Psychological flexibility
Learning and adapting
5 briefs · 6 sources read and checked · 3 the evidence firmly supports
Does being bilingual protect the brain?Bilingual people present with dementia symptoms roughly four and a half years later than monolinguals, replicated in India, Belgium and China. They do not develop less disease. Prospective studies find no difference in whether Alzheimer's occurs, and bilinguals tolerate more visible damage before symptoms appear. Reserve delays the symptoms and does not prevent the pathology.1 source checkedIs neuroplasticity real, and what does it mean for you?Neuroplasticity is real and well established. The adult brain reorganises with experience, and exercise, sleep and sustained practice measurably influence it. The evidence for deliberately harnessing it is weaker than the enthusiasm suggests: much of it comes from small samples and short interventions, plasticity slows with age, and no study supports rewiring your brain in a weekend.1 source checkedDoes spaced repetition actually work?Yes, and by a large enough margin to change how you learn anything. Across 22 classroom studies and more than 3,000 learners, spacing beat cramming at d = 0.54. Weekly intervals were the most consistent, fewer sessions worked better than many, and gains grew as the delay before testing grew. Studies of procedural skills are less consistent than studies of facts.1 source checkedDo learning styles exist?You do have a preferred way of taking information in. The claim that matching teaching to that preference improves learning fails when tested. A 2024 meta-analysis found a small effect that its own authors call too small and too infrequent to act on, and only a quarter of measures showed the pattern the theory requires. Matching how you study to the material beats matching it to your preference.2 sources checkedDoes brain training work?You improve at what you practise, substantially and reliably. Across 87 publications and 145 comparisons, that improvement did not carry over to intelligence, verbal ability, reading comprehension or arithmetic when measured against an active control group. Near transfer is real and useful. Far transfer has not been demonstrated.1 source checked
Strength of evidence
evidence-informed
Strength of evidence
evidence-informed
Strength of evidence
evidence-based
Strength of evidence
evidence-based
Strength of evidence
evidence-based
The other five capabilities
Put the useful part into practice
HumanOS helps you turn useful evidence about learning and adapting into a steady weekly practice.
Join HumanOS free