Any two of the following:
What are the legal implications of research on brain development?
Socioeconomic status: How does poverty affect the developing brain?
Education: (Why) should educators care about the brain?
Academic motivation: What factors influence school performance?
Physical health: How do exercise and nutrition affect children’s brains?</p>
Law: Do you believe that research on brain development is relevant for the law, (i) in the aggregate and/or (ii) with respect to individual cases? Articulate your position with respect to both types of arguments (decisions made based on aggregate data or individual data). Discuss how these issues are portrayed in the media (including two sides if there is a controversy) and provide evidence – based on the literature on brain development – in favor of your perspective. </p>
Socioeconomic status: Do you believe that research on brain development in SES should be communicated to policy makers? In your response, consider the role of an ex pectable environment and its implications for the research. Use at least one example of media portrayals of the science on brain development, and two pieces of scientific literature (at least one empirical), to support your answer.</p>
It has been argued that neuroscience could transform education, and also that it has no relevance for education. Do you think neuroscience could ever inform educational practices for typically and/or atypically developing children? If not, why not? If so, in what ways could it do so right now — or how might the science need to advance first? Consider the arguments that have been made on both sides (citing relevant sources), and discuss which ones you find most convincing. In your answer, you may focus on a specific developmental population or make more general arguments.
Describe one piece of neuro scientific evidence that points to the importance of intrinsic motivation for academic outcomes. Given the evidence, would you propose any changes to the educational system to foster students’ intrinsic motivation? If so, what would that be and why? In your answer, consider the controversy around mindset interventions (citing relevant resource; see module for reference).</p>
What do we know about how physical health affects the developing brain? Pick either (1) cardiovascular exercise or (2) one aspect of either prenatal or childhood nutrition (e.g., metabolic syndrome/diabetes/obesity or specific nutrients that are purported to either harm or help the developing brain). Do you think the evidence is strong, with respect to children? What kind of evidence would you need in order to be convinced? How is this issue portrayed in the media?</p>
Public health: Provide one example of how research on brain development is believed to be relevant for public health (e.g., public health messaging around vaccines & autism, effects of prenatal exposure to toxins, teenage substance abuse, etc.) Discuss how the issue is portrayed in the media (including two sides if there is a controversy) and provide evidence – based on the literature on brain development – in favor of one perspective.</p>