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Listen to Mom and Dad: = Distractions make=20 learning less efficient

RANDOLPH E.=20 SCHMID, AP Science Writer. Associated=20 Press. New=20 York: Jul 24, 2006. pg. 1

Abstract=20 (Document Summary)

As [Russell A. Poldrack] explains it, the brain learns in = two=20 different ways. One, called declarative learning, involves = the=20 medial temporal lobe and deals with learning active facts = that can=20 be recalled and used with great flexibility. The second, = involving=20 the striatum, is called habit learning.

The problem, Poldrack said, is that the two types of = learning=20 seem to be competing with each other, and when someone is=20 distracted, habit learning seems to take over from = declarative=20 learning.

The results suggest that at least a bit of the = information is=20 being learned even when we are distracted by a secondary = task, said=20 [Chris Mayhorn], who was not part of Poldrack's research=20 team.

Full=20 Text (727 words)

Copyright Associated Press Jul 24, = 2006

WASHINGTON (AP) _ Your parents were = right, don't=20 study with the TV on.

Multitasking may be a necessity in = today's=20 fast-paced world, but new research shows distractions affect = the way=20 people learn, making the knowledge they gain harder to use = later=20 on.

The study, in Monday's Proceedings of the = National=20 Academy of Sciences, also provides a clue as to why it = happens.

"What's new is that even if you can learn = while=20 distracted, it changes how you learn to make it less = efficient and=20 useful," said Russell A. Poldrack, a psychology professor at = the=20 University of California, Los Angeles.

That could affect a lot of young people. = A study by=20 the Kaiser Family Foundation last year found third-graders = through=20 12th- graders devoted, on average, nearly 6 1/2 hours per = day to TV=20 and videos, music, video games and computers.

As Poldrack explains it, the brain learns = in two=20 different ways. One, called declarative learning, involves = the=20 medial temporal lobe and deals with learning active facts = that can=20 be recalled and used with great flexibility. The second, = involving=20 the striatum, is called habit learning.

For instance, in learning a phone number = you can=20 simply memorize it, using declarative learning, and can then = recall=20 it whenever needed, Poldrack explained.

A second way to learn it is by habit, = "punch it in=20 1,000 times, then even if you don't remember it consciously, = you can=20 go to the phone and punch it in," he said.

Memorizing is a lot more useful, he = pointed out.=20 "If you use the habit system, you have to be at a phone to = recreate=20 the movements."

The problem, Poldrack said, is that the = two types=20 of learning seem to be competing with each other, and when = someone=20 is distracted, habit learning seems to take over from = declarative=20 learning.

"We have to multitask in today's world, = but you=20 have to be aware of this," he said. "When a kid is trying to = learn=20 new concepts, new information, distraction is going to be = bad, it's=20 going to impair their ability to learn."

That doesn't mean he thinks a silent = environment is=20 essential _ music can help in learning because it can make = the=20 individual happier, he said.

But in general, "distraction is almost = always a bad=20 thing."

What Poldrack and his colleagues did was = to use=20 brain imaging to study the parts of the brain in use when 14 = people=20 were learning.

Participants were asked to predict the = weather=20 after receiving a repeated set of cues. During part of the = learning,=20 researchers added a second task where participants had to = keep a=20 running mental count of high tones that they heard, thus = adding an=20 element of distraction.

The results showed that when doing = single-task=20 learning, the brain used the region associated with = declarative=20 memory, while the habit memory region was associated with = dual-task=20 learning.

The dual-task learning did not affect the = participants' ability to predict weather at the time, but it = reduced=20 their knowledge about the task during a follow-up session = later.

"In my opinion, this article represents a = significant step forward in understanding the interaction = between=20 the various memory systems possessed by healthy human adults = and=20 task demands," commented Dr. Chris Mayhorn, who teaches = psychology=20 at North Carolina State University.

The results suggest that at least a bit = of the=20 information is being learned even when we are distracted by = a=20 secondary task, said Mayhorn, who was not part of Poldrack's = research team.

By relying on the habit memory system, he = said, "We=20 may find ourselves in situations where we have picked up = information=20 about performing some task but we are unsure where that = information=20 came from."

In some situations this could be = dangerous, he=20 added: "For instance, we may find ourselves making decisions = based=20 on 'gut feelings' that utilize this implicit information and = not=20 realize that our decisions may be biased by where we learned = that=20 information."

Mayhorn noted that the experiment was = small,=20 looking at 14 people from a limited age range.

"It is difficult to determine how far we = can=20 generalize these results," he said. "But I still believe = that the=20 results are interesting because they extend previous results = and=20 provide direction for future research in the area."

Poldrack's research was supported by the = National=20 Science Foundation and the Whitehall Foundation.

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Proceedings of the National Academy of = Sciences:=20 http://=20 www.pnas.org

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