How does income affect childhood brain development? | Kimberly Noble

Prevodilac: Kristina Radosavljević Lektor: Ivana Krivokuća

What I'm about to share with you are findings from a study

Ono što ću podeliti sa vama su rezultati istraživanja

of the brains of more than 1,000 children and adolescents.

mozgova više od 1 000 dece i adolescenata.

Now, these were children who were recruited

To su bila deca angažovana

iz različitih porodica širom Amerike,

from diverse homes around the United States,

and this picture is an average of all of their brains.

i ovo je prosečna slika njihovog mozga.

The front of this average brain is on your left

Prednji deo prosečnog mozga je sa vaše leve strane,

and the back of this average brain is on your right.

a zadnji deo prosečnog mozga je sa vaše desne strane.

Now, one of the things we were very interested in

Ono što je nas veoma interesovalo

was the surface area of the cerebral cortex,

je bio površinski deo cerebralnog korteksa,

or the thin, wrinkly layer on the outer surface of the brain

ili tanki, naborani deo spoljne površine mozga

that does most of the cognitive heavy lifting.

koji odrađuje većinu teških kognitivnih procesa.

And that's because past work by other scientists has suggested

Pošto su prošli radovi drugih naučnika ukazivali na to

that in many cases,

da se, u mnogim slučajevima,

a larger cortical surface area

veća površina korteksa

is often associated with higher intelligence.

često dovodi u vezu sa većom inteligencijom.

Now, in this study, we found one factor

U ovoj studiji, mi smo otkrili jedan faktor

that was associated with the cortical surface area

koji je bio povezan sa površinom korteksa

across nearly the entire surface of the brain.

gotovo celom površinom mozga.

That factor was family income.

Taj faktor je porodični prihod.

Now, here, every point you see in color is a point where higher family income

Svaka obojena tačka koju vidite ovde je tačka u kojoj je viši porodični prihod

was associated with a larger cortical surface area in that spot.

povezan sa većom površinom korteksa u toj tački.

And there were some regions, shown here in yellow,

Takođe postoje neki delovi, prikazani ovde žutim,

where that association was particularly pronounced.

gde je ta veza posebno naglašena.

And those are regions that we know support a certain set of cognitive skills:

A ti delovi su oni koji podržavaju određene kognitivne sposobnosti:

language skills like vocabulary and reading

jezičke sposobnosti, kao što su rečnik i čitanje,

as well as the ability to avoid distraction

kao i mogućnost izbegavanja ometanja

and exert self-control.

i vršenja samokontrole.

And that's important,

Ovo je važno

because those are the very skills

zato što su to veštine

that children living in poverty are most likely to struggle with.

sa kojima se deca koja žive u siromaštvu najčešće bore.

In fact, a child living with poverty

U stvari, dete koje živi u siromaštvu

is likely to perform worse on tests of language and impulse control

ima veće šanse da bude manje uspešno na testu jezika ili kontrole impulsa

before they even turn two.

čak i pre svoje druge godine života.

Now, there are a few points I'd like to highlight about this study.

Postoji par stvari u ovoj studiji koje bih želela da naglasim.

Number one:

Prva stvar:

this link between family income and children's brain structure

ova veza između porodičnih prihoda i strukture dečijeg mozga

was strongest at the lowest income levels.

je bila najjača kod najnižih nivoa prihoda.

So that means that dollar for dollar,

Što znači da je dolar po dolar,

relatively small differences in family income

relativno mala razlika u porodičnim prihodima

were associated with proportionately greater differences in brain structure

bila praćena proporcionalno većom razlikom u moždanoj strukturi

among the most disadvantaged families.

među najugroženijim porodicama.

And intuitively, that makes sense, right?

Intuitivno, to ima smisla, zar ne?

An extra 20,000 dollars for a family earning, say, 150,000 dollars a year

Dodatnih 20 000 dolara za porodicu koja, recimo, zarađuje 150 000 dolara godišnje

would certainly be nice, but probably not game-changing,

bi svakako bilo lepo, ali verovatno ne bi donelo neku ogromnu promenu,

whereas an extra 20,000 dollars

dok bi dodatnih 20 000 dolara

for a family only earning 20,000 dollars a year

za porodicu koja zarađuje samo 20 000 dolara godišnje

would likely make a remarkable difference in their day-to-day lives.

najverovatnije znatno uticalo na njihov svakodnevni život.

