The prospect of a reward has always been an effective, even obvious way to encourage both adults and children perform at their best. What’s less known is that countless studies have shown is that, while we all generally depend on the promise of rewards, the brain actually responds to random rewards far more than expected ones.
The video below from the Teacher Talk web series examines this phenomenon, and how we can use it to our benefit. It’s all the result of a neurotransmitter called dopamine, which has a beneficial influence on learning. Essentially, dopamine tells our brain to pay attention — it’s that intangible good feeling we get when we figure something out, like a “light bulb” going off in our head. That dopamine response is imperative for getting excited about learning, and studies have found that it can be activated by rewards. However, while expected rewards result in the dopamine diminishing overtime, random rewards cause it to continue to be released for a longer period of time, with more positive effects.
The video describes example stimuli parents could use to help their children in the learning process. In fact, learning games with a random reward element, such as a 50/50 chance to gain more or lose some of what has been earned, can often increase the child’s ability to retain that information. It also explains that students learn more by having a game-based, reward-based learning system. Simply taking this style of learning into account could drastically change our own abilities.
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Key takeaways
- Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that can enhance learning ability and retention.
- Random rewards increase dopamine release more than expected ones.
- Playing reward-based games can help increase dopamine release, allowing a child to retain more information.
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