José:
Definition - The Hyperactivity Inversion:

For AHs and VGs from age roughly 6 months to late teens/early twenties - and adjusted relative to all other factors - the Hyperactivity Inversion is the tendency for VGs to initially be more physically hyperactive than AHs. Eventually this relation reverses itself and, in adulthood, the AH becomes more physically hyperactive than the VG.

This demonstrates several problems with the DSM-IV classification, under the assumption that VG/AH Theory is correct. In order for the diagnosis of ADD/ADHD to be made, the DSM-IV requires that the symptoms of hyperactivity be present before age 7. However, AHs are not as likely as VGs to be hyperactive at such a young age and, hence, many AHs are classified as having another neurological condition - most often an Affective Disorder (such Bipolar Disorder). Furthermore, this lower probability for the AH to be hyperactive in childhood tends to negate the correlation between AH and ADHD-HI.

There are many factors obscuring the Hyperactivity Inversion. For one, boys have the tendency to be AH more often than girls, and girls tend to be VG more often than boys. Society is more accepting of hyperactive behavior from boys, whereas girls are often taught that it is “unlady-like” to behave this way. Further, there are cultural differences which must be considered. For example, White Americans tend to be more tolerant of bold behavior from girls than do Hispanic cultures. The overall tendency is for hyperactive behavior to be somewhat reinforced in boys, and somewhat suppressed in girls, which is opposite to the real genetic tendency implied by the Hyperactivity Inversion.

One of the important realizations which results from this is that, in our distant past - when living as migratory/nomadic hunter/gatherers - AH babies were carried, while VG babies walked. So how were primitive AHs and VGs able to tell the difference? And why has modern man lost this ability?

This is supported by the documented evidence that those with Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) tend to mature later - that is, reach puberty later and continue growing into their twenties and even thirties - and are less physically coordinated as children.


Leif:
I really think we should separate physical maturation from “mental” maturation. I believe that we mature slower “mentally”, but that we also mature over a longer period of time. This is likely due to our cold climate adaptation, that is, an inclination to “hibernate” during winter time - which manifests itself as Seasonal Affective Disorder. Still, it’s not conclusive whether this slower maturation is due to tests which measure “normal” children’s abilities, or wrong educational methods, or some other factor.


Rebecca:
While I certainly agree with you that the AH tends to mature slower than the VG, I would change “mental” maturation to “emotional” maturation. To me, the term “mental immaturity” seems to carry with it connotations of lesser intelligence, which certainly isn’t the case. I think that, as the same species, VGs and AHs have the same variances in intelligence. Unfortunately, current methods of measuring intelligence do not distinguish between AH and VG and, in my opinion, such a distinction MUST be made because of the differences in the way each processes information. In other words, comparing VG intelligence to AH intelligence is irrelevant. An IQ test designed to measure AH intelligence would be a poor indicator of VG intelligence, just as the AH would fare poorly on an IQ test designed for VGs.


Leif:
Yes, I am aware of this problem from various tests of my own children. WISC simply cannot be used to compare our children to other children.


Rebecca:
However, I also believe that the AH matures slower physically, as well. As cold weather inhabitants, keeping their babies warm would be an important consideration to the mothers, so carrying their babies would seem to be the logical choice. Also, consider that predatory mammals are generally born physically immature, whereas prey animals are up and about within hours of birth. It is already established that babies will develop in one area at a time. That is, a baby will spend a given period of time growing, for instance, while showing little development in other areas, then suddenly stop growing as quickly, only to show great strides in another area, like motor control.

I believe that while the VG baby is physically developing by exploring its environment, and thus, learning its role within that environment, the AH baby is being carried while it learns, by observation, the societal role it plays. During this time, growth is slowed while most of its energy is diverted to its AH brain so it can develop those areas which will become necessary (to its AH nature) once its mobility increases. Again, look at the animal kingdom. Lion cubs are born physically immature (with closed eyes, no less!), spending their newborn days mostly in the company of their mothers and other newborns, and establishing their rank within the pride. Once they are mobile, they spend their time roughhousing, learning the physical and mental skills necessary to their survival as predators.