Now, the second point I'd like to highlight

Druga stvar koju želim da naglasim

is that this link between family income and children's brain structure

je da ova veza između porodičnih prihoda i dečije strukture mozga

didn't depend on the children's age,

nije zavisila od uzrasta dece,

it didn't depend on their sex

njihovog pola

and it didn't depend on their race or ethnicity.

niti rasne ili etničke pripadnosti.

And the final point --

I poslednja stvar,

and this one's key --

ona ključna,

there was tremendous variability from one child to the next,

postojala su ogromna odstupanja od deteta do deteta,

by which I mean there were plenty of children from higher-income homes

pri čemu mislim da je bilo mnogo dece iz porodica sa većim prihodom

with smaller brain surfaces

sa manjom površinom mozga,

and plenty of children from lower-income homes

i mnogo dece iz porodica sa manjim prihodom

with larger brain surfaces.

sa većom površinom mozga.

Here's an analogy.

Evo poređenja.

We all know that in childhood,

Svi znamo da u detinjstvu

boys tend to be taller than girls,

dečaci obično budu viši od devojčica,

but go into any elementary school classroom,

ali ako uđete u bilo koju osnovnu školu,

and you'll find some girls who are taller than some boys.

videćete da su neke devojčice više od nekih dečaka.

So while growing up in poverty is certainly a risk factor

Dakle, dok je odrastanje u siromaštvu svakako faktor rizika

for a smaller brain surface,

za manju površinu mozga,

in no way can I know an individual child's family income

nikako ne mogu znati na osnovu pojedinačnog prihoda dečije porodice,

and know with any accuracy

sa preciznošću,

what that particular child's brain would look like.

kako bi izgledao mozak tog određenog deteta.

I want you to imagine, for a moment, two children.

Želim da na trenutak zamislite dva deteta.

One is a young child born into poverty in America;

Jedno je malo dete rođeno u siromaštvu u Americi,

the other is also an American child,

a drugo je takođe američko dete,

but one who was born into more fortunate circumstances.

ali je rođeno u srećnijim okolnostima.

Now, at birth, we find absolutely no differences

Pri rođenju, pronalazimo da ne postoji apsolutno nikakva razlika

in how their brains work.

u tome kako njihov mozak funkcioniše.

But by the time those two kids are ready to start kindergarten,

Ali do momenta kada su ova dva deteta spremna da krenu u predškolsko,

we know that the child living in poverty

znamo da će dete koje živi u siromaštvu

is likely to have cognitive scores that are, on average, 60 percent lower

najverovatnije imati kognitivne rezultate u proseku niže za 60 procenata

than those of the other child.

od onog drugog deteta.

Later on, that child living in poverty

Kasnije, dete koje živi u siromaštvu

will be five times more likely to drop out of high school,

ima pet puta veće šanse da napusti srednju školu,

and if she does graduate high school,

a i ako završi srednju školu,

she'll be less likely to earn a college degree.

manja je verovatnoća da će steći fakultetsku diplomu.

By the time those two kids are 35 years old,

Do svoje 35. godine života, ova dva deteta,

if the first child spent her entire childhood living in poverty,

ako prvo dete provede celo svoje detinjstvo u siromaštvu,

she is up to 75 times more likely to be poor herself.

ima 75 puta veću šansu da i samo bude siromašno.

But it doesn't have to be that way.

Ali to ne mora da bude tako.

As a neuroscientist, one of things I find most exciting about the human brain

Kao neuronaučnicu, jedna od stvari

koja me najviše fascinira kod ljudskog mozga

is that our experiences change our brains.

je da iskustva menjaju naš mozak.

Now, this concept, known as neuroplasticity,

Ovaj koncept, poznat kao neuroplastičnost,

means that these differences in children's brain structure

znači da ove razlike u strukturi dečijeg mozga

don't doom a child to a life of low achievement.

ne osuđuju dete na život niskih dostignuća.

The brain is not destiny.

Mozak nije sudbina.

