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Genetic Glitch May Prevent Kids From Learning From Their Mistakes

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the bzzt-ow-bzzt-ow-bzzzzzzzzzt-ooooooow dept.

jamie pointed out an interesting piece being featured in Newsweek that claims a "genetic glitch" may prevent some kids from learning from their mistakes to the same degree as others. "If there is one thing experts on child development agree on, it is that kids learn best when they are allowed to make mistakes and feel the consequences. So Mom and Dad hold back as their toddler tries again and again to cram a round peg into a square hole. [...] But not, it seems, all kids. In about 30 percent, the coils of their DNA carry a glitch, one that leaves their brains with few dopamine receptors, molecules that act as docking ports for one of the neurochemicals that carry our thoughts and emotions. A paucity of dopamine receptors is linked to an inability to avoid self-destructive behavior such as illicit drug use. But the effects spill beyond such extremes. Children with the genetic variant are unable to learn from mistakes. No matter how many tests they blow by partying the night before, the lesson just doesn't sink in."

17 of 500 comments (clear)

  1. Hey! by Herr_Skymarshall · · Score: 5, Funny

    Let's party like we don't know any better!

  2. Takes all kinds by XanC · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Is this humanity's insurance policy against catastrophic changes, where the old rules don't apply?

    1. Re:Takes all kinds by gregbot9000 · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Well, until recently, pretty often. It 30% shows me there is obviously some form of survival benefit to this for it to be so high.

      They cast this in a very negative light, calling it a disability, but the inability to learn from mistakes is actually a god send. I don't know how many people I've seen get knocked down at work, or turned down by women and not get back up. It's the people who throw themselves at things against the odds and keeps fighting that truly captures the imagination. I'm not surprised it is as low as 30% when you see the state of politics and society.

      Mostly this article is a crock of shit. Genetics is becoming the new astrology, and I see little evidence that what they say really applies on a macro level.

    2. Re:Takes all kinds by blahplusplus · · Score: 5, Insightful

      "That's giving up hope. "

      Giving up hope is a function of learning from your mistakes, there are situations where it is perfectly rational to give up hope.

      They don't address the complexity of 'learning from your mistakes', one man's mistake is another man's genius idea. History is filled with critics that thought someone was mistaken when they ultimately turned out to be right, especially in mathematics.

    3. Re:Takes all kinds by OG · · Score: 5, Informative

      No one claimed that they had learning figured out a genetic level. What they do claim is that they've pinpointed a gene that corresponds well with different behaviors. And it just so happens that this gene results in a reduction in dopamine tone. And there's been quite a bit of research showing that changes in dopamine tone result in changes in learning and memory (speaking as someone who's worked on a bit of that research).

      And I'm going to go out on a limb and predict that producing a transgenic mouse that expresses the variation of the gene associated with "not learning with your mistakes" is going to result in behavioral differences in those animals that might just correspond to the behaviors they've described in humans.

      And it's not like we don't already have any examples of a single gene resulting in pretty drastic behavioral and cognitive effects.

      What we do know is that who we are is a combination of many genetic, epigenetic, and environmental factors. None of them fully explains who we are, but that doesn't mean that individual factors can't exert a strong force on who we are.

    4. Re:Takes all kinds by OG · · Score: 5, Insightful

      What I think is interesting is that people have no problem believing that someone's genetics serve as a template for their hair, eye color, height, etc, but are much more skeptical about the role of genetics role behavior. Behavior is a result of the brain (and the rest of the body), which is just as much a physical item as the rest of you.

      That's not to say that genetics can explain everything. There are epigenetic and environmental facts at play that are also important. But an individual's genetics are the starting point, so how is it foolish that to believe that understanding genetics can provide insights. Genetics isn't the end all and be all of understanding people, but it's a very important component.

  3. Sadly... by g0dsp33d · · Score: 5, Funny

    After 25 years of research the leading scientist discovered he also had the gene.

    --
    lol: You see no door there!
  4. Illicit? by solweil · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Illicit does not necessarily mean self-destructive. It is a matter of law, not health.

  5. This explains... by nebaz · · Score: 5, Funny

    Why Bart Simpson kept trying to reach the electrified candy, while Lisa's hamster did not. The whole "bzzt...ow...bzzt...ow" sequence is stuck in my head.

    --
    Rhymes that keep their secrets will unfold behind the clouds.There upon the rainbow is the answer to a neverending story
  6. Obligatory xkcd by unfasten · · Score: 5, Funny

    from the bzzt-ow-bzzt-ow-bzzzzzzzzzt-ooooooow dept.

    http://xkcd.com/242/

  7. Re:Refusing to learn from mistakes? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Kinda like voters?

  8. Attention deficit disorder by 77Punker · · Score: 5, Informative

    Sounds like ADD to me. I've got ADD and although I'm very intelligent, I haven't been an 'A' student since freshman year of high school. I can learn things well, but I continue the same behaviors that prevent me from succeeding, such as reading Slashdot (among other things) instead of doing homework.

    I took Adderall in school, which I believe stimulates dopamine and does indeed make it easier to do my homework. Also makes me test positive for meth, tell jokes that don't make sense to anyone but myself, and sleep 5 hours per night.

    I was going somewhere with this post, but as usual, I got distracted. Anyway, I hope this perspective can inform someone or at least make the other folks with ADD feel like they're not alone, even when so many people don't even think ADD is real.

  9. I think I have this... by srjh · · Score: 5, Funny

    I always hit submit before

  10. Re:Refusing to learn from mistakes? by Miseph · · Score: 5, Funny

    Unless your business gets big fat government subsidies. Then you'd be Iowa.

    --
    Try not to take me more seriously than I take myself.
  11. Re:Bart vs the Hamster by schon · · Score: 5, Interesting

    (is there nothing that the Simpsons don't have an appropriate quote for?)

    Scientology and abortion.

    Scientology because Nancy Cartwright (the voice of Bart) is a die-hard scientologist, and (if you believe the rumors) has threatened to quit if they poke fun at it. The closest they got was "The Joy of Sect" (wherein most of Springfield joins a cult.)

    Don't know the reason behind the abortion stance. Maybe because it's too hard to joke about tastefully.

  12. Re:Bart vs the Hamster by wolf12886 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Don't know the reason behind the abortion stance. Maybe because it's too hard to joke about tastefully.

    Thats where South Park comes in.

  13. Re:Bart vs the Hamster by Digitus1337 · · Score: 5, Informative

    That's not entirely true. There was an abortion joke in Treehouse of Horror VII in the short "Citizen Kang." Kang and Kodos assume the identities of presidential candidates Bill Clinton and Bob Dole. While at a rally, under the guise of Bob Dole, the alien proclaims "Abortions for everyone!" which is met with boos from the crowd, he then proclaims "Abortions for no one!" which is also met with boos from the crowd. Finally he proclaims something along the lines of "Abortions for some, tiny American flags for others!" and is met with loud applause.