Is it too late to change your mind? Study reveals ‘developmental window’ for thinking styles

Key takeawaysResearchers studied the way different generations in Romania determined the truth of information following the country ’s transition from authoritarianism to democracy.Those who were born and raised after the transition were more likely than older cohorts to compare and evaluate different perspectives before deciding who is right.The factors associated with the youngestgeneration ’s style of thinking were greater exposure to formal education and social mediaa.​​​​​While people change and learn throughout life, experts recognize that certain formative periods, known as developmental windows, are crucial for acquiring particular skills. For example, using vocalizations and words to interact with people in the first few years of life is critical for children ’s language learning.Arecent study by an international team from UCLA, Romania and Israel suggests there may be a developmental window for reasoning skills as well — the first 25 years of life — and that a person’s social, political and economic environment strongly influences how they acquire these skills. Their findings are published in the journal PLOS One.The researchers found that following the collapse of Romania ’s authoritarian communist regime in 1989, the rapid increase in education and technology use and the transition from a single, government-controlled source of information to diverse sources had a strong effect on the way people, particularly younger generations, thought ab...
Source: UCLA Newsroom: Health Sciences - Category: Universities & Medical Training Source Type: news