For example, one study showed that women scored significantly lower on a math test when taking it among a group of men (scoring 55 percent) than when taking it among a group of women (scoring 70 percent). It seems that the old stereotype of “girls aren’t good at math” got the better of the female test subjects. Neuroscientists theorize that the cognitive pressure of the “threat” drains the working memory resources needed for the cognitive task.
It stands to reason that inner-city kids are affected by stereotypes since they predominantly belong to minority groups that have suffered negative stereotyping for centuries. In terms of educational performance, this can create a vicious cycle. Poor educational performance reinforces negative stereotypes and negative stereotypes reinforce poor educational performance.
For example, many negative stereotypes exist around the ability of African-American children to do well in school, either about their intellect or ability to succeed — that they are less intelligent than their white or Asian-American peers, or that they should not aspire to a career in law or academics. These youths are aware that such prejudices exist, and consequently, tend to score much lower than those who are not held under the same negative expectations.
For this reason, some educators complain that the current focus on testing, from achievement tests to high-stakes college entrance exams, makes the situation for inner-city schools worse. A study published in the journal Consciousness and Cognition noted, however, that stereotype threat was largely mitigated when a short, five-minute mindfulness exercise was performed prior to testing.
Child psychologists theorize that these children often fail to thrive because they lack adequate “control beliefs” — the belief that one can change their own circumstances in life. Some of the most successful intervention programs focus on developing a more positive, can-do spirit. In these programs, educators shift attention away from grades and tests toward overall growth. In this way, the overall trajectory of a student’s learning is the focus, and failures are redefined as learning opportunities.
Educators would also be well advised to look for nontraditional ways to offset deficits in student learning and to maximize the brain’s potential. One such program, the Harmony Project, was featured in an episode of PBS’s “NewsHour.” The project is an after-school program reaching out to 2,000 inner-city kids in Los Angeles, giving them the opportunity to learn a musical instrument and play in an ensemble. The students showed extraordinary academic improvement, especially in reading.
That’s impressive, since 80 percent of inner-city kids are behind their grade levels in reading. Dr. Nina Kraus, a neurobiologist at Northwestern University who investigated the Harmony Project, believes that rhythm and sound are integral to language development. She says that inner-city kids do not always get the same kinds of early verbal interaction, such as bedtime stories and dinner table conversations that other kids do. This kind of program could help activate parts of the brain needed for true language fluency.
In addition, learning to play an instrument is a wonderful overall exercise for the brain, developing fine motor skills and aiding emotional and behavioral maturation. In fact, neuroscientists have observed on brain scans that musical training accelerates cortical organization, increasing the brain’s ability to pay attention, manage anxiety, as well as to control emotions.
As we learn more about how the brain works, it is becoming clearer that fully functioning brains need more than just a pile of correct facts and figures to develop fully. Everything about our world makes a difference in determining whether or not we will fulfill our brain’s potential. For inner-city kids, a little brain awareness might go a long way in helping them become the best possible versions of themselves.
This article was first published in Brain World Magazine’s Spring 2015 issue.
