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Academic performance growth: is it true that high school students are smarter than small ones
The folk wisdom "The spool is small and expensive, the figure is big and stupid" is questioned. Foreign scientists have put forward the theory that high school students study better than their peers, and then, when they grow up, they will be able to claim a more substantial salary than their small-sized colleagues. Whether growth affects mental development, what prevents teenagers from becoming taller than their classmates, and who to complain about if the authorities do not like low subordinates, is in the Izvestia article.
Why do teachers like tall people?
American scientists analyzed data from 500,000 students in grades 3-8 in New York schools. It turned out that the tallest boys and girls (2.5% of the total number of children) scored an average of 20% more points in English and mathematics than those who were shorter. Using this study, experts tried to explain one of the "mysteries" of adult life: it is believed that tall people are more successful. They are more likely to be able to expect a solid salary than their low-level colleagues.
According to Irina Kolesnikova, a geneticist, candidate of biological Sciences, chairman of the expert council of the National Center for Genetic Research LLC, it is incorrect to say that short people are more stupid, especially since this is not confirmed by science. Intelligence is a complex characteristic that depends on genetics, environment, education, and many other factors, the biologist emphasizes.
Meanwhile, Irina Kolesnikova provides possible explanations for the relationship between growth and school success, which American scientists have been able to identify.
— Social factors: Tall children may feel more confident or receive more attention from teachers, which indirectly affects their academic performance.
Nutrition and health: Growth is often associated with good nutrition in childhood, which is also important for brain development. Malnourished children may be shorter and therefore show worse academic results.
— Teacher stereotypes: Teachers may unconsciously give preference to taller students, considering them more capable.
Irina Kolesnikova does not rule out that it is social stereotypes that can create the so-called growth premium. Tall people are often associated with leadership qualities, confidence, and authority. They are perceived as more charismatic and competent, which sometimes helps them in their career advancement. In addition, tall people can feel more comfortable in social situations, which also affects success.
— It is important to emphasize that correlation is not equal to causation. Short people are no less capable. History knows many brilliant personalities of short stature, such as Napoleon Bonaparte or Albert Einstein. Success still depends not only on growth, but also on other factors, in particular, on skills, education and experience, the geneticist argues.
Does brain volume affect intelligence
Associate Professor of the Department of Osteopathy at the I.I. Mechnikov Northwestern State Medical University, neurologist Vladimir Belash also emphasizes that there is no direct evidence that growth is somehow related to human mental abilities. In the last hundred years, there has been a trend towards an increase in average height, and in parallel with this, an increase in the average size of the brain. Such metamorphoses are associated with improved nutrition, the development of medicine, and changes in the environmental situation.
— But these changes in the proportions of growth and size of the brain do not entail a change in the level of intellectual activity or brain activity of the nervous system. And that's why it's not entirely correct to say that the taller a person is, the smarter they are, or vice versa," Vladimir Belash comments.
The neurologist also emphasizes that the size of the brain does not depend on the parameters of the head and human height.
— In addition to the brain, there is a certain amount of fluid in the cranial cavity. In some cases, some people (who are normal, and others with certain diseases) have an increase in the amount of this fluid. Accordingly, the circumference of the skull increases, but the size of the brain itself does not change, explains the neurologist.
According to the expert, there are certain formulas by which, depending on weight and height parameters, you can roughly calculate the weight and volume of the brain, but this is precisely a physiological parameter. In turn, a person's mental development depends not on the volume of the brain, but on the number of connections between neurons, the presence of an insulating membrane on the neurons (myelination), the speed of data transmission, and also on how interconnected certain areas of the brain are.
— There are also many examples in history that great people's brain size was relatively small compared to the population average. It is enough to recall Albert Einstein, Arthur Conan Doyle, Vladimir Lenin. Their intellectual activity was excellent," Vladimir Belash continues.
Food shortages do have an impact on growth, the neurologist notes. However, in practice, it sometimes turns out that people who lived in difficult conditions achieved more in life than those who grew up in luxury. So, Maxim Gorky and Gabriel Garcia Marquez became great writers, whose childhood could not be called secure. The children of the war and the post—war generation, who en masse enrolled in higher education institutions, are also cited as a striking example. They are called the most literate generation because of their desire to study.
— Here we can assume that strong motivation played a key role, which was more important than dietary habits. A person's desire to reach some heights, realize themselves and their talent often helps to rise to a high level," the expert comments.
Of course, we are not talking about extreme cases where the brain does not receive any nutrition at all and is poorly supplied with the necessary substances, the neurologist emphasizes.
Anastasia Sivakova, a biologist, junior geneticist, and a specialist in the MyGenetics development department, also emphasizes that a person's achievements are not determined solely by their physical or genetic characteristics — they also depend on perseverance, education, and opportunities.
"Ultimately, the future of humanity will depend on how we can adapt to the challenges of the times and use our knowledge to improve the quality of life of each individual," concludes Anastasia Sivakova.
