Thursday, August 27, 2015

Making a mistake can be rewarding, study finds

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-08/uosc-mam082515.php

Public Release: 25-Aug-2015
Making a mistake can be rewarding, study finds

MRI study shows failure is a rewarding experience when the brain has a chance to learn from its mistakes

University of Southern California

Many political leaders, scientists, educators and parents believe that failure is the best teacher.

Scientists have long understood that the brain has two ways of learning. One is avoidance learning, which is a punishing, negative experience that trains the brain to avoid repeating mistakes. The other is reward-based learning, a positive, reinforcing experience in which the brain feels rewarded for reaching the right answer.

A new MRI study by USC and a group of international researchers has found that having the opportunity to learn from failure can turn it into a positive experience - if the brain has a chance to learn from its mistakes.

"We show that, in certain circumstances, when we get enough information to contextualize the choices, then our brain essentially reaches towards the reinforcement mechanism, instead of turning toward avoidance," said Giorgio Coricelli, a USC Dornsife associate professor of economics and psychology.

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Coricelli said this process is similar to what the brain experiences when feeling regret: "With regret, for instance, if you have done something wrong, then you might change your behavior in the future," he said.

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