{"id":1092,"date":"2010-10-13T20:13:57","date_gmt":"2010-10-13T19:13:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/integrationtraining.co.uk\/blog\/?p=1092"},"modified":"2010-10-13T20:13:57","modified_gmt":"2010-10-13T19:13:57","slug":"brains-of-training-triune-brain-theory","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.integrationtraining.co.uk\/blog\/2010\/10\/brains-of-training-triune-brain-theory\/","title":{"rendered":"Triune Brain Theory – 3 Brains of Training"},"content":{"rendered":"

Surprisingly we don\u2019t have one brain but three, and they are all important for training. The triune brain theory<\/strong> maps our brain\u2019s evolution and was developed by Paul D MacLean starting in 60\u2018s and fully developed by his 1990 book ‘The Triune Brain in Evolution’.<\/p>\n

Essentially this model divides the modern human brain into three parts, based on our evolutionary ancestry. These are the reptile brain responsible for base drives, the mid-brain or limbic system responsible for emotions and memory, and the neocoretx responsible for \u201chigher\u201d brain functions. To envisage these \u201cthree brains\u201d imagine a large man\u2019s thumb, a fist encasing the thumb and a hand over the front of the fist. These are the (very) rough sizes and shapes of the the reptile brain (the \u201cthumb\u201d on top of your spinal cord at the lower back of the head), the early mammalian (a complex mix of weird shaped tubes and pipes – some look a bit like ears – roughly the size of large fist) and late mammalian brain (walnutty stereotypical brain matter – the hand over the top)…Now you don\u2019t need to take out your brain to read the rest of the article.<\/p>\n

Triune Brain Theory –\u00a0A Useful Model and a Disclaimer
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The triune brain theory has been updated and surpassed by modern neuroscientists and developmental biologists who have found that things are more complex and animals not so easy to pigeon hole (even bird-brained pigeons). The theory remains useful as a model however and is surprisingly \u201csticky\u201d as it appeals to initiative notions of the different capacities people have. It is for example meaningful for many people to distinguish between \u201chead, heart and hands\u201d or \u201cthinking, feeling and gut instinct\u201d as the model would suggest. For my own part I am not a brain surgeon (I remember scratching all three brains during the cognitive neuroscience part of my psychology degree) but a trainer interested in useful frameworks and metaphors. This article is intended more as a stimuli for thinking about the different aspects of being human and how these relate to learning and development than a cutting-edge anatomy lesson.<\/p>\n

The New Brain<\/strong><\/p>\n

The neocortex, found only in certain \u201chigher\u201d mammals is associated with functions such as language, abstraction, planning and logical thought. This is the newest and very human part of the brain that has allowed us to make I-phones and atom bombs, design innovative training courses and enables delegates to day-dream about other things while we\u2019re boring them with slide-shows. Dolphins and apes also have a neocortex, and you are using it now to read this.<\/p>\n

The neocortex is also slower under pressure than other parts of the brain and when stressed can be effectively turned off leaving other more \u201cprimitive\u201d parts to take over. If you\u2019ve ever said or done something \u201cin the heat of the moment\u201d this is what likely happened.<\/p>\n

The majority of training out there is designed by clever humans using this part of the brain, and involves addressing this part of the brain only. This means that trainers present information, try and convey data and make logical arguments. Much traditional training and most e-learning is very guilty of this. Sadly this approach is very limited for a number of reasons that will be become clear. Often I think about getting \u201cpast\u201d the neocoretx these days – for example presenting some facts about how emotional intelligence has been shown by research to be three times better than IQ at predicting career success at the start of an workshop for example – rather than engaging purely with the cerebral, cognitive parts of delegates brains.
\nThe illusion is that this part of the brain runs the show and while we can use it to delay gratification for example, it is also true that more often people make decisions on a emotive intuitive associative level and THEN rationalise it. Think of every advert on TV, advertisers know what most trainers don\u2019t, that it is not well reasoned logical arguments that change behaviour, but beauty, fear, love, belonging, inspiration, etc.<\/p>\n

I also don\u2019t want to take this too far and the neocoretx can get a bad rep in personal development circles. It is this part of the brain that enables delegates to envisage applying training back in the office for example (it can be viewed as a kind of virtual reality system for testing new ideas), and is also concerned with identity and meaning (along with the limbic system), critical areas to engage in successful training.<\/p>\n

The Limbic System (Midbrain)<\/strong><\/p>\n

The limbic system – or midbrain – consists of the septum, amygdala, hypothalamus, hippocampal complex, and cingulate cortex. We share this part of the brain with cats and dogs which is why they make such good pets…compared to stick insects which don\u2019t have it and are let\u2019s face it…a bit rubbish. This part of the brain is responsible for the tricky, juicy, wonderful, annoying emotional elements that make us what we are, as well as memory and other aspects of learning. Any trainer worth her salt is both engaging with this part of their delegate\u2019s brain and making sure it doesn\u2019t \u201chijack\u201d the whole show and disable the neocoretx.<\/p>\n

Ways to Involve the Emotions in Training<\/strong><\/p>\n

Emotive memories stick as the limbic system is involved with both affect and learning, so if you want to help delegates remember training don\u2019t just put up a wordy PowerPoint show (which has primarily neocortical appeal), instead try some of the following:<\/p>\n