And if a child's brain can be changed,

Ako dečiji mozak može da se promeni,

then anything is possible.

onda je sve moguće.

As a society, we spend billions of dollars each year, educating our children.

Mi, kao društvo, trošimo milijarde dolara svake godine na dečije obrazovanje.

So what can we tell schools, teachers and parents

Šta možemo da kažemo školama, nastavnicima i roditeljima

who want to help support kids from disadvantaged backgrounds

koji žele da pomognu deci iz nepovoljnog okruženja

da daju sve od sebe u školi i životu?

to do their best in school and in life?

Well, emerging science suggests

Nauka u začetku sugeriše

that growing up in poverty is associated with a host of different experiences

da je odrastanje u siromaštvu povezano sa mnoštvom različitih iskustava

and that these experiences in turn may work together

i da ova iskustva zauzvrat mogu zajednički uticati

to help shape brain development and ultimately help kids learn.

i time pomoći oblikovanju razvoja mozga i naposletku pomoći deci da uče.

And so if this is right,

Ako je ovo istina,

it begs the question:

to povlači pitanje:

Where along this pathway can we step in and provide help?

na kom delu ovog puta mi možemo uskočiti i pružiti pomoć?

So let's consider first intervening at the level of learning itself --

Uzmimo prvo intervenciju na nivou samog učenja -

most commonly through school-based initiatives.

najčešće kroz školske inicijative.

Now, should we be encouraging teachers to focus on the kinds of skills

Da li treba da podstičemo nastavnike da se fokusiraju na veštine

that disadvantaged kids are most likely to struggle with?

sa kojima će deca iz nepovoljnih sredina najverovatnije imati problema?

Of course.

Naravno.

The importance of high-quality education based in scientific evidence

Važnost visokokvalitetnog obrazovanja zasnovanog na naučnim dokazima

really can't be overstated.

stvarno se ne može prenebreći.

And there are a number of examples of excellent interventions

Postoje brojni primeri izvanrednih intervencija

targeting things like literacy or self-regulation

koje imaju za cilj opismenjavanje ili samokontrolu,

that do in fact improve kids' cognitive development and their test scores.

koje zaista poboljšavaju dečiji kognitivni razvoj i rezultate njihovih testova.

But as any intervention scientist doing this work would tell you,

Ali za svaku intervenciju, naučnici koji rade ovaj posao bi vam rekli,

this work is challenging.

to je izazovan posao.

It's hard to implement high-quality, evidence-based education.

Teško je primeniti visokokvalitetno obrazovanje zasnovano na dokazima.

And it can be labor-intensive,

Može zahtevati veliku radnu snagu,

it's sometimes costly.

a ponekad je skupo.

And in many cases, these disparities in child development emerge early --

U mnogim slučajevima, ove razlike u dečijem razvoju se pojave rano,

well before the start of formal schooling --

mnogo pre nego što počne formalno školovanje,

sometimes when kids are just toddlers.

ponekad kad je dete mlađe od 3 godine.

And so I would argue:

Tako da bih iznela argument:

school is very important,

škola je veoma važna,

but if we're focusing all of our policy efforts

ali ako usmerimo sve naše napore

on formal schooling,

na formalno školovanje,

we're probably starting too late.

verovatno počinjemo prekasno.

So what about taking a step back

Šta kažete da napravimo korak unazad,

and focusing on trying to change children's experiences?

i fokusiramo se na trud da se promeni dečije iskustvo?

What particular experiences are associated with growing up in poverty

Koje specifično iskustvo je povezano sa odrastanjem u siromaštvu,

and might be able to be targeted to promote brain development

a moglo bi da bude naš fokus u cilju razvoja mozga

and learning outcomes for kids?

i poboljšanja ishoda učenja kod dece?

Of course, there are many, right?

Naravno, ima ih mnogo, zar ne?

Nutrition, access to health care,

Ishrana, pristup zdravstvenoj zaštiti,

exposure to second-hand smoke or lead,

izloženost pušenju ili olovu,

experience of stress or discrimination,

iskustvo stresa ili diskriminacije,

to name a few.

da ih nabrojimo nekoliko.

