Teaching Documents by Diana Nicolescu
This study explores the impact of video games on cognitive abilities and thinking processes, anal... more This study explores the impact of video games on cognitive abilities and thinking processes, analyzing both the benefits and potential drawbacks of video gaming. Using a meta-analytical approach, the study incorporates Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky's work on cognitive psychology, specifically examining Type A and Type B thinking styles, as well as the
In the following essay I shall attempt to explain why I consider pretend play as the incipient fo... more In the following essay I shall attempt to explain why I consider pretend play as the incipient form of self-deception and why the terms of “pretend” and “play” are used somehow redundantly. While I will do that, I will succinctly tackle the related concepts, and try to see if there is any evolutionary benefit of the amazing (coping) mechanism, which is self-deception, which guides us from 18 months and throughout the entire life.
Altruism was defined in many ways: as an empathy based behavior, as an
evolutionary paradox of s... more Altruism was defined in many ways: as an empathy based behavior, as an
evolutionary paradox of self-sacrifice and cooperation, with returned benefits or as a reciprocal trade off. Some experts doubt there is such thing as sheer altruism and we need to educate ourselves in order to be altruistic, as we are natural born selfish creatures. Some believe that the foundation of mankind lays upon altruism. But one thing no one denies, either pure or awaiting for benefits, human altruism does exist.
Not only it exists, it does for a brief while of time, and its fragile existence should even more be appreciated. We investigated 155 Romanian drivers via a self –reported anonymous questionnaire. Our results challenge some current findings that claim altruism is innate and also it is a life long trait. We showed via our results that altruism in traffic lasts for most people only 5 minutes and once this time-frame closes, individuals are less and less inclined to do an altruistic gesture. These findings support arguments that altruism favors reciprocity only a limited period of time and reciprocal altruism does not work for individuals who rarely meet and also requiring good memory and a stable relation to function properly. Meaning altruism in tense social interactions such driving in traffic is limited by time and its expiring time is of approximately 5 minutes.
Abstract
This article explores a novel approach to understanding and diagnosing dyscalculia, focu... more Abstract
This article explores a novel approach to understanding and diagnosing dyscalculia, focusing on the discovery that zero has a distinct neuronal representation. Traditionally seen as an abstract absence, zero is now recognized as an active number processed by the brain, with significant implications for mathematics education and dyscalculia assessment.
The proposed dyscalculia test integrates various aspects of cognitive functioning, such as working memory, numerical intuition, and temporal perception, with a particular emphasis on zero. It evaluates how individuals perceive zero not just as an abstract concept but as a tangible number with real-world applications, such as in financial and logical reasoning.
By distinguishing zero from “nothing” and testing its role in practical and abstract contexts, this test aims to provide a more nuanced understanding of dyscalculia. The approach emphasizes personalized educational and therapeutic interventions, making zero a central component in reshaping how numerical abilities are evaluated and supported.
Discalculia este o tulburare specifică de învățare care afectează capacitatea unei persoane de a ... more Discalculia este o tulburare specifică de învățare care afectează capacitatea unei persoane de a înțelege și a lucra cu numere. Pentru mulți, este o luptă cu ceva care pare invizibil, de neatins: matematica. Totuși, pe măsură ce cercetările evoluează, începem să descoperim nu doar mecanismele care stau la baza acestei dificultăți, dar și cât de profund este creierul nostru conectat la concepte abstracte precum numerele și zero-ul.
Un punct de pornire pentru o înțelegere mai bună a discalculiei poate veni surprinzător dintr-o direcție neașteptată: unele triburi indigene, cum ar fi tribul Pirahã din Amazon, care trăiesc fără un sistem numeric propriu-zis. Acești oameni nu au cuvinte pentru numere precise, bazându-se doar pe termeni generali, cum ar fi „câteva” sau „multe”. Aceasta ridică o întrebare fascinantă: cum reușesc aceștia să navigheze prin viață fără a folosi numere în mod abstract, așa cum facem noi? Și ce putem învăța despre creier și matematică din acest mod de viață?
În acest context, ne putem întreba cum ar fi pentru cineva cu discalculie să perceapă lumea. Asemenea tribului Pirahã, persoanele cu discalculie au dificultăți în a gestiona numerele și conceptele numerice abstracte. Totuși, în timp ce pentru tribul Pirahã lipsa numerelor este o chestiune culturală, pentru cei cu discalculie este o provocare biologică, rezultată din modul în care creierul procesează informația numerică.
