The Science of Success

The Science of Success
Most of us have genes thatformal dressesmake us as hardy as dandelions: able to take root and survive almost anywhere. A few of us, however, are more like the orchid: fragile and fickle, but capable of blooming spectacularly if given greenhouse care. So holds a provocativechina cell phonenew theory of genetics, which asserts that the very genes that give us the most trouble as a species, causingsmart phonebehaviors that are self-destructive and antisocial, alsochina supplierunderlie humankind’s phenomenal adaptability and evolutionary success. With a bad environment and poor parenting, orchid children can end up depressed, drug-addicted, or in jail—but with the right environment and good parenting, they can grow up to be society’s most creative, successful, and happy people.
In 2004, Marian Bakermans-Kranenburg, a professorunlocked cell phoneof child and family studies at Leiden University, started carrying a video camera into homes of families whose 1-to-3-year-olds indulged heavily inbuy wedding dressesthe oppositional, aggressive, uncooperative, and aggravating behavior. that psychologists call “externalizing”: whining, screaming, whacking, throwing tantrums and objects, and willfully refusing reasonable requests. Staple behaviorsbuy wedding dressesin toddlers, perhaps. But research has shown that toddlers with especially high rates of these behaviors are likely to become stressed, confused children who fail academically and socially in school, and become antisocialultramarine blueand unusually aggressive adults. At the outset of their study, Bakermans-KranenburgInsulating glassand her colleagues had screened 2,408 children via parental questionnaire, and they were now focusing on the 25 percent rated highest by their parents in externalizing behaviors. Lab observations had confirmed these parental ratings.
Bakermans-Kranenburg meant to change the kids’ behavior. In an intervention her lab hadwork dublindeveloped, she or another researcher visited each of 120 families six times over eight months; filmed the mother and child in everyday activities, including some requiring obedience or cooperation; and then edited the film into teachable moments to show to the mothers. A similar group of high-externalizing children received no intervention.