In my laboratory,

U mojoj laboratoriji,

we're particularly focused on a few types of experiences

posebno smo fokusirani na nekoliko vrsta iskustava

that we believe may be able to be targeted

za koje verujemo da mogu postati naš fokus

to promote children's brain development

za podsticanje razvoja dečijeg mozga

and ultimately improve their learning outcomes.

i na kraju poboljšanja njihovih rezultata učenja.

As one example,

Evo jednog primera.

take something I'll call the home language environment,

Uzmimo nešto što ja zovem kućno jezičko okruženje,

by which I mean, we know that the number of words kids hear

a pod tim podrazumevam, znamo da broj reči koje dete čuje

and the number of conversations they're engaged in every day

i broj razgovora u koje su svakodnevno uključeni

can vary tremendously.

mogu strahovito varirati.

By some estimates,

Prema nekim procenama,

kids from more advantaged backgrounds

deca iz boljih okruženja

hear an average of 30 million more spoken words

u proseku čuju oko 30 miliona više izgovorenih reči

in the first few years of life

u prvih nekoliko godina života,

compared to kids from less advantaged backgrounds.

u poređenju sa decom iz manje povoljnih okruženja.

Now, in our work, we're finding

Kroz naš rad, saznajemo

that kids who experience more back-and-forth,

da deca koja imaju više iskustva dijaloga,

responsive conversational turns

pitanja i odgovora,

tend to have a larger brain surface in parts of the brain

imaju tendenciju da imaju veću moždanu površinu u delovima mozga

that we know are responsible for language and reading skills.

za koje znamo da su odgovorni za jezik i sposobnost čitanja.

And in fact, the number of conversations they hear

U stvari, broj razgovora koje čuju

seems to matter a little bit more than the sheer number of words they hear.

izgleda da je malo značajniji od samog broja reči koje čuju.

So one tantalizing possibility

Dakle, jedna primamljiva mogućnost

is that we should be teaching parents not just to talk a lot,

je da bi trebalo učiti roditelje ne samo da pričaju puno,

but to actually have more conversations with their children.

nego da u stvari vode više razgovora sa svojom decom.

In this way, it's possible that we'll promote brain development

Na ovaj način je moguće da ćemo podstaći razvoj mozga

and perhaps their kids' language and reading skills.

i možda jezičke i čitalačke veštine kod njihove dece.

And in fact, a number of scientists are testing

I zaista, određeni broj naučnika testira

that exciting possibility right now.

upravo sada ovu uzbudljivu mogućnost.

But of course, we all know

Ali naravno, mi svi znamo

that growing up in poverty is associated with lots of different experiences

da je odrastanje u siromaštvu povezano sa mnogo različitih iskustava

beyond just how many conversations kids are having.

osim toga koliko razgovora dete vodi.

So how do we choose what else to focus on?

Kako onda da izaberemo na šta još da se fokusiramo?

The list can be overwhelming.

Spisak može biti poražavajući.

There are a number of high-quality interventions

Postoji veliki broj visokokvalitetnih intervencija

that do try to change children's experience,

koje zaista pokušavaju da promene dečije iskustvo,

many of which are quite effective.

od kojih su mnoge prilično efikasne.

But again, just like school-based initiatives,

Ali opet, baš kao i inicijative bazirane na školi, to je težak posao.

this is hard work.

Može biti pun izazova,

It can be challenging,

it can be labor-intensive,

zahtevati veliku radnu snagu,

sometimes costly ...

ponekad biti skup...

and on occasion,

A povremeno

it can be somewhat patronizing for scientists to swoop in

može biti pomalo snishodljivo za naučnike da upadaju

and tell a family what they need to change in order for their child to succeed.

i govore porodici šta treba da promene kako bi njihovo dete bilo uspešno.

So I want to share an idea with you.

Zato želim da podelim ideju sa vama.

What if we tried to help young children in poverty

Šta ako pokušamo da pomognemo deci u siromaštvu

by simply giving their families more money?

jednostavno dajući njihovim porodicama više para?

I'm privileged to be working with a team of economists,

Imam tu privilegiju da radim sa timom ekonomista,

social policy experts and neuroscientists

eksperata za socijalnu politiku i neuronaučnika

in leading Baby's First Years,

u sprovođenju „Bebinih prvih godina”,

the first-ever randomized study

prve randomizovane studije ikad,

to test whether poverty reduction causes changes in children's brain development.

koja testira da li smanjenje siromaštva izaziva promene u dečijem razvoju mozga.

