Amsterdam - Paper, pencil and books are the key to developing one's creativity and maximizing one's intelligence, says Dutch psychologist Christof van Nimwegen. The Dutch researcher recently completed a PhD dissertation at the University of Utrecht about the effects of software on the functioning of the human brain.
In "The Paradox of the guided user: assistance can be counter- effective," van Nimwegen asked two groups to perform the same tasks.
The first was allowed use a computer; the second group only got a pen and pencil.
The second group executed all tasks faster and performed substantially better. In addition, their solutions to complicated problems were more creative.
Van Nimwegen says this difference can be explained from the set-up of contemporary software.
"Present-day software must be user-friendly. Indeed, train ticket machines at railway stations should be simple and provide us with a ticket quickly," van Nimwegen told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa.
"But in other situations, I think we should not be assisted as much as graphic software interfaces like Microsoft Windows or Apple OSX are doing today," he added.
Van Nimwegen says much software turns us into passive beings, subjected to the whims of computers, randomly clicking on icons and menu options. In the long run, this hinders our creativity and memory, he says.
Van Nimwegen also investigated what happened if, during a task his two groups were working on, their computers suddenly crashed.
"The group that used a computer throughout, felt lost instantly and immediately performed badly when completing the task. The second group, who has used only pen and pencil, simply carried on with its work."
Van Nimwegen says his study demonstrates people may benefit if they continue to study new information by using books and the spoken word.
"Listening to someone is the best guarantee to absorb information and store it permanently in one's memory," van Nimwegen says.
Van Nimwegen's pioneering research about the effect of software on the functioning of the human brain, has raised interest in academic world as well as in the commercial industry.
Upon completion of his PhD dissertation, the researcher has started a position at the Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium.
But the medical division of Dutch electronics manufacturer Philips has also shown interest in him.
"Subconsciously, many of us know that computers can make our brains lazy," van Nimwegen says.
"Just think about GPS navigation systems. In certain situations the consequences can be far-reaching," van Nimwegen says, explaining that businesses are increasingly becoming aware of the problem.
He referred to an incident with the Terac 500 radiation machine, used worldwide to treat cancer patients.
"The software of this machine contained a fundamental error. If the user would insert the patient's data by typing quickly, then the machine would send the maximum dosage of radiation to the patient.
The development of the software only focused on functionality of the machine, not on the user of the machine and the interaction between the two," van Nimwegen explained.
Future software should consider the interaction between software and user. Present-day programmers and computer developers, he says, do not deal at all with this, but, van Nimwegen thinks, this will change.
"Computers gained popularity in the last decades because they prevent human mistakes. Now we see that it is more complicated.
"Sometimes, if computers take over too much from people, their brains get lazy and people become less attentive. They miss out on problems. Sometimes the consequences can be enormous," he warned.
The Dutch researcher thinks educational software might be the first field where software developers will apply their new ideas about the interaction between software and user and the effect of software on the human brain.
"In contemporary Dutch education, teenagers study mathematics using software and perform tests for their science class on the computer. This is easy, time-saving and cost-effective. It means you can practice everywhere and anywhere."
"But," van Nimegen adds, "we now know that working on a problem ourselves is the key to absorbing information and storing it solidly in our brain."
