Brain and Behavior Facts: True or False
Take out a piece of paper and write the numbers 1 to 16 in a column.
I will read out each of the following 16 statements about the brain and behavior and you need to judge whether the claim being made is true or false. If you believe it true, write down T after the number and if you believe the statement is false, write down F after the number. When we finish the whole list, I will give you the correct answers which are listed below. DON'T CHEAT BY LOOKING AT THE CORRECT ANSWERS UNTIL YOU FINISH THIS SHORT EXERCISE.
1. We use our brains 24 hours a day
2. It is best for children to learn their native language before a second language is learned
3. Boys have bigger brains than girls, on average
4. If students do not drink sufficient amounts of water, their brains shrink
5 . When a brain region is damaged, other parts of the brain can take up its function
6 . We only use 10% of our brain.
7 . Some of us are “left-brained” and some are “right-brained” and this helps explains differences in how we learn
8. The brains of boys and girls develop at different rates
9. Information is stored in the brain in networks of cells distributed throughout the brain.
10. Individuals learn better when they receive information in their preferred learning style (e.g., auditory, visual, kinesthetic)
11. A common sign of dyslexia is seeing letters backwards
12. Normal development of the human brain involves the birth and death of brain cells
13. Mental capacity is genetic and cannot be changed by the environment or experience
14. Circadian rhythms (the “body’s clock”) shift during adolescence causing students to be tired during the first lessons of the school day
15. When we sleep, the brain shuts down
16. Listening to classical music increases children’s reasoning ability
ANSWERS ARE BELOW. WAIT UNTIL YOU COMPLETE EACH QUESTION ABOVE BEFORE MOVING ON
True statements are in green and False statements are in red
1. We use our brains 24 hours a day True
2. It is best for children to learn their native language before a second language is learned. False
3. Boys have bigger brains than girls, on average
4. If students do not drink sufficient amounts of water, their brains shrink. False
5 . When a brain region is damaged, other parts of the brain can take up its function
6 . We only use 10% of our brain. False
7 . Some of us are “left-brained” and some are “right-brained” and this helps explains differences in how we learn. False
8. The brains of boys and girls develop at different rates. True
9. Information is stored in the brain in networks of cells distributed throughout the brain. True
10. Individuals learn better when they receive information in their preferred learning style (e.g., auditory, visual, kinesthetic). False.
11. A common sign of dyslexia is seeing letters backwards. False
12. Normal development of the human brain involves the birth and death of brain cells. True
13. Mental capacity is genetic and cannot be changed by the environment or experience. False
14. Circadian rhythms (the “body’s clock”) shift during adolescence causing students to be tired during the first lessons of the school day
15. When we sleep, the brain shuts down. False.
16. Listening to classical music increases children’s reasoning ability. False
The false statement which are underlined are "classical neuromyths"
Taken from Macdonald, K., Germine, L., Anderson, A. Christodoulou, J., & McGrath, L. K. (2017). Dispelling the myth: Training in education or neuroscience decreases but does not eliminate beliefs in neuromyths. Frontiers in Psychology. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01314