Această paralelă între discalculie și civilizațiile fără numere ne arată că există multe modalități prin care oamenii pot naviga prin lume chiar și fără a se baza pe calcule matematice complexe. Oamenii cu discalculie și triburile precum Pirahã demonstrează că matematicile abstracte nu sunt singura cale prin care mintea umană poate percepe cantitățile și relațiile între obiecte.
Totuși, spre deosebire de Pirahã, persoanele cu discalculie trăiesc într-o lume unde numerele sunt esențiale. Aici intervine importanța înțelegerii recente despre zero. Descoperiri recente arată că creierul nostru nu percepe zero doar ca pe un nimic, ci ca pe un număr propriu-zis. S-au descoperit neuroni specifici care reacționează la zero, ceea ce sugerează că, în loc să fie un vid sau o absență, zero are o valoare concretă în mintea noastră.
Aceasta schimbă modul în care înțelegem matematica și abilitățile cognitive implicate. Oamenii cu discalculie, de exemplu, pot avea dificultăți în a gestiona zero în același fel în care au dificultăți cu alte numere. Cu toate acestea, faptul că zero este perceput de creier ca având o valoare ar putea deschide noi căi de a-i ajuta să înțeleagă concepte numerice prin accentuarea tangibilității acestui număr aparent abstract.
Humor is a more complex and fascinating cognitive function than we thought, at times diminished b... more Humor is a more complex and fascinating cognitive function than we thought, at times diminished by the ease of how we use it. Humor seems to be a function of Homo sapiens’ improved social abilities and as an extension of language. As such, we should separate laughter and humor. We might watch, appreciate and perceive humor and not crack a smile, while we can be tickled to death and laugh out loud without being humored.
The most part of “getting it” depends upon the ability to perceive the state of mind of the person with whom one is in communication. Therefore, without the theory of mind (mirror neurons, implicitly), humor would not stand a chance.
Literature is a cultural tool and an industry that relies on the benefit and impact of words. Not... more Literature is a cultural tool and an industry that relies on the benefit and impact of words. Not a few times, after we finished a book, words stayed with us and haunted us. Psychotherapy is another industry that deals with the impact of words: paraphrasing, reflection, reformulation are well-known techniques used by therapists which convey beneficial outcomes to the speaker. The speaker feels understood, accepted and cared for. Or hurt, offended and put down by them. The words that he receives carry a meaning that imprints on him. Some advance the hypothesis that if we change our irrational thoughts via words, we can change mental patterns and build new neural connections. Words, thus, can affect your brain.
We are a social species. But we also are sexual beings. Monogamy is a sensitive issue from both a... more We are a social species. But we also are sexual beings. Monogamy is a sensitive issue from both a social and a biological point of view. The question is however, why should a species often described as monogamous be so hypersexual? Among apes, the only monogamous species are the gibbons as opposed to sex crazed bonobos or chimps.
Pretend play in human infants is a behavior that starts around 18 months of age and ends with dea... more Pretend play in human infants is a behavior that starts around 18 months of age and ends with death. We claim that everything we do in life is a play, with degrees of pretending. Professions, careers, hierarchy levels, wars or politics are all social roles that we play. Most of the times, we pretend (to) play. We pretend to be good at something we are not, we pretend to be happy when we are down, and actually very few of us live systematically authentic, and emotionally and physically congruent. Sometimes it is not evolutionary beneficial and profitable to be authentic and not pretend play. Therefore, self-deception and deception of others is a trait that deserves much attention from our brains and must be rehearsed from early childhood.
There is usually a passionate controversy around the topic that discusses the existence of langua... more There is usually a passionate controversy around the topic that discusses the existence of language before thinking and vice versa. And a second question that naturally pops up is: if we need language to think, what language to deaf people think in?
In a perfect world, led by logicians, the train of thought would be flawless. The world itself wo... more In a perfect world, led by logicians, the train of thought would be flawless. The world itself would be faultless. Logic teaches us how to reason beyond any doubt. It tells us that if we follow certain precise rules, our decisions would be perfect. In real life, not all people are logicians even if all logicians are people. Logicians themselves take bad decisions and make errors. People base their decisions on “common sense”, heuristics and (natural) cognitive biases. Reason has sometimes little in common with being reasonable and often highly intelligent people are also highly irrational.Where does reasoning take place in the brain? Are there different brain areas that deal with induction (Cherry picking, Confirmation bias, Hasty generalization, Slippery slope fallacies) and deduction (The four terms, The undistributed middle, Affirmative conclusion from a negative premise fallacy) ? How do people commit fallacies and implicitly cognitive errors and biases?
