- Mar 29, 2009
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I figure this is the best time to post my ideas about reading comprehension vs hearing. Somethings I've been thinking about for a couple of weeks.
This idea came to me as a result of people at work trying to interpret the employee handbook regarding break times. I don't know the exact wording, because I didn't read it. My lead hand explained it to me. It says something like this.
" Employees who work an 8 hour shift get 2 fifteen minute breaks and a 30 minute lunch. First break is on the second hour, the second break after lunch is on the 6th hour. If an employee works 10 hours a 3rd break is on the 9th hour."
There's a big misunderstanding and many of the employees are being cheated out of a break. Many of the leads and a couple of the foremen are interpreting that, the 3rd break is at the END of the 9th hour. Some of them have also assumed, in order to get a 3rd break, you must work 11 hours. It's funny they would think this and not rationalize that ALL other breaks are roughly every 2 hours.
So, I began thinking of this, and was reminded of all the different interpretations people have about the Bible. It seems to me, that if someone were to speak the words of the employee hand book, more people would understand what it said.
I've noticed this on several occasions. Any of us who've tried to use an instruction manual to put together a childs toy can relate.
See, our brains are hardwired to sound. For every note in the tonic scale we have a neuron that fires for that particular note. Such as, If you hear a C#, your brain has a specific neuron that fires and your brain recognizes chemically the tone of the note.
It's proven, that a womans voice registers in the same part of a mans brain as music. Those neurons that recognize tonic notes, are the same ones that fire when men hear women speak. (Remember that next time you don't understand your wife)
Now, Visually, we learn to recognize colors, and shapes, and depths, and distance. Even though, we have a cognative recognition of these things, there are no certain neurons that are directly related to color. Such as, When we see the color blue, there's no "Blue Neuron" as there is a C# neuron. Our mind is trained to recognize these other things as a learned process. Not an automatic process.
It stands to reason, that communication is originally intended to be by hearing. Remember the verse, "Faith comes by HEARING, and HEARING, by the word of God" or this one, "The sheep HEAR my voice". This also makes sense, because, when learning to read, we are taught, "Sound it out.". Most children learn to read by saying the words they read outloud. This in turn seems to "attatch" sound to visual.
When reading, we tend to attach certain emotions to words. We tend to put pauses, inflection, and certain poise on words based on our learned experience in vocal communication. Just as colors influence our moods to a degree based on learned emotions and experiences dealing with the colors
Just as we don't have neurons dedicated to colors, or shapes, we don't have neurons that are dedicated to comprehending writing. Although, studies have shown reading comprehension registers in the same part of the brain as vocal communication.
It seems that we have a problem in translating a written form, with shapes, and combining them with our own inflection, while trying reconcile a thought process that is automatic. This is a difficult thing for the mind to process.
We don't naturally associate the color blue, with the C#, although, in Blues music, there is the "Blue Note". We can train our minds to do this, but, the end result would be so chaotic it would almost be like taking acid.
In the same sense, our mind is trying to use, the tonic scale of vocal communication, and applying it to shape recognition. We're trying to match all 12 notes of the western scale, with all 26 letters of the alphabet, and combining them together to form a recognizable word.
I think this explains why there's soooooo much miscommunication in written script, than there is in vocal script.
Maybe if we don't understand something, we should read it out loud a few times and see if it begins to make sense. We should even try using different inflections and tone added in different spots. If this post seems confusing,
Just think what your brain is trying to do when you read.
This idea came to me as a result of people at work trying to interpret the employee handbook regarding break times. I don't know the exact wording, because I didn't read it. My lead hand explained it to me. It says something like this.
" Employees who work an 8 hour shift get 2 fifteen minute breaks and a 30 minute lunch. First break is on the second hour, the second break after lunch is on the 6th hour. If an employee works 10 hours a 3rd break is on the 9th hour."
There's a big misunderstanding and many of the employees are being cheated out of a break. Many of the leads and a couple of the foremen are interpreting that, the 3rd break is at the END of the 9th hour. Some of them have also assumed, in order to get a 3rd break, you must work 11 hours. It's funny they would think this and not rationalize that ALL other breaks are roughly every 2 hours.
So, I began thinking of this, and was reminded of all the different interpretations people have about the Bible. It seems to me, that if someone were to speak the words of the employee hand book, more people would understand what it said.
I've noticed this on several occasions. Any of us who've tried to use an instruction manual to put together a childs toy can relate.
See, our brains are hardwired to sound. For every note in the tonic scale we have a neuron that fires for that particular note. Such as, If you hear a C#, your brain has a specific neuron that fires and your brain recognizes chemically the tone of the note.
It's proven, that a womans voice registers in the same part of a mans brain as music. Those neurons that recognize tonic notes, are the same ones that fire when men hear women speak. (Remember that next time you don't understand your wife)
Now, Visually, we learn to recognize colors, and shapes, and depths, and distance. Even though, we have a cognative recognition of these things, there are no certain neurons that are directly related to color. Such as, When we see the color blue, there's no "Blue Neuron" as there is a C# neuron. Our mind is trained to recognize these other things as a learned process. Not an automatic process.
It stands to reason, that communication is originally intended to be by hearing. Remember the verse, "Faith comes by HEARING, and HEARING, by the word of God" or this one, "The sheep HEAR my voice". This also makes sense, because, when learning to read, we are taught, "Sound it out.". Most children learn to read by saying the words they read outloud. This in turn seems to "attatch" sound to visual.
When reading, we tend to attach certain emotions to words. We tend to put pauses, inflection, and certain poise on words based on our learned experience in vocal communication. Just as colors influence our moods to a degree based on learned emotions and experiences dealing with the colors
Just as we don't have neurons dedicated to colors, or shapes, we don't have neurons that are dedicated to comprehending writing. Although, studies have shown reading comprehension registers in the same part of the brain as vocal communication.
It seems that we have a problem in translating a written form, with shapes, and combining them with our own inflection, while trying reconcile a thought process that is automatic. This is a difficult thing for the mind to process.
We don't naturally associate the color blue, with the C#, although, in Blues music, there is the "Blue Note". We can train our minds to do this, but, the end result would be so chaotic it would almost be like taking acid.
In the same sense, our mind is trying to use, the tonic scale of vocal communication, and applying it to shape recognition. We're trying to match all 12 notes of the western scale, with all 26 letters of the alphabet, and combining them together to form a recognizable word.
I think this explains why there's soooooo much miscommunication in written script, than there is in vocal script.
Maybe if we don't understand something, we should read it out loud a few times and see if it begins to make sense. We should even try using different inflections and tone added in different spots. If this post seems confusing,
Just think what your brain is trying to do when you read.
