Group B- Responding to Rehearsal

Some people fear change. They are comforted by the notion of consistency and routine. There is a certain degree of uncertainty, involved with change that causes individuals to be uncomfortable. Most people like to be in control and have some sort of command as to what will occur next. However, it is undeniable that conditions will change. The life that we live today will be vastly differently, than what our children will live and their children will live. These changes are mostly accredited to technological advancement in society. New technology can influence, behavior, societal norms, and work efficiency. But what happens when the same set of software (our brains) that has been inside of humans forever gets exposed to new technology? As the brain receives new tools for technology, it adapts to best suit it.

Its not hard to imagine that our brain adapts to circumstances. Arguments could be made that, reading intensive courses, produce faster readers or better skimmers. Logic based courses develop rational thinkers. Even, that most repetitive actions yield altered thought. As Nicholas Carr puts it in his book The Shallows, "Our brains are constantly changing in response to our experiences and our behavior"(31). This can be attributed to neuroplasticity which is the phenomenon of the brain "reprogramming itself on the fly, altering the way it functions" (27). Based on circumstances our brains will adapt to best suit the situation. This phenomenon reminds me of training a muscle. For example, the first time one does an exercise, they will be extremely sore, but through repetition the muscle adapts and gets use to it and eventually does not feel that same pain as it did the first time. The same can be said for the brain, when a new reader picks up a book for the first time, immense mental exertion must occur to decipher the code, however with practice an individual can skim and get the general gist of a passage. Carr also mentions that if neglected these neural pathways that are developed can dissolve. This too resembles the muscle. If I do not work out for a while, my fitness level is significantly lower than when I was in shape. Therefore, in order to keep our minds sharp we have to practice, by doing intellectually stimulating activities.

What struck me as interesting was when Carr mentioned that one could learn something through imagination, rather than physically doing it. Visualization can teach the brain to prepare for future events. Being a highly athletic campus, many students at Ursinus find themselves dealing with pre-game anxiety or excitement. A common strategy that many have found prepares an athlete for the mental stress that occurs during a game is  visualization. Dr. David Yukelson at Penn State, defines this strategy as  a multi-sensory activity where one is “feels himself or herself  performing the way he or she wants". For example, before a big race a swimmer would visualize their stroke at its fastest, imagine hitting the wall with power and pushing off with speed or even just the feel of the water during a perfect stroke. This is supposed to sharpen the neural pathways that your brain has devoted to physical activity and prepare your body to perform.  While Dr. Yukelson mentions that one must have realistic visualizations for success to occur, he sees it as a valuable tool for mental preparation and performance. 

What I am curious about is how much do you buy into visualization as means for learning? Do you think that the only way to learn is to physically engage in the activity, or does thinking about it and imagining it suffice? Do you think you could learn something solely through mental practice?  In my opinion, visualization is highly valuable. When I cannot figure out how to do something in the pool or out I rehearse it in my head constantly. Even for oral projects, I will recite the speech in my head multiple times in preparation to speak orally. I do not have any conclusive evidence that it impacts my performance however it lowers my levels of anxiety before meets, tests, and speeches and has become a crucial component of my preparations.