Segundo estudo publicado no Journal of Neuroscience,
mencionado no texto,
You know the exit is somewhere along this stretch of
highway, but you have
never taken it before
and do not want to miss
it. As you carefully scan
the side of the road for
the exit sign, numerous
distractions intrude on
your visual field:
billboards, a snazzy
convertible, a cell phone
buzzing on the
dashboard. How does your brain focus on the task at hand?
To answer this question, neuroscientists generally
study the way the brain strengthens its response to what
you are looking for – jolting itself with an especially large
electrical pulse when you see it. Another mental trick may
be just as important, according to a study published in April
in the Journal of Neuroscience: the brain deliberately
weakens its reaction to everything else so that the target
seems more important in comparison.
Such research may eventually help scientists
understand what is happening in the brains of people with
attention problems, such as attentionͲdeficit/hyperactivity
disorder. And in a world increasingly permeated by
distractions – a major contributor to traffic accidents – any
insights into how the brain pays attention should get ours.
Scientific American, July 2014. Adaptado.
You know the exit is somewhere along this stretch of
highway, but you have
never taken it before
and do not want to miss
it. As you carefully scan
the side of the road for
the exit sign, numerous
distractions intrude on
your visual field:
billboards, a snazzy
convertible, a cell phone
buzzing on the
dashboard. How does your brain focus on the task at hand?
To answer this question, neuroscientists generally study the way the brain strengthens its response to what you are looking for – jolting itself with an especially large electrical pulse when you see it. Another mental trick may be just as important, according to a study published in April in the Journal of Neuroscience: the brain deliberately weakens its reaction to everything else so that the target seems more important in comparison.
Such research may eventually help scientists understand what is happening in the brains of people with attention problems, such as attentionͲdeficit/hyperactivity disorder. And in a world increasingly permeated by distractions – a major contributor to traffic accidents – any insights into how the brain pays attention should get ours.
Scientific American, July 2014. Adaptado.
