Wednesday, August 28, 2013
"The Neuroscience of Your Brain on Fiction" by Annie Murpy Paul
Here is the link to "The Neuroscience of Your Brain on Fiction" by Annie Murphy Paul. What did you find most interesting in this article? Did you learn anything new? Is there anything in this article that might change the way you think about fiction?
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Brett Beutler: Q. 1.Based on this reading it says that reading fiction books increases brain activity. the question is: Does this make you smarter?
ReplyDeleteQ. 2 Is it only Fiction Books that make your brain work. Example: can I read a history book and have the same thing happen to my brain.
Q. 3 Based upon this article does reading improve overall brain health?
Britney Crowton
DeleteThis is a response to Q2. If you read a history book it can help you gain knowledge. When reading a fiction book you gain insight characters, on their feelings, on what they are seeing, on what they are smelling. And when you read about that it engages parts of your brain associated with it. That isn't going to happen when reading a history book.
Brett Beutler: I hope im doing this blog thing right. Q. 4. Why does something like watching tv not do the same thing for your brain like reading a book.
ReplyDeleteThe difference in brain activity when reading vs. watching television was discussed in the last article we read called "The Twilight of the Books." It was actually some of the better material in that article in my opinion.
DeleteThere are many differences that factor into why it works when reading a book but not when watching television. The first is that books are longer, and so things have a chance to develop. Through the developing plot one can see underlying themes emerge and it gives more time to let the brain make those connections within our neurons. Television, however, is usually a half hour to and hour presentation, with a fourth of that time being broken up by commercials which do not add to the deeper story, and so there is not time to see and understand the connections and then for the neurons to make the connection to what they saw and heard. At least, that's how I think it works :)
DeleteBrett Beutler. Q: 5. I gathered from this article that when often read fictional books that your social skills could actually improve. Has anybody actually experienced that for themselves?
ReplyDeleteBrett Beutler Q:6. Has anybody exhibited being able to think better or do better academically when frequently reading fictional books?
ReplyDelete"Stories stimulate the brain and even change how we act in life."
ReplyDeleteSo when we read novels we pick up personality traits from the characters?
I think that it is like having a good friend. When you start spending a lot of time with people you pick up traits from them.
I agree that sometimes we pick up on their personality traits. If they have admirable traits and values, they can become a role model.
DeleteI agree as well, but you have to also want to become like them. If you pick up a novel and end up not liking it, it could probably have a change in the way you view things, as well as your values.
DeleteBrett Beutler Q. 7: If reading fictional books helps interact better socially then could a fictional book with false ideas give you a false perception of reality? For example the book "Twilight" the main character: Edward doesn't really act the way people in real life really act. couldn't that give the reader a false sense of reality? Does this question make sense?
ReplyDeleteQ. 8. How many Books do you think you need to read before you start seeing the benefits to your brain From reading?
ReplyDelete.BrettBeutler Q. 9: Is there an age where reading might have more of an effect on your mind and mental abilities opposed to an older or younger age?
ReplyDeleteBrettBeutler Q. 10: Does this article imply that reading fictional books has a direct result of one doing better academically?
ReplyDeleteI believe that the authors and possibly even researchers in this article are reaching. For example: "The brain, it seems, does not make much of a distinction between reading about an experience and encountering it in real life."
ReplyDeleteWhen the reader reads about a smell the smelling part of his brain lights up. Well that just makes sense. (no pun intended) But that does not give us any indication of how the brain is INTERPRETING that information. That is the sort of leap that scientists should refrain from making.
As fas as empathy is concerned, ANY form of encountering the opinions of others is going to increase empathy. They even admitted in the article that movies had the same effect. Again I must regretfully display my lack of conviction regarding the material presented in this article.
Question: Is it appropriate for writers to interpret scientific studies in such a way as to support their own views and opinions?
ReplyDeleteQuestion: According to the article the brain takes action words as if you are doing the action yourself. With this being said, for athletes, would it be better if they studied up on sport play books when not in practice rather than watching replays on television or Youtube?
ReplyDeleteProbably not. Your brain may be brilliant at visualizing things but when it comes to things like a football play its better to see it with your eys. There is only so much the the imagination can do.
DeleteI dont see how being alone reading a book could make you more social.
ReplyDeleteWouldn't talking to people and being around people more often make you more sociable?
I would say you are right about spending more time with people and talking to them will help you with your social skills, But after Reading this article I can see how if we do read a Fiction book it can help us maybe read people better and understand where they are coming from because when we Read a Fiction book we have to think like the person we are reading about. so in a way it helps us understand different personalities, and types of thinking.
DeleteWhen the article states that individuals who read fiction are more often able to understand people and see the world through their perspective, could this be because one of the characters they've grown attached to has experienced something similar?
ReplyDeleteI felt it was very interesting that the brain works with the body to decode different sounds actions and textures that we can read, but are things that we are familiar with in our lives. I know the importance of reading but I dont know if its the same as doing things in real life. I learned about the MRI and about how as the brain reads it can trigger effects that are similar to physical actions. Do I think this article has changed my mind about reading? I think it just affirms my knowledge that reading is important. I have a few questions. Being that the readers mind is stimulated like a physical reaction, does that mean they are smarter? Higher iQ or can think clearer in those moments? Stimulated areas in the brain don't entail an obvious reaction or effect.
ReplyDeleteI found it interesting how our brain processes what we read as real. That makes me thing about sports and if we could read how to play a sport would it come easier to us?
ReplyDeleteI would like to think so. in the article it said that we start to act different after reading a fiction. I have found my self after reading a sports article on football I start to day Dream about playing the way that player I just read about, then when I hit the field with my friends I have a little more confidence in my self because I want to play like the Pros do and make those big plays we see on Monday night football. so maybe when we read an article of a sport it makes a day dream and then that dream pushes us to want to be better so we try a lot harder at the Dream we have in life. so I would not say it comes easier to us but it gives us that drive to want to be Great at it.
DeleteI found it interesting when they talked about the brain's response to specific words that deal with smells because I feel like I can almost smell them as well. It is crazy to me that just thinking about a word can register such a response. When I hear the word ocean or beach I can almost smell the salty breeze in the air.
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting that the brain doesn't really make a difference between performing an event versus reading about it. Even though the same parts of the brain are stimulated when you read about it I still don't really believe that. I still believe that reading about something and actually doing something are two totally different things.
ReplyDelete