Learning from People We Like
Feb. 18th, 2024 04:01 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmithThe brain is 'programmed' for learning from people we like
Our brains are 'programmed' to learn more from people we like -- and less from those we dislike. This has been shown by researchers in cognitive neuroscience in a series of experiments.
The article primarily looks at political implications. But my first thought was school. Because public school is badly designed, most children hate it -- and often hate the teachers too. This makes sense because many teachers are mediocre, some are terrible, and some are downright vicious to students. If dislike undermines learning, then all the teachers who say things like, "I'm your teacher, not your friend," or "You're here to learn from me, not to like me," are dead wrong and undermining their own job. If people actually cared about students learning, and paid a little attention to psychology, they would arrange classes in small groups to encourage social ties and customize lessons to individual needs. This is what some alternative schools do. And of course, there's the fact that public education takes children away from the people they already like and learn from: their relatives. So it's just generally rowing against the current.
Both in school and in other educational contexts, you need to watch for gaps that promote dislike. If a white person is trying to teach black people about nutrition, and the black people are wary of white people, then less learning will happen; whereas if you hired a black nutritionist, more learning will probably happen. Ethnicity, religion, sex/gender, all the diversity aspects can work for or against learning based on how people feel about each other. And if you have a mixed group, it's probably less prone to that kind of gap issue than if the audience is all one way and the speaker another.
Related aspects touch on the quality of teaching and learning. If you dislike someone because their tastes, lifestyle, etc. differ greatly from your own, then there may be less overlap between what they can teach and what you want to learn. Someone you like may have more congruent knowledge to share. (Of course, for someone neophilic, difference is a good thing.) If you dislike someone for being an asshole, chances are that person is bad at teaching, because teaching requires patience and communication skills. Plus it's prudent to avoid people you dislike because they might decide to hog resources or even attack you; learning from someone you like is safer.
On the bright side, if you do any teaching, this is super useful information. It tells you that establishing a positive connection with students makes your job easier and more effective. You can even tell people about this and ask them what they think about it.
Another application is where you already have a positive connection -- your friends and family, maybe folks in your neighborhood or clubs. If you want to learn something, think whether anyone you like could teach you. Think about skill-sharing as an activity for groups.
Our brains are 'programmed' to learn more from people we like -- and less from those we dislike. This has been shown by researchers in cognitive neuroscience in a series of experiments.
The article primarily looks at political implications. But my first thought was school. Because public school is badly designed, most children hate it -- and often hate the teachers too. This makes sense because many teachers are mediocre, some are terrible, and some are downright vicious to students. If dislike undermines learning, then all the teachers who say things like, "I'm your teacher, not your friend," or "You're here to learn from me, not to like me," are dead wrong and undermining their own job. If people actually cared about students learning, and paid a little attention to psychology, they would arrange classes in small groups to encourage social ties and customize lessons to individual needs. This is what some alternative schools do. And of course, there's the fact that public education takes children away from the people they already like and learn from: their relatives. So it's just generally rowing against the current.
Both in school and in other educational contexts, you need to watch for gaps that promote dislike. If a white person is trying to teach black people about nutrition, and the black people are wary of white people, then less learning will happen; whereas if you hired a black nutritionist, more learning will probably happen. Ethnicity, religion, sex/gender, all the diversity aspects can work for or against learning based on how people feel about each other. And if you have a mixed group, it's probably less prone to that kind of gap issue than if the audience is all one way and the speaker another.
Related aspects touch on the quality of teaching and learning. If you dislike someone because their tastes, lifestyle, etc. differ greatly from your own, then there may be less overlap between what they can teach and what you want to learn. Someone you like may have more congruent knowledge to share. (Of course, for someone neophilic, difference is a good thing.) If you dislike someone for being an asshole, chances are that person is bad at teaching, because teaching requires patience and communication skills. Plus it's prudent to avoid people you dislike because they might decide to hog resources or even attack you; learning from someone you like is safer.
On the bright side, if you do any teaching, this is super useful information. It tells you that establishing a positive connection with students makes your job easier and more effective. You can even tell people about this and ask them what they think about it.
Another application is where you already have a positive connection -- your friends and family, maybe folks in your neighborhood or clubs. If you want to learn something, think whether anyone you like could teach you. Think about skill-sharing as an activity for groups.
(no subject)
Date: 2024-02-19 02:26 am (UTC)Yes ...
Date: 2024-02-19 02:45 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2024-02-27 04:01 am (UTC)>>And of course, there's the fact that public education takes children away from the people they already like and learn from: their relatives.<<
Can be useful in cases where the relatives lack certain skills, like familiarity with the local language and customs. That said, mainstream schooling isn't very good at teaching holistically.
>>Ethnicity, religion, sex/gender, all the diversity aspects can work for or against learning based on how people feel about each other.<<
There's also personalities in their many variations, learning styles in /their/ many variations and what I'd generally call 'social compatibility.'
Plus what we can call confounding variables: Have you had breakfast? What's up with your family? Did you just have an argument with someone? Do you have a medical condition? Has your medical condition gotten worse?
None of these by themselves affect teaching, but they are higher level problems that take experience and skill to resolve, and also may frequently cause issues that are assumed to be the result of misbehavior rather than a genuine yet solvable problem.
>>And if you have a mixed group, it's probably less prone to that kind of gap issue than if the audience is all one way and the speaker another.<<
Yup, though with a more monontonous student group and a somehow different teacher, try setting it up so that long-term students can vouch for the teacher to newcomers, either spoken ("Miss Susan is very nice,") or through action (like asking for help instead of trying to tough out a problem alone).
This likely isn't very feasible in kid's schools, or anything with set 'sessions' unless the school is very small or there are students repeating a class. Or I guess, have some formers students serve as teaching assistants.
But it should be replicable in any sort of ongoing class, like a skills club where everyone learns from a master craftsman, or a place people are trying to improve skills on a regular basis rather than aiming for a certification.
Plus if students are from the same community, once the educational institution or a particular teacher gets a good reputation, people will vouch for you.
>>If you dislike someone because their tastes, lifestyle, etc. differ greatly from your own, then there may be less overlap between what they can teach and what you want to learn. Someone you like may have more congruent knowledge to share. (Of course, for someone neophilic, difference is a good thing.) <<
I think ultimately you need both similarities and differences, though what needs to be the same/different and to what degree it must be so will vary from situation to situation.
I do observe that men who respect my skills and want me to teach them are usually less prone to mansplaining at me (than guys who already have the skills), which is nice.
>>...learning from someone you like is safer.<<
Yes, learning requires vulnerability, and vulnerability is not safe around people who might attack you (accidentally or otherwise).
In other words, if the teacher is perceived as a threat, not only is learning less effective, but the student will avoid seeking out help, which (depending on the subject) has the potential to cause massive problems.