IS STABILITY PREVENTING US FROM LEARNING?
Routine is what we are taught and instability is what we avoid, however, uncertainty and discomfort is what we need to grow
IN SCHOOL WE ARE TAUGHT TO DEVELOP ROUTINES AND GOOD HABITS. Many students stick to the same schedules every week, study in the same few spots on campus, follow the same route to class, eat at the same places. We are taught that routines can lead to productivity and success, but does productivity and success really lead to growth? Or does it just lead to an illusion that we are growing, when really we are learning nothing at all in our stable, comfortable lives?
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In a research study at Yale University, Monkeys were given a choice of hitting a red or green target. The red target gave a reward 80% of the time and the green target gave a reward 20% of the time. Once the monkeys learned to hit the red button, the scientist changed the red and green buttons so now the red target gave a 20% reward and the green target gave a 80% reward. This increased uncertainty and was found to increase learning.
In a second experiment, an orange button rewarded the monkeys 80% of the time and a blue button rewarded the monkeys 20% of the time. The experimenters did not change these buttons in order to introduce stability. When stability was introduced, the frontal cortex, which is part of the cerebrum where learning takes place, was found to have decreased activity. The monkeys stopped learning.