Imagine that you are a baseball player deciding in a split second whether to swing at a 100 mph pitch. Or imagine that you are a juror trying to figure out whether someone is guilty of a crime.
One situation requires your brain to make a fast decision. In the other situation, your brain works more slowly and thoughtfully.
Whether you make the decision quickly or slowly, “your brain is learning from experience,” says Dr. Joseph Kable, a psychology professor at the University of Pennsylvania.
“There’s no replacement for the kind of learning that happens from your own experiences—your own wins and losses.”
In fact, Dr. Kable says, the brain “learns when something happens that you didn’t expect. And that means it’s OK to make mistakes.”
When you are young and trying to figure out the world around you, your brain isn’t fully developed. You have an exploratory mindset,” Dr. Kable says. You are more willing to try new things.
“That has a lot of pluses and some minuses,” he says. “On the plus side, you’re willing to do new things. You are willing to be brave and put yourself in new situations.”
The upside is that you discover things that you like. Maybe you will try a new sport, visit a new place, study a new topic, or make a new friend.
But there can be downsides to an exploratory mindset, too. “You can put yourself in new situations that end up being risky, not working out, and coming back to hurt you in some way,” Dr. Kable says.
That’s something he learned the hard way. When he turned 18, he bought cigarettes for the first time. “I wanted to be cool like all the people I saw on TV and in the movies. That was a very impulsive decision.” He regretted that decision, and it took him 15 years to quit smoking.
Your brain is constantly weighing options. For example, you may find yourself in a situation where you have a choice: Go out with your friends or stay home and study for an important test. Your brain considers two possible rewards: Doing well in school or enjoying hanging out with friends.
Regardless of the choice, Dr. Kable says, your brain is “very good at learning” from the outcome.
“If you make a decision and it works out great,” he says. “But negative feedback is also [beneficial] as long as you pay attention to it and learn from it.”
If you are in the same situation again, you don’t want to make the bad decision again.
“It’s all a learning experience,” Dr. Kable says. “And that’s how your brain helps you make better decisions in the future.”
—By Jahmal and DePaul Healthy Trailblazer Journal staff
Read more on page 5 of our Spring magazine.
