Brain's Reward Mechanism For Learning
- From: Rich Travsky <traRvEsky@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 22 Jun 2006 08:01:45 -0600
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/06/060620170342.htm
Neuroscientists have proposed a simple explanation for the pleasure
of grasping a new concept: The brain is getting its fix.
The "click" of comprehension triggers a biochemical cascade that
rewards the brain with a shot of natural opium-like substances,
said Irving Biederman of the University of Southern California. He
presents his theory in an invited article in the latest issue of
American Scientist.
...
The brain's craving for a fix motivates humans to maximize the rate
at which they absorb knowledge, he said.
"I think we're exquisitely tuned to this as if we're junkies, second
by second."
Biederman hypothesized that knowledge addiction has strong
evolutionary value because mate selection correlates closely with
perceived intelligence.
Only more pressing material needs, such as hunger, can suspend the
quest for knowledge, he added.
The same mechanism is involved in the aesthetic experience, Biederman
said, providing a neurological explanation for the pleasure we derive
from art.
...
Yes, very interesting from an evolutionary viewpoint.
.
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