astronomy

Michael J. A. Howe

Michael J. A. Howe is a astronomy topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Michael J. A. Howe rather than just read about it. In short: Michael John Anthony Howe (1940 – 2 January 2002) was a British cognitive psychologist. He was well known as a defender of environmental influences on intelligence, and as an opponent of IQ, and he was regularly involved in the controversies surrounding that area of research (see, e.g., Howe, 1997b).

Key takeaways

Michael J. A. Howe belongs to astronomy; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Michael J. A. Howe to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Michael J. A. Howe from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Michael John Anthony Howe (1940 – 2 January 2002) was a British cognitive psychologist. He was well known as a defender of environmental influences on intelligence, and as an opponent of IQ, and he was regularly involved in the controversies surrounding that area of research (see, e.g., Howe, 1997b). As a widely cited example of this work, with colleagues Davidson and Sloboda, he argued against the existence of innate talent, a position welcomed by some, but characterised as "absurd environmentalism" by researchers such as Douglas Detterman.

Early life and education Howe took BSc and PhD degrees at the University of Sheffield and worked at North American universities (Dalhousie, Tufts and Alberta) before taking a post as lecturer at the University of Exeter in England, where he worked for the rest of his career, eventually becoming the university's first Professor of Cognitive Psychology.

Career Howe pioneered the use of biography as a means of investigation within modern cognitive psychology (e.g. Howe, 1997a). He particularly applied it to the study of musical genius and other exceptional abilities, a subject that he investigated extensively (e.g. Howe, 1990, 1999), including the abilities of "idiot savants" (e.g. Howe, 1989). He wrote over 20 books, including university text books (e.g. Howe, 1977, 1998) and more popular works (e.g. Howe & Griffey, 1995). His books were widely translated and, in 2008, many were still in print.

Later life and death Howe formally retired in 2001 but continued his academic work without interruption. He died suddenly on 2 January 2002 following a stroke.

References

Sources Sloboda, J., Hartley, J., & Ceci, S. (2002). Obituary: Michael Howe (1940-2002). Psychology of Music, 30, 6–7. Kaufman, S.B. (2013). Epilogue: Michael Howe Remembered. The Complexity of Greatness: Beyond Talent or Practice

Selected bibliography Howe, M. J. A. (1977), Adult learning. Chichester: Wiley. Howe, M. J. A. (1989), Fragments of genius: the strange feats of idiot savants. London: Routledge Howe, M. J. A. (1990), The origins of exceptional abilities. Oxford: Basil Blackwell. Howe, M. J. A. (1997a), "Beyond psychobiography: towards more effective syntheses of psychology and biography". British Journal of Psychology, 88, 235–248. Howe, M. J. A. (1997b), IQ in question: The truth about intelligence. London: Sage. Howe, M. J. A. (1998), Principles of abilities and human learning. Hove: Psychology Press. Howe, M. J. A. (1999), Genius explained. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Howe, M. J. A., & Griffey, H. (1995), Give your child a better start: how to encourage early learning. London: Penguin.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Michael J. A. Howe

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Michael J. A. Howe claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In astronomy, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Michael J. A. Howe before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Michael J. A. Howe ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Michael J. A. Howe

In research: Michael J. A. Howe appears in astronomy research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Michael J. A. Howe in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Michael J. A. Howe is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1940 births, 2002 deaths, 20th-century British psychologists, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Michael J. A. Howe outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Michael J. A. Howe in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Michael J. A. Howe means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Michael J. A. Howe out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Michael J. A. Howe in simple terms?

Why does Michael J. A. Howe matter?

Because it connects several astronomy ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Michael J. A. Howe?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Michael J. A. Howe.