Some new research sheds some light onto human ability of learning in utero, claiming that human f... more Some new research sheds some light onto human ability of learning in utero, claiming that human fetuses are able to memorize sounds from the external world by the last trimester of pregnancy, with a particular sensitivity to melody contour in both music and language. Newborns seem to prefer their mother's voice over other voices and perceive the emotional content of messages conveyed via intonation contours in maternal speech (“motherese”). Their perceptual preference for the surrounding language and their ability to distinguish between different languages and pitch changes are based primarily on melody.
Papers by Diana Nicolescu
The questions this paper tries to answer is: are those who benefit of an altruistic gesture will... more The questions this paper tries to answer is: are those who benefit of an altruistic gesture willing to reciprocate and if they do will this happen in a short time after they were the beneficiary of an altruistic gesture? Is there a time frame of this altruistic reciprocity? Trivers (1971) originally posited that if individuals interact only once in their lifetimes and never meet again, there is obviously no possibility of return benefit, so there is nothing to be gained by helping another.
In our case, the drivers might never meet again so there is no possibility of return benefit, yet, they show altruism by allowing others to get ahead. By doing this they lose time, may be late for work and stop at the red light just because they allowed someone else to get in from of them. Yet, more than half percent of our subjects were willing to reciprocate the gesture even if the implications (not directly specified to the subjects) were not in their advantage. That would be no reciprocal just sheer altruism with no return benefits. So how beneficial is altruism on a long term?
Other by Diana Nicolescu
The objective of the current study was to identify the differences in moral judgment among legal ... more The objective of the current study was to identify the differences in moral judgment among legal experts and non-experts, based on gender.
The hypothesis of the study was: based on the biological differences, women tend to make different moral choices from men. Justice is a moral correctness concept, and the legal experts are, in this context, the representatives of Justice. Moral behavior is an observable activity of an organism, and morality makes the difference between just and unjust.
We have opted for an experimental method, composed of a questionnaire applied on several samples of people. The independent variables were: gender (male/female), level of legal education (expert/non-expert), and for the last study, we also introduced the age criterion for the non-expert women (18-35/35+).
The subjects were proposed three cases: grievous bodily harm (GBH) of an unpaired organ; a teacher accused of rape; and a vehicular manslaughter, committed by a 19 year old drunk man who killed two people.
It was proposed, according to the current Romanian Penal Code, a minimum and a maximum sentence, the study intending to find out if there are any differences between the number of years applied by the female magistrates and the number of years applied by the male magistrates.
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Teaching Documents by Diana Nicolescu
evolutionary paradox of self-sacrifice and cooperation, with returned benefits or as a reciprocal trade off. Some experts doubt there is such thing as sheer altruism and we need to educate ourselves in order to be altruistic, as we are natural born selfish creatures. Some believe that the foundation of mankind lays upon altruism. But one thing no one denies, either pure or awaiting for benefits, human altruism does exist.
Not only it exists, it does for a brief while of time, and its fragile existence should even more be appreciated. We investigated 155 Romanian drivers via a self –reported anonymous questionnaire. Our results challenge some current findings that claim altruism is innate and also it is a life long trait. We showed via our results that altruism in traffic lasts for most people only 5 minutes and once this time-frame closes, individuals are less and less inclined to do an altruistic gesture. These findings support arguments that altruism favors reciprocity only a limited period of time and reciprocal altruism does not work for individuals who rarely meet and also requiring good memory and a stable relation to function properly. Meaning altruism in tense social interactions such driving in traffic is limited by time and its expiring time is of approximately 5 minutes.
This article explores a novel approach to understanding and diagnosing dyscalculia, focusing on the discovery that zero has a distinct neuronal representation. Traditionally seen as an abstract absence, zero is now recognized as an active number processed by the brain, with significant implications for mathematics education and dyscalculia assessment.
The proposed dyscalculia test integrates various aspects of cognitive functioning, such as working memory, numerical intuition, and temporal perception, with a particular emphasis on zero. It evaluates how individuals perceive zero not just as an abstract concept but as a tangible number with real-world applications, such as in financial and logical reasoning.
By distinguishing zero from “nothing” and testing its role in practical and abstract contexts, this test aims to provide a more nuanced understanding of dyscalculia. The approach emphasizes personalized educational and therapeutic interventions, making zero a central component in reshaping how numerical abilities are evaluated and supported.
Un punct de pornire pentru o înțelegere mai bună a discalculiei poate veni surprinzător dintr-o direcție neașteptată: unele triburi indigene, cum ar fi tribul Pirahã din Amazon, care trăiesc fără un sistem numeric propriu-zis. Acești oameni nu au cuvinte pentru numere precise, bazându-se doar pe termeni generali, cum ar fi „câteva” sau „multe”. Aceasta ridică o întrebare fascinantă: cum reușesc aceștia să navigheze prin viață fără a folosi numere în mod abstract, așa cum facem noi? Și ce putem învăța despre creier și matematică din acest mod de viață?
