Andy Habermacher

Developing Self Control in Children

by Andy Habermacher | 2023 Sep 4 | Public, Quick Hits

Quick Hits
Daily brief research updates from the cognitive sciences

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Today’s quick brain update looks at a surprising theory on how self control develops.

Do children have self control?

Good question. Indeed self control develops with age as the brain develops. It’s known as executive function amongst researchers and is mostly guided by the front of the brain.

But that’s the point.

What’s the point?

Well an academic paper I stumbled across reviewed the concept of self control as being as much external to the brain or mind as it being internal.

What, you mean the brain isn’t guiding executive function?!

Precisely. They go against the standard theory of brain function guiding self control. The authors draw on what is known as dynamic systems theory to give a different case for self control.

And what is dynamic systems theory?

A complex theory that basically states that some things occur in dynamic, that means constantly changing, environments with multiple influences. However some key triggers and rules can apply – for example in flocks of birds which can be highly complex but somehow seem to work.

And how does this work with regard to self control and with children?

Well, rather than just think of it as a brain problem i.e. prefrontal control, the brain controlling behaviour, think of it as much as an environmental problem. The environment provides lots of cues and input to trigger behaviours.

So how do you improve self control?

Well pay more attention to the environment and cues – manage the environment better. That could be by how desks are placed in classrooms or even the art on the walls.

But what about simply training self control?

Well, that’s the point. That sounds obvious but has generally proven to be ineffective. Some people may think that this isn’t really self control but the fact is self control is guided by many assumptions and underlying principles.

Do you remember the marshmallow test?

Where kids have to resist the temptation of eating a marshmallow?

Right (funny video here). Children are asked by an adult to sit in a quiet room by themselves with a marshmallow placed right in front of them. If they can resist eating the marshmallow until the adult comes back they will get two marshmallows.

So two juicy taste marshmallow in place of one. Waiting should be the best option then: as long as the kids can resist the temptation (exert self control) to scoff the first marshmallow sitting tantalisingly in front of them.

But, if you change some contexts of the test you change the outcome.

Like what?

For example, in one study the children had the adult break a promise of bringing coloured pencils first. This breaking of a promise led the children to therefore not trust the adult as much when they promised the children a second marshmallow if they could resist eating the first marshmallow. Most children therefore just scoffed the marshmallow straight off.

This is going for the strategy of “I’m not sure I’ll actually get a second marshmallow (because the adult has already promised something and not delivered) so best to just eat this one right away”

So context changes outcome – but context changes self control. I’ve also put that down to worldviews previously.

So we should pay more attention to environmental cues?

Precisely – but this can be a challenge. We have so many conscious and unconscious cues.

But the important take away is to manage the environment better to get better self control.

I presume in adults as well as children

Yup, but we’d certainly like to get the habit of self control sorted in children.

And what about social media?

Oh, precisely lots of environmental cues to distract us – but let’s not go there for now.

Just remember, for yourself, and your children if you have them, that managing the environment helps with self control.

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Andy is author of leading brains Review, Neuroleadership, and multiple other books. He has been intensively involved in writing and research into neuroleadership and is considered one of Europe’s leading experts. He is also a well-known public speaker, speaking on the brain and human behaviour.

Andy is also a masters athlete (middle distance running) and competes regularly at international competitions (and holds a few national records in his age category).

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Reference

Sammy Perone, Vanessa R. Simmering, Aaron T. Buss.
A Dynamical Reconceptualization of Executive-Function Development.
Perspectives on Psychological Science, 2021; 174569162096679
DOI: 10.1177/1745691620966792

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Surprising Discovery on the Social Brain

by Andy Habermacher | 2023 Sep 1 | Public, Quick Hits

Quick Hits
Daily brief research updates from the cognitive sciences

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Today’s quick brain update looks at a surprising discovery in how bat’s brains encode social information.

You did say “bat’s brains”

Yes, I often report on various animal studies because this gives us strong clues as to how brains in general work.

And do bats have friends and social networks?

Well, we obviously know that most bats live in large colonies together and so there are all sorts of social interactions together. The bats used were Egyptian fruit bats but the researchers used an innovative technique to measure brain activity while flying and resting in a large flight room i.e. in a naturalistic environment.

And what did they do?

Angelo Forli and Michael Yartsev of the University of California used wireless technology to measure activity in a part of the brain called the hippocampus. Because it was wireless they could measure them in more natural interactions and while flying (and also specific brain cells – neurons).

And what did they discover that was surprising?

Well, as I said they had wired up the hippocampus in the brain. This area is very well researched and known for its involvement in memory but particularly in navigation – that’s why it is interesting to measure in bats. There are different navigation brain cells but some are called place neurons because they activate to specific places.

What was particularly surprising is that they noticed that when finding landing spots that place neurons activated as expected but if another bat was already there the place neurons also seems to activate to this. What’s more the specific identify of the bat seemed to also be encoded in the same area.

This was also the same while flying!

So the bat’s navigation areas was also activating to social cues?

Precisely, and this is the first time that social identity representation have been found in non-primate brains. And that this is encoded in the hippocampus is also surprising. But then again social environments also need navigation.

The other surprise is that this research yielded any useful information at all – the researchers were unsure about how useful the information would be in free flying bats because of the complexities of behaviour. However, the bats showed structured behaviour preferring specific landing spots and other bat “friends”.

Do bats have friends?

Yes, in a batty type of way. This research also showed that bats preferred specific spots to land and rest in but also they preferred their bat friends – landing close to and often on top of these friends!

Ok so what have we learnt?

Lots. Place neurons have been well researched but 99% of that is with single animals moving in structured spaces. This shows how refined these neurons are and that they are also used to navigate social spaces. That is very interesting for us humans as well.

It is also consistent with what we know about damage to the hippocampus which can cause issues in multiple areas including social navigation.

The hippocampus was not considered a social part of the brain – and this shows how deeply embedded this social navigation functions is to many animals – especially humans. And how important!

So navigate social environments well

If you have a healthy hippocampus – and remember social connections are very good for you for many other reasons. So use your hippocampus to seek out your friends!

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