Economically disadvantaged, inner-city, ethnic minorities who live in communities that contain contaminated sites are disproportionately exposed to high levels of toxic pollutants such as lead, mercury, cadmium, nickel, chromium, etc., causing brain damage, learning disabilities and many other problems. These individuals also belong to groups that have the highest morbidity and mortality rates in the United States. Data from twenty cognitive interventions using Feuerstein's Instrumental Enrichment with Mediated Learning Experience (FIE/MLE) to teach critical thinking skills to groups of these individuals across the country show increases in cognitive modifiability, and enhancements in motivation, self-esteem, and feelings of competence. Results from pre- and post-cognitive testing reveal that individuals increased in: § Logical reasoning ability by 156 - 1504%; § Ability to manipulate or mentally restructure a field by 33 -348%; § Ability to hold a given precept in mind and search a distracting, well-defined perceptual field to disembed it by 33 - 204%; and § Ability to perceive orientation with respect to objects in space by 41%. FIE/MLE creates the need to proactively pursue a higher quality of life by providing the cognitive tools and intrinsic motivation that will, in turn, compel individuals to be self-disciplined, rigorous, and persistent in redefining and restructuring their environments, both internally and externally. These results, coupled with recent evidence from neocortical studies which show that deep rigorous thinking enhances the growth of dendrites and neuropathways in the brain, suggest that FIE/MLE could serve as both a preventive and corrective measure for eliminating environmentally related health disparities.
Learning Objectives: 1. Describe how Feuerstein's Instrumental Enrichment with Mediated Learning Experience (FIE/MLE) enhances the quality of thinking, living, the environment, and health. 2. Evaluate how FIE/MLE grows dendrites and neuropathways in the brain and thus alleviates cognitive deficits from damage due to exposure to toxic lead. 3. Assess the use of FIE/MLE as both a preventive and corrective breakthrough to eliminating health disparities
Keywords: Environmental Exposures, Ethnic Minorities
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.