În acest context, ne putem întreba cum ar fi pentru cineva cu discalculie să perceapă lumea. Asemenea tribului Pirahã, persoanele cu discalculie au dificultăți în a gestiona numerele și conceptele numerice abstracte. Totuși, în timp ce pentru tribul Pirahã lipsa numerelor este o chestiune culturală, pentru cei cu discalculie este o provocare biologică, rezultată din modul în care creierul procesează informația numerică.
Această paralelă între discalculie și civilizațiile fără numere ne arată că există multe modalități prin care oamenii pot naviga prin lume chiar și fără a se baza pe calcule matematice complexe. Oamenii cu discalculie și triburile precum Pirahã demonstrează că matematicile abstracte nu sunt singura cale prin care mintea umană poate percepe cantitățile și relațiile între obiecte.
Totuși, spre deosebire de Pirahã, persoanele cu discalculie trăiesc într-o lume unde numerele sunt esențiale. Aici intervine importanța înțelegerii recente despre zero. Descoperiri recente arată că creierul nostru nu percepe zero doar ca pe un nimic, ci ca pe un număr propriu-zis. S-au descoperit neuroni specifici care reacționează la zero, ceea ce sugerează că, în loc să fie un vid sau o absență, zero are o valoare concretă în mintea noastră.
Aceasta schimbă modul în care înțelegem matematica și abilitățile cognitive implicate. Oamenii cu discalculie, de exemplu, pot avea dificultăți în a gestiona zero în același fel în care au dificultăți cu alte numere. Cu toate acestea, faptul că zero este perceput de creier ca având o valoare ar putea deschide noi căi de a-i ajuta să înțeleagă concepte numerice prin accentuarea tangibilității acestui număr aparent abstract.
The most part of “getting it” depends upon the ability to perceive the state of mind of the person with whom one is in communication. Therefore, without the theory of mind (mirror neurons, implicitly), humor would not stand a chance.
Papers by Diana Nicolescu
In our case, the drivers might never meet again so there is no possibility of return benefit, yet, they show altruism by allowing others to get ahead. By doing this they lose time, may be late for work and stop at the red light just because they allowed someone else to get in from of them. Yet, more than half percent of our subjects were willing to reciprocate the gesture even if the implications (not directly specified to the subjects) were not in their advantage. That would be no reciprocal just sheer altruism with no return benefits. So how beneficial is altruism on a long term?
Other by Diana Nicolescu
The hypothesis of the study was: based on the biological differences, women tend to make different moral choices from men. Justice is a moral correctness concept, and the legal experts are, in this context, the representatives of Justice. Moral behavior is an observable activity of an organism, and morality makes the difference between just and unjust.
We have opted for an experimental method, composed of a questionnaire applied on several samples of people. The independent variables were: gender (male/female), level of legal education (expert/non-expert), and for the last study, we also introduced the age criterion for the non-expert women (18-35/35+).
The subjects were proposed three cases: grievous bodily harm (GBH) of an unpaired organ; a teacher accused of rape; and a vehicular manslaughter, committed by a 19 year old drunk man who killed two people.
It was proposed, according to the current Romanian Penal Code, a minimum and a maximum sentence, the study intending to find out if there are any differences between the number of years applied by the female magistrates and the number of years applied by the male magistrates.
evolutionary paradox of self-sacrifice and cooperation, with returned benefits or as a reciprocal trade off. Some experts doubt there is such thing as sheer altruism and we need to educate ourselves in order to be altruistic, as we are natural born selfish creatures. Some believe that the foundation of mankind lays upon altruism. But one thing no one denies, either pure or awaiting for benefits, human altruism does exist.
Not only it exists, it does for a brief while of time, and its fragile existence should even more be appreciated. We investigated 155 Romanian drivers via a self –reported anonymous questionnaire. Our results challenge some current findings that claim altruism is innate and also it is a life long trait. We showed via our results that altruism in traffic lasts for most people only 5 minutes and once this time-frame closes, individuals are less and less inclined to do an altruistic gesture. These findings support arguments that altruism favors reciprocity only a limited period of time and reciprocal altruism does not work for individuals who rarely meet and also requiring good memory and a stable relation to function properly. Meaning altruism in tense social interactions such driving in traffic is limited by time and its expiring time is of approximately 5 minutes.
