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Neuromyths: Why Do They Exist and Persist?
Author(s) -
Pasquinelli Elena
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
mind, brain, and education
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.624
H-Index - 35
eISSN - 1751-228X
pISSN - 1751-2271
DOI - 10.1111/j.1751-228x.2012.01141.x
Subject(s) - harm , cognition , persistence (discontinuity) , psychology , raising (metalworking) , work (physics) , epistemology , social psychology , neuroscience , engineering , mechanical engineering , geotechnical engineering , philosophy
Neuroeducation—a recent approach to educational policy—claims that a bridge should be established between education and mind‐brain sciences, with the double aim of devising educational methods that work and of understanding why they work. The success of this encounter depends, among other conditions, on getting the science right ; otherwise, neuroeducation and science‐informed policies risk doing more harm than good. On several occasions, the cognitive and brain sciences have been misunderstood, and misused: neuromyths—the misconceptions about the mind and brain functioning—have blossomed, thus raising both theoretical and pragmatic concerns. This article addresses the origin, persistence, and potential side‐effects of neuromyths in education. The hypothesis is put forward that the persistence of neuromyths is sustained by specific cultural conditions, such as the circulation of pieces of information about the brain and the appetite for brain news, but has its roots in deeper cognitive intuitions.