New research has demonstrated how studying in a new environment increases our learning ability. The study also showed how the brain processes new information in new environments.
A new study is shedding light on the fastest way to read, understand and remember new information. The study focused on how our brains react to different environments used for studying.
Stimuli associated with studying in a new environment
The cliché that you need to study in a place you are familiar with in order to increase your learning productivity has been challenged by the new study which found out that new environments increase our chances of learning faster. The study found that studying in a new environment is not distracting, as it had been previously thought.
New environments increase dopamine in your brain, which in turn promotes associative learning. Dopamine is a feel-good chemical released by our brain that is equivalent to rewarding actions that make us happy. The dopamine released during studying in a new environment rewards the brain to increase its retention power according to the new study.
Role of associative learning
Associative learning involves connecting stimuli with either a positive or a negative outcome. In the case of studying in a new environment, the dopamine helps associate the learning process with a positive brain outcome, increasing the retention and the rate of absorbing new information according to the study. The researchers called this feeling of learning faster in new environments as an inconsequential novel stimulus.
The researchers added their finding is a reminder of why we should explore moving to new places and challenging ourselves to study in new environments. They also emphasized the meaning of new and indicated studying in a new environment will mean changing your areas of study more regularly.
Therefore, students having a difficult time doing their last-minute revisions for a test or a salesperson looking to nail their presentation, the solution might be changing your environment of study. The benefits are tremendous and would help their retention and learning speeds.
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