler et al. , 2011 , 2014 ). Although
ited practice times may produce neural benefits. If you Kish is blind, his flexible brain helps LIZ’S WORKSHOP
spend 45 minutes learning how to play the piano, as did World Access for the Blind him “see.”
non-piano-playing participants in one study, you may Not only is neuroplasticity an
grow your motor learning–related brain areas ( Tavor important concept for students to
et al., 2020 ). Even an hour of learning produces sub- understand for the AP exam, but
®
tle brain changes ( Brodt et al., 2018 ).
Remember that the next time you Marian Diamond (1926–2017) it can also have a big impact in the
attend class! This ground-breaking neuroscientist classroom. Explicitly teaching stu-
explored how experience changes the
Neuroplasticity is part of what makes brain. dents that learning changes their brain
humans exceptional ( Gómez-Robles et al.,
2015 ). Think of how much the world has can be a powerful motivational tool.
changed over the past 50 years, and how If students have the mindset that
much more it will change in the next 50. intelligence is something to be
Our neuroplasticity enables us, more than
other species, to adapt to our changing developed and that their brains
Luna Productions
world ( Roberts & Stewart, 2018 ). Copyright © Bedford, Freeman & Worth Publishers. can get “smarter” through practice
and study, they’re more likely to
engage with and persist in learning
difficult tasks. Use the content about
®
AP Science Practice Check Your Understanding neuroplasticity in this module to
Examine the Concept Apply the Concept reinforce this growth mindset. For
▶ Explain neuroplasticity . ▶ Which skills did you practice the most as a child — sports, more information and a book that
▶ Explain how learning a new skill affects the structure of our music, cooking, video gaming? Explain how this affected your could transform your teaching, read
brain. brain development and how your brain will continue to develop
with new learning and new skills. Mindset: The New Psychology of

Answers to the Examine the Concept questions can be found in Appendix C at the end of the book.
Success (2006) by Carol Dweck.
The Brain: Neuroplasticity and Tools of Discovery Module 1.4a 57
03_myersAPpsychology4e_28116_ch01_002_163.indd 57 15/12/23 9:22 AM

The Brain: Neuroplasticity and Tools of Discovery Module 1.4a 57

03_HammerTE4e_47547_ch01_2a_163_4pp.indd 57 07/02/24 5:21 PM