Which line inherits height?
The neurologist emphasizes that 70% of height depends on genetics and is most often inherited on the paternal side. In addition to genetics, growth is also determined by the activity of a somatotropic hormone called growth hormone. It is released into the blood and acts on the bone system, determining the growth of bone tissue.
— Somatotropic hormone also penetrates directly into the brain and is a neurotransmitter that stimulates the activity of certain areas of the brain. That is, theoretically, it can be assumed that higher concentrations of somatotropic hormone (which is observed in tall people) have a slight stimulating effect on the brain to some extent, but these effects have not been fully studied and proven by physiologists," summarizes Vladimir Belash.
The well-known joke "it comes like a giraffe" also has no basis, the neurologist believes. The assumption that a person thinks slower because information takes longer to enter his brain is absurd.
— In this case, a lot depends not on height, but on hearing. These 30-50 "extra" centimeters do not affect the speed of information assimilation," the neurologist comments.
The conclusion that the blood vessels of tall people are longer does not stand up to criticism, which means that the brain is better supplied with blood and therefore works more actively.
— A tall, large person has slightly larger organs, including the circulatory system. Even his heart is a little bigger than the little one's. It is important to correlate the proportions here. That's why integrative indicators are always analyzed or special indexes are calculated, that is, height and weight are taken into account. And in relation to the growth parameters of the "giant", the size of the vessel will be normal, that is, corresponding to its large growth," explains the neurologist.
Girls or boys
At a certain stage, girls outpace boys in height, and they study much more diligently than boys who are not afraid to grab a deuce or skip class. However, the A's of diligent schoolgirls are also not an indicator that they are smarter than their peers.
— The so-called periods of stretching and rounding in boys and girls alternate, they occur at different times. The girls stretch out a little earlier, and then the boys catch up with them and get ahead of them. But this does not mean that at some stage one of them is smarter or more stupid," the neurologist comments.
According to the characterological features of development, girls are often more calm and persevering, listen more attentively, and are more disciplined than boys, the expert emphasizes. Due to this, and not because they are head and shoulders above their peers, schoolgirls show the best academic results.
It happens that physically inactive students outpace their classmates who play certain sports a lot.
— If you look back historically, you can see that 100, 150, 200 years ago, peasants and children in peasant families were short. In museums or ethnographic villages, you can see that the height of the doorway or the size of the bed is significantly smaller than it is now. In the village, height above 170 cm was considered high. This was due to the fact that people have been doing hard physical labor since childhood," the expert explains.
As a result of the hard work, the growth processes were slowed down, the neurologist notes. Over time, child labor was banned, and working conditions for adults improved. Over the past 100 years, the average height of people has increased, in particular, and for this reason — this is a clear trend. But if a child is involved in certain sports involving intense physical activity (especially strength training), then his height may be less than that of his peers, the expert emphasizes. But that doesn't mean he's any dumber at this stage.
— On the contrary, moderate physical activity increases brain activity, improves brain function: blood flow accelerates, the speed of nerve impulses increases. As a result, the brain reacts faster to mental stress," comments Vladimir Belash.
Who should I complain to
However, even such optimistic conclusions of Russian scientists are not able to comfort people who have experienced unpleasant life conflicts related to growth.
According to Kolesnikova, the external parameters and manner of communication are not formally specified in most of the job requirements. Moreover, the legislation of most countries, including Russia and the United States, prohibits discrimination based on physical data. Therefore, height cannot be an official criterion for hiring. However, the expert notes that in some cases, external parameters are actually taken into account by employers.
— Subjectivism, alas, has not been abolished. In technical or intellectual fields (programming, scientific research), high growth usually does not matter. And in areas where physical presence or appearance plays a role (for example, sales, public speaking), this indicator can be an informal plus," comments Irina Kolesnikova.
But it is difficult to prove height discrimination, as it is rarely explicit, the geneticist complains. If you suspect that you are being passed over in promotion or hiring precisely because of your height, the expert advises first of all to collect evidence of unfair treatment from your superiors.
— Document cases where you have been passed over in favor of less qualified but higher-ranking colleagues. Keep correspondence where external parameters are mentioned. Then contact HR: in large companies, the HR department can consider a complaint of discrimination based on physical characteristics," explains Kolesnikova.
If desired, you can also apply for legal assistance, but in Russia, discrimination based on physical parameters (including height) is not identified in legislation as a separate type. However, Kolesnikova's geneticist recommends appealing to general norms on equality (for example, Article 19 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation). In this situation, you need the help of a lawyer who specializes in labor law. You can also complain to trade unions or the labor inspectorate.
— If you really think that your rights have been violated, then you can file a complaint with the State Labor Inspectorate, — Irina Kolesnikova suggests. — But it is important to understand that height discrimination is rarely the only reason for career growth problems. It is often intertwined with other factors.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
