Those who went to traditional schools are not we shocked the maxim "Spare the rod and spoil the child", as it was not uncommon for the teacher throw a good chunk chalk at a student distracted, or even the typical borradorzaso when it came to the end. Not to mention the paddling in his hands, or stand in the yard with his hands raised during all the time until the teacher remembered that I had sent punished. Well, even if those measures fall more and more obsolete by the new theories that are more humanistic education, since it lacks the bitter teacher still remembers his omnipotence in the classroom holding the highest position under the aforementioned bloody.
Fortunately modern science is increasingly helping to derail these popular myths. Recently, a study just published in Current Biology where he gives a good thrust to the idea that the punishment is best to learn. The article in question was written by Abe, Schambra, Wassermann, Luckenbaugh, Schweighofer, and Cohen, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, and the University of Southern California, and is entitled "Reward Improves Long-Term Retention of a Motor Memory Through Memory Gains Induction of Offline", which means something like: "The reward improves the long-term retention of motor memory through mnemonic induction of off-line profits ".
What did they do?
As these researchers made a very simple experiment. They trained three groups of volunteers to move a cursor shaped box on a computer screen. But unlike ordinary mouse, so you can move the cursor had to press a force transducer. That is, squeezing a gizmo with the index finger and thumb were able to move the box. The stronger the grip, the faster they move the box. The aim was to put that little picture in a bigger picture that moved constantly, and keep it there for a period of time.
For the three groups were trained in this simple task. But what was the difference between the groups? As a control group given 40 dolarucos and ready to participate. Members of the second group-the group "punished" - he was given 72 dollars at the beginning of the experiment, but each time he deducted money were wrong, so that at the end were left with about $ 40. And finally the third group - the group "rewarded" - started with zero dollars, but were told that their success as they would give money, so that at the end of the experiment were also about 40 dollars.
What they found?
What researchers found is that the three groups showed the same learning at the end of training. So far no surprise. The next test was at 6 hours, then at 24 hours and finally at 30 days after training. None of the subjects in either group was exposed again to test out these days. What researchers found was that at 6 hours, the three test groups were still running fairly well, but the rewards group that had started to excel. At 24 hours this same group showed improvements offline (which means that even without further training, showed improvement!). Well, finally the thirtieth day, this group experienced retained earnings at 24 hours, while the other two groups showed significant forgetting.
What does this mean?
These results are indicative that subjects tend at further strengthening their learning if they are rewarded, unlike neutral and punished groups that, although initially learned, but quickly forgot what they learned. But, why this phenomenon occurs?, Well, what we think is that the systems of reward and punishment are handled differently in the brain. This would suggest that the brain dopaminergic system exerts an action that reinforces what was learned, while the system of punishment has this effect in the long term.
One might think then that those things which give us gratification when they finally learn to be better remembered. This could apply to information that we learn in a fun and happy, unlike that we learn under the threat that comes in red ink on the report card. Finally one remembers well when and who administered the paddling, but hardly remember what the hell is supposed to be what one must have learned to avoid that punishment. However, if we remember those things that we loved and did with gusto, even when we desveláramos hours learning.
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