Does fear help you learn?

#fear #learn

This close link between fear and memory could lead us to think that fear promotes learning. However, research shows that it can have long-term negative consequences for both children and adults, and make learning more difficult.

So how do we learn and what do we learn when we are afraid? Here are the answers that research brings us.

[Article issu de The Conversation, écrit par Deborah Pino Pasternak Associate Professor in Early Childhood Education and Community, University of Canberra]

How fear affects children’s learning

Fear is designed to protect us from current and future dangers. Faced with situations that frighten them, children learn to avoid new experiences instead of exploring, engaging, and approaching the unknown with curiosity.

Constant exposure to fear changes the way the brain responds to the outside world. Fear triggers a stress response in the brain and puts it on alert; it makes us hyperreactive to respond decisively to threats that arise.

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This attitude can be welcome if you find yourself, for example, confronted with the aggressiveness of an unknown person. But it is not productive in a study environment like school, where we are asked to be open to new experiences and to create innovative solutions.

In fact, the areas of the brain activated when we’re afraid are different from those we use when we’re thinking carefully about how to approach a tricky problem. Research has shown that when we are in a state of fear, the most primitive parts of the brain take over the activity of the prefrontal cortex, the “control center” of the brain.

This means that it is very difficult to make predictions, make wise decisions, and use our existing knowledge if we feel threatened or afraid.

Fear is transmitted from adults to children

Adults play a vital role in how children will respond to fear. Their behavior in unfamiliar situations serves as a model for younger children. They also (or not) create safe environments that encourage children’s exploration.

Fear is easily learned through the adults who matter in the child’s life. Studies have shown that toddlers and school-age children learn to avoid new experiences if their parents communicate or show signs of fear in this regard.

Think, for example, of how a child can learn to fear animals by seeing their parents’ reactions. Or, for example, how constant warnings like “Be careful!” » can end up making a child too anxious to take risks when playing, climbing trees, etc.

Adult behaviors also influence the degree of inner security children feel that allows them to dare to be themselves and explore the world with confidence.

Studies of parental behaviors consistently show that parenting involving physical and verbal aggression is associated with poorer child performance, including poor academic performance, higher levels of aggression and anxiety, poor relationships with peers.

The situation is completely reversed when parents, while giving rules and limits, are warm and encourage autonomy.

Teachers can also play a vital role in the development of fear reactions. Students are more likely to be motivated and have successful schooling if teachers are “autonomy-friendly,” which involves being curious and open to students’ interests, soliciting their point of view. view and offer them choices, to accept a range of emotions, from frustration, anger or reluctance to play to joy and curiosity.

The effects of fear on adult learning

Many people who suffer from anxiety as adults were exposed as children to environments where they felt constantly threatened.

These adults may end up avoiding taking on new tasks, constantly considering new questions and multiplying points of view. These are skills that employers generally value.

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Work environments that create fear can also be counterproductive and stressful.

Work environments that create fear can also be counterproductive and stressful. Shutterstock

Research suggests that when employees perceive their work environment as unsafe, they are more likely to suffer from burnout, anxiety and stress. Stressful situations can also interfere with our ability to transfer what we know to new situations.

Furthermore, researchers say that a trusting relationship between employees and their superiors can influence workers’ propensity to reveal their vulnerability and accept tasks that involve uncertainty.

Researchers have also found that positive relationships at work can encourage creativity, making assignments more interesting and enjoyable.

What do we learn when we are afraid?

Fear is indeed accompanied by learning. The question is what it is.

In the face of threats and hostility, we learn to avoid challenges and conform to external rules instead of wondering how to improve systems. We protect our feelings and limit our thoughts to areas that feel safe.

Is this the type of learning that allows us to grow and evolve?

More than ever, children and adults need to collaborate creatively to solve difficult problems. This means being able to face uncertainty and accept making mistakes or failing. Developing these skills requires safe and nurturing environments, not home, school, or work environments governed by fear.