Now, the ambition of the study is large,

Ova studija ima velike ambicije,

but the premise is actually quite simple.

ali je njena pretpostavka prilično jednostavna.

In May of 2018,

U maju 2018. godine

we began recruiting 1,000 mothers living below the federal poverty line

počeli smo da regrutujemo 1 000 majki koje žive ispod granice siromaštva

shortly after they gave birth in a number of American hospitals.

nedugo nakon što su se porodile u nekoliko američkih bolnica.

Upon enrolling in our study,

Nakon uključivanja u našu studiju,

all mothers receive an unconditional monthly cash gift

sve majke su primile bezuslovni mesečni novčani poklon

for the first 40 months of their children's lives,

za prvih 40 meseci života njihove dece,

and they're free to use this money however they like.

i slobodne su da koriste taj novac kako god žele.

But importantly, mothers are being randomized,

Ali ono što je važno je da su majke nasumično podeljene u grupe,

so some mothers are randomized to receive a nominal monthly cash gift

tako da su neke majke nasumično izabrane da prime nominalni mesečni novčani poklon,

and others are randomized to receive several hundred dollars each month,

a druge su nasumično izabrane da primaju nekoliko stotina dolara svakog meseca,

an amount that we believe is large enough

iznos za koji verujemo da je dovoljno velik

to make a difference in their day-to-day lives,

da poboljša njihov svakodnevni život,

in most cases increasing their monthly income by 20 to 25 percent.

povećavajući njihov mesečni prihod za 20 do 25 procenata u većini slučaja.

So in this way,

Na ovaj način,

we're hoping to finally move past questions

nadamo se da ćemo konačno moći da prevaziđemo pitanja

of how poverty is correlated with child development

u kakvoj je vezi siromaštvo sa razvojem deteta

and actually be able to test whether reducing poverty causes changes

i stvarno biti u mogućnosti da proverimo da li smanjenje siromaštva donosi promene

in children's cognitive, emotional and brain development

u kognitivnom, emocionalnom i moždanom razvoju deteta

in the first three years of life --

u prve tri godine života -

the very time when we believe

upravo u vreme kada verujemo

the developing brain may be most malleable to experience.

da iskustvo ima najveći uticaj na mozak u razvoju.

Now, we won't have definitive results from this study for several years,

Nećemo imati konačne rezultate ove studije još nekoliko godina,

and if nothing else,

i ako ništa drugo,

1,000 newborns and their moms will have a bit more cash each month

1 000 novorođenčadi i njihovih mama će imati malo više novca svakog meseca

that they tell us they very much need.

za koji kažu da im je preko potreban.

But what if it turns out that a cost-effective way

Ali šta ako se ispostavi da je isplativ način

to help young children in poverty

da se pomogne maloj deci u siromaštvu

is to simply give their moms more money?

jednostavno dati više para njihovim mamama?

If our hypotheses are borne out,

Ako se naše hipoteze potvrde,

it's our hope that results from this work will inform debates about social services

nadamo se da će rezultati ovog rada pokrenuti raspravu o socijalnim službama

that have the potential to effect millions of families with young children.

koje imaju potencijal da utiču na milione porodica sa malom decom.

Because while income may not be the only or even the most important factor

Zato što, iako prihod možda nije jedini ili čak najvažniji faktor

in determining children's brain development,

u određivanju razvoja dečijeg mozga,

it may be one that,

može biti onaj koji se,

from a policy perspective,

iz zakonske perspektive,

can be easily addressed.

može lako regulisati.

Put simply,

Jednostavno rečeno,

if we can show that reducing poverty changes how children's brains develop

ako možemo dokazati da smanjenje siromaštva menja razvoj dečijeg mozga,

and that leads to meaningful policy changes,

a to vodi svrsishodnoj promeni strategija,

then a young child born into poverty today

onda malo dete rođeno u siromaštvu danas

may have a much better shot at a brighter future.

može imati mnogo bolje šanse za svetliju budućnost.

Thank you.

Hvala vam.

(Applause)

(Aplauz)