This article explores a novel approach to understanding and diagnosing dyscalculia, focusing on the discovery that zero has a distinct neuronal representation. Traditionally seen as an abstract absence, zero is now recognized as an active number processed by the brain, with significant implications for mathematics education and dyscalculia assessment.
The proposed dyscalculia test integrates various aspects of cognitive functioning, such as working memory, numerical intuition, and temporal perception, with a particular emphasis on zero. It evaluates how individuals perceive zero not just as an abstract concept but as a tangible number with real-world applications, such as in financial and logical reasoning.
By distinguishing zero from “nothing” and testing its role in practical and abstract contexts, this test aims to provide a more nuanced understanding of dyscalculia. The approach emphasizes personalized educational and therapeutic interventions, making zero a central component in reshaping how numerical abilities are evaluated and supported.
Un punct de pornire pentru o înțelegere mai bună a discalculiei poate veni surprinzător dintr-o direcție neașteptată: unele triburi indigene, cum ar fi tribul Pirahã din Amazon, care trăiesc fără un sistem numeric propriu-zis. Acești oameni nu au cuvinte pentru numere precise, bazându-se doar pe termeni generali, cum ar fi „câteva” sau „multe”. Aceasta ridică o întrebare fascinantă: cum reușesc aceștia să navigheze prin viață fără a folosi numere în mod abstract, așa cum facem noi? Și ce putem învăța despre creier și matematică din acest mod de viață?
În acest context, ne putem întreba cum ar fi pentru cineva cu discalculie să perceapă lumea. Asemenea tribului Pirahã, persoanele cu discalculie au dificultăți în a gestiona numerele și conceptele numerice abstracte. Totuși, în timp ce pentru tribul Pirahã lipsa numerelor este o chestiune culturală, pentru cei cu discalculie este o provocare biologică, rezultată din modul în care creierul procesează informația numerică.
Această paralelă între discalculie și civilizațiile fără numere ne arată că există multe modalități prin care oamenii pot naviga prin lume chiar și fără a se baza pe calcule matematice complexe. Oamenii cu discalculie și triburile precum Pirahã demonstrează că matematicile abstracte nu sunt singura cale prin care mintea umană poate percepe cantitățile și relațiile între obiecte.
Totuși, spre deosebire de Pirahã, persoanele cu discalculie trăiesc într-o lume unde numerele sunt esențiale. Aici intervine importanța înțelegerii recente despre zero. Descoperiri recente arată că creierul nostru nu percepe zero doar ca pe un nimic, ci ca pe un număr propriu-zis. S-au descoperit neuroni specifici care reacționează la zero, ceea ce sugerează că, în loc să fie un vid sau o absență, zero are o valoare concretă în mintea noastră.
Aceasta schimbă modul în care înțelegem matematica și abilitățile cognitive implicate. Oamenii cu discalculie, de exemplu, pot avea dificultăți în a gestiona zero în același fel în care au dificultăți cu alte numere. Cu toate acestea, faptul că zero este perceput de creier ca având o valoare ar putea deschide noi căi de a-i ajuta să înțeleagă concepte numerice prin accentuarea tangibilității acestui număr aparent abstract.
The most part of “getting it” depends upon the ability to perceive the state of mind of the person with whom one is in communication. Therefore, without the theory of mind (mirror neurons, implicitly), humor would not stand a chance.
In our case, the drivers might never meet again so there is no possibility of return benefit, yet, they show altruism by allowing others to get ahead. By doing this they lose time, may be late for work and stop at the red light just because they allowed someone else to get in from of them. Yet, more than half percent of our subjects were willing to reciprocate the gesture even if the implications (not directly specified to the subjects) were not in their advantage. That would be no reciprocal just sheer altruism with no return benefits. So how beneficial is altruism on a long term?
The hypothesis of the study was: based on the biological differences, women tend to make different moral choices from men. Justice is a moral correctness concept, and the legal experts are, in this context, the representatives of Justice. Moral behavior is an observable activity of an organism, and morality makes the difference between just and unjust.
We have opted for an experimental method, composed of a questionnaire applied on several samples of people. The independent variables were: gender (male/female), level of legal education (expert/non-expert), and for the last study, we also introduced the age criterion for the non-expert women (18-35/35+).
The subjects were proposed three cases: grievous bodily harm (GBH) of an unpaired organ; a teacher accused of rape; and a vehicular manslaughter, committed by a 19 year old drunk man who killed two people.
It was proposed, according to the current Romanian Penal Code, a minimum and a maximum sentence, the study intending to find out if there are any differences between the number of years applied by the female magistrates and the number of years applied by the male magistrates.