Temporary anxiety disrupts spatial learning and threat recognition

Temporary anxiety disrupts spatial learning and threat recognition

A brief episode of anxiety may have a bigger influence on a person's ability to learn what is safe and what is not.

Virtual reality research shows how temporary anxiety can affect learning

A brief episode of anxiety may have a bigger influence on a person's ability to learn what is safe and what is not. Research recently published in npj Science of Learning has used a virtual reality game that involved picking flowers with bees in some of the blossoms that would sting the participant—simulated by a mild electrical stimulation on the hand.

Temporary Anxiety Impairs Threat Recognition and Learning

A brief episode of anxiety can significantly impair a person’s ability to distinguish between safe and dangerous environments, according to new research using a virtual reality flower-picking game. Participants who developed clear spatial memory of which areas contained “stinging bees” (simulated by mild shocks) exhibited lower anxiety, while those who couldn’t differentiate the zones maintained high anxiety—even in safe spaces.

Temporary anxiety can hamper learning

A brief episode of anxiety may have a bigger influence on a person’s ability to learn what is safe and what is not. The research recently published in Nature Science of Learning used a virtual reality game that involved picking flowers with bees in some of the blossoms that would sting the participant—simulated by a mild electrical stimulation on the hand. Researchers worked with 70 neurotypical participants between the ages of 20 and 30. The re…