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ORIGAMI - WAY OF DEVELOPMENT OF PSYCHOMOTOR, INTELLECTUAL AND CREATIVE ABILITIES

Katrin Shumakov, Yurii Shumakov

Being engaged art of origami, we have noticed, that it influences our mental condition. As the psychologists, we have decided to investigate what influence renders origami on psychological and psychophysiological characteristics of the people.

Within five years we carried out this research on the basis of faculty of psychology of Rostov-on-Don State University. The scientific chief of this work is P.N. Ermakov - professor, doctor of biology, dean of faculty of psychology and vice-president of Russian Psychological Society.

In origami the folding occurs at participation of both hands, without a condition of domination any by one (as, for example, at the letter or drawing) and without necessity of tools. Such activity can be referred to the category of bimanual asymmetrical activity.

As both hands are actively involved in work, there is a natural massage of tips of fingers, that in turn salutarily has an effect for dynamic balance of processes of excitation and braking in cortical areas of a brain.

The algorithms of folding are rather various, so during this hand-operated activity is formed and the wide repertoire of movements of fingers and brush both right, and left hands. Thus the motor zones of a cortex of the large hemispheres are made active. It is possible to notice that the projection of brushes of hands in a head brain is greater, for example, than the projection of a back or legs, and area of a projection depends on complexity of management of the appropriate muscles.

The visual control of the coordinated work of hands raises activity of the appropriate areas of a cortex. The rich communications of the motor analyzer with various structures of the brain allow transferring activity to last. The coordinated work of hands requires sufficient activity of the brain, harmonious work of its various structures. In such motor activity the large force is made. Let's recollect that ability to manipulate hands in evolution of mankind has served to one of starting points in development of intellectual abilities.

It is known that the right half of our body is supervised by the left hemisphere of a head brain, and left half - right hemisphere. The ability of logical thinking, number skills, reading, reasoning, speech, and scientific ability is connected to activity of the left hemisphere. Functions of the right hemisphere - insight, three-dimensional perception (recognition), sensitivity to art, imagination, musical and art abilities. Thus, we can tell, that origami promotes increase of activity both right - creative, and left - logic hemispheres, and floppy interaction of hemispheres in work of the whole brain.

Overall objective of our research - to show, that in art of an origami the mechanism of harmonious development of both hemispheres of a head brain and them interactions (most effectively influencing children by virtue of plasticity of a children's brain) is incorporated.

Children 7-11 years old which are taking place an intensive course of origami during an additional week vacation (25(twenty-five) hours = five days for five educational hours in each) participated in this research. The course of origami passed at complete at absence of other educational subjects. Total 137 children.

The intensive course of origami represented the specially organized lessons of origami supposing: 1) dynamic development of methods of folding of a paper; 2) fast transitions from simple to complex and three dimensional models; 3) exercises developing creative skills in origami; 4) inventing of own models; 5) orientation to qualitative execution (performance) of model- its beauty; 6) satisfaction from work.

The research was carried out as training experiment through hardware and test techniques. The interhemispheric functional asymmetry of a brain, the activity of hemispheres, the fine 'motor skills' of hands, the precision of the eye's ability to visualize the perception of spatial parts, the three-dimensional imagination, nonverbal intelligence, speed of thinking and creative thinking were studied. These psychological and psychophysiological characteristics were measured prior to the beginning, in middle and after a week course of origami. The processing of the received data was carried out by standard mathematical methods. The results have shown actual growth of all measured parameters.

Thus, the carried out research has shown, that origami allows to waken genetic mechanisms of interhemispheric functional asymmetry, to make active the left hand, i.e. the right hemisphere is more than usually. That considerably facilitates development of maximum mental functions, which at early stages of an ontogenesis occurs to the greater support on the right hemisphere.

Origami stimulates interaction of hemispheres that is reflected in a complex dynamical mosaic of activity of hemispheres in motor and visual zones of the cortex of the head brain. It explains actual growth of parameters in nonverbal and verbal spheres occurring on a background of activization of an interhemispheric exchange. Origami has allowed to develop motor abilities of both hands, intellectual and creative abilities at children, on a background of various activity of the right and left hemispheres.

Origami is necessary to use in the programs of development of children 7-11 years old, whereas this age period is characterized by sensitivity for development of such motor qualities, as speed, flexibility and accuracy of coordination of movements. And the development of bimanual motor skills causes interaction of the large hemispheres.

Thus, executed research has shown, that origami can be used as means for:
· Activization of the right and left hemispheres of a head brain;
· Development of fine 'motor skills' of the right and left hands;
· Development of visual accuracy;
· Development of three-dimensional imagination;
· Development of nonverbal intelligence;
· Activization of creative thinking.

So, origami combines in itself: a psychophysiological basis of activation of hemispheres on a background is positive - paint of emotional experiences; multimodal activation of mental opportunities; novelty; sense of activity; sensation of game; final result; satisfaction from work and aesthetic experiences.

ORILAND

ORIVILLE

FOLDINGBURG

GOBLINGTON

LA MAGIC

NEWFOLD

PAPERTOWN

SAN-ELF