Leif:
Our daughter, who is 8, still wants me to carry her everywhere - it almost seems to be her way of “socializing”. She also likes to “groom” me.


Rebecca:
Bonobos (“Pygmy” chimps - our genetically closest primate relative), on the other hand, are born much more physically mature - their arms already possessing the strength to hold on to their mothers for dear life). Their social status is predetermined by their mother’s status - regardless of their physical or mental “rank”. Instead, the time with their mother is spent learning the skills necessary to their primarily gatherer lifestyle.

I believe that the slower maturation rate of the AH is a necessary part of AH development. The emotional immaturity, however, comes from the dysfunctional way in which most AHs are raised. Being physically separated from their mothers for much of the time, being forced to conform to rules which are unnatural to them (i.e., not instinctual), and being constantly told that their perceptions and behaviors are wrong, must take a toll on the AH psyche.


Leif:
Yes, that’s my view of it too, although some AHs get along pretty well. I think that one of the worst child rearing methods of an AH is for its parents pretending they are normal.


Rebecca:
I believe that the price AHs pay is emotional immaturity and difficulties in properly interpreting social cues (if it’s not an outright inability).


Leif:
Certainly emotional immaturity, but I have doubt concerning their inability to interpret social cues. I think they have another set of social instincts and this makes it very hard for them to learn how to socialize with others, since the socialization habits are never taught.


Rebecca:
However, I strongly believe that our mental well-being is contingent upon our being raised as either AHs or VGs (depending on what type we actually are). Our society does our children a great disservice by raising children by a one-size-fits-all method. Unfortunately, it is our AH children who suffer the most.

Let us consider the AH baby. Physically immature (generally speaking), and in need of completely different stimulus than the VG baby to flourish, it is often raised and evaluated using primarily VG methods and standards. However, babies have a way of making their needs known (feeding and a diaper change being the most obvious examples). There are babies who start crying the moment they are put down (or left alone for a second). These babies are extremely difficult to handle in our modern society where both parents often need to work. These babies need to be carried almost constantly and want to be right in the middle of everything. In my opinion, that is exactly what they should have.

I imagine that in simpler times, these children received the extra attention they required as babies and were not left to “cry it out” as Dr. Spock recommends. Spending so much time with their mothers gave them the opportunity to learn the social skills they needed to be functional parts of their societies.

Modern society takes a newborn and feeds it according to a schedule, throws it in a cage (otherwise known as a crib) to sleep and, often separates it from its mother at a fairly young age so mom can return to work. Humans are the only land mammals that separate the adults from the children to sleep. Why is that? I could never understand it.

Suppose we were to observe a newborn baby to determine its type (AH or VG) and, upon determining that a baby is an AH, the parents were to raise it as such. This means that they keep the baby with them at all times (activities requiring alone time are done when baby is sound asleep), they sleep with the baby in their bed (making night-time nursing a breeze), they interact with the baby at every opportunity, thus teaching it how to properly read facial expressions and body language, and the ins and outs of human interaction.

So, let us take this construct a step further. Let us assume that, indeed, the window during which the AH baby is able to learn certain skills is open at birth. We can then look at the “Gnarly Powers” connection to this early learning.

We have an AH baby born to a VG mother. This mother will carry her baby around almost constantly. The baby will learn not only by observation, but by being directly in the middle of (although, not directly involved in) its mother’s social interactions - almost as an extension of her. With the child in direct physical contact with its mother, it can then pick up on sixth sense communications that the mother is picking up. For instance, when the mother feels danger, the child can easily pick up on the feeling of danger, but also on the correct reaction to that feeling. The same would hold true for any feeling/reaction - the mother imparts empathically the “picking up” on the feeling, as well as the correct reaction.

Now, this - while not as yet scientifically proven - would account for “deficits” in our AH children. Furthermore, if the VG mother is able to communicate in dreams with the AH child, there is a great deal more the AH child can learn. A VG mother able to control her dreams could then, in theory, turn a dream into a virtual classroom for the AH child complete with emotions, sensations, and reactions. However, I believe that physical contact is required for this empathic transference to occur.