Study 4 - angular momentum training paradigm, classroom

Study 4/4 Three experiments in the laboratory involving student behavior and brain imaging, and one randomized field experiment in college physics classrooms explored the importance of physical experience in science learning. We reasoned that understanding science concepts such as torque and angular momentum is aided by activation of sensory-motor brain systems that add kinetic detail and meaning to student thinking. We tested whether physical experience with angular momentum increases involvement of sensory-motor brain systems during subsequent student reasoning and whether this involvement aids understanding. The physical experience, a brief exposure to forces associated with angular momentum, significantly improved quiz scores. Moreover, improved performance was explained by activation of sensory-motor brain regions when students later reasoned about angular momentum. This finding specifies a mechanism underlying the value of physical experience in science education, and leads the way for classroom practices where experience with the physical world is an integral part of learning

Study 2 - angular momentum behavioral training paradigm, replication and extension

Study 2/4 Three experiments in the laboratory involving student behavior and brain imaging, and one randomized field experiment in college physics classrooms explored the importance of physical experience in science learning. We reasoned that understanding science concepts such as torque and angular momentum is aided by activation of sensory-motor brain systems that add kinetic detail and meaning to student thinking. We tested whether physical experience with angular momentum increases involvement of sensory-motor brain systems during subsequent student reasoning and whether this involvement aids understanding. The physical experience, a brief exposure to forces associated with angular momentum, significantly improved quiz scores. Moreover, improved performance was explained by activation of sensory-motor brain regions when students later reasoned about angular momentum. This finding specifies a mechanism underlying the value of physical experience in science education, and leads the way for classroom practices where experience with the physical world is an integral part of learning

Study 1 - angular momentum behavioral training paradigm

Study 1/4 Three experiments in the laboratory involving student behavior and brain imaging, and one randomized field experiment in college physics classrooms explored the importance of physical experience in science learning. We reasoned that understanding science concepts such as torque and angular momentum is aided by activation of sensory-motor brain systems that add kinetic detail and meaning to student thinking. We tested whether physical experience with angular momentum increases involvement of sensory-motor brain systems during subsequent student reasoning and whether this involvement aids understanding. The physical experience, a brief exposure to forces associated with angular momentum, significantly improved quiz scores. Moreover, improved performance was explained by activation of sensory-motor brain regions when students later reasoned about angular momentum. This finding specifies a mechanism underlying the value of physical experience in science education, and leads the way for classroom practices where experience with the physical world is an integral part of learning

Study 3 - angular momentum training paradigm, fMRI

Study 3/4 Three experiments in the laboratory involving student behavior and brain imaging, and one randomized field experiment in college physics classrooms explored the importance of physical experience in science learning. We reasoned that understanding science concepts such as torque and angular momentum is aided by activation of sensory-motor brain systems that add kinetic detail and meaning to student thinking. We tested whether physical experience with angular momentum increases involvement of sensory-motor brain systems during subsequent student reasoning and whether this involvement aids understanding. The physical experience, a brief exposure to forces associated with angular momentum, significantly improved quiz scores. Moreover, improved performance was explained by activation of sensory-motor brain regions when students later reasoned about angular momentum. This finding specifies a mechanism underlying the value of physical experience in science education, and leads the way for classroom practices where experience with the physical world is an integral part of learning

A comparison of blindpulling and blindwalking as measures of perceived absolute distance

Blindwalking has become a common measure of perceived absolute distance and location, but it requires a relatively large testing space and cannot be used with people for whom walking is difficult or impossible. In the present article, we describe an alternative response type that is closely matched to blindwalking in several important respects but is less resource intensive. In the blindpulling technique, participants view a target, then close their eyes and pull a length of tape or rope between the hands to indicate the remembered target distance. As with blindwalking, this response requires integration of cyclical, bilateral limb movements over time. Blind-pulling and blindwalking responses are tightly linked across a range of viewing conditions, and blind-pulling is accurate when prior exposure to visually guided pulling is provided. Thus, blindpulling shows promise as a measure of perceived distance that may be used in nonambulatory populations and when the space available for testing is limited

The Relationship between Mental and Somatic Practices and Wisdom

In this study we sought to explore how experience with specific mental and somatic practices is associated with wisdom, using self-report measures of experience and wisdom. We administered standard surveys to measure wisdom and experience among four groups of practitioners of mental and somatic practices, namely, meditators, practitioners of the Alexander Technique, practitioners of the Feldenkrais Method, and classical ballet dancers. We additionally administered surveys of trait anxiety and empathy to all participants to explore possible mediating relationships of experience and wisdom by characteristics thought to be components of wisdom. Wisdom was higher on average among meditation practitioners, and lowest among ballet dancers, and this difference held when controlling for differences in age between practices, supporting the view that meditation is linked to wisdom and that ballet is not. However, we found that increased experience with meditation and ballet were both positively associated with wisdom, and that lowered trait anxiety mediated this positive association among meditation practitioners, and, non-significantly, among ballet dancers. These results suggest that not all practices that are purported to affect mental processing are related to wisdom to the same degree and different kinds of experience appear to relate to wisdom in different ways, suggesting different mechanisms that might underlie the development of wisdom with experience

The Relationship between Mental and Somatic Practices and Wisdom

<div><p>In this study we sought to explore how experience with specific mental and somatic practices is associated with wisdom, using self-report measures of experience and wisdom. We administered standard surveys to measure wisdom and experience among four groups of practitioners of mental and somatic practices, namely, meditators, practitioners of the Alexander Technique, practitioners of the Feldenkrais Method, and classical ballet dancers. We additionally administered surveys of trait anxiety and empathy to all participants to explore possible mediating relationships of experience and wisdom by characteristics thought to be components of wisdom. Wisdom was higher on average among meditation practitioners, and lowest among ballet dancers, and this difference held when controlling for differences in age between practices, supporting the view that meditation is linked to wisdom and that ballet is not. However, we found that increased experience with meditation and ballet were both positively associated with wisdom, and that lowered trait anxiety mediated this positive association among meditation practitioners, and, non-significantly, among ballet dancers. These results suggest that not all practices that are purported to affect mental processing are related to wisdom to the same degree and different kinds of experience appear to relate to wisdom in different ways, suggesting different mechanisms that might underlie the development of wisdom with experience.</p></div

Correlations among wisdom, its subcomponents, and predictor variables.

<p>Correlations among wisdom, its subcomponents, and predictor variables.</p

Means and standard deviations of wisdom, its components, and predictor variables.

<p>Means and standard deviations of wisdom, its components, and predictor variables.</p