Learning Multiple Things Simultaneously May Boost Memory and Thinking Skills
From infancy through your school years, you are on the steepest, fastest learning curve of your life. You learn to walk, talk, play, read, and countless other talents all within a relatively short amount of time. But you don’t learn one skill and then move on to the next. Every day and every week are filled with a wide assortment of experiences that challenge the brain.
Recent research suggests that taking a page from your early years may help you increase your cognitive abilities later in life. A study published in the Journals of Gerontology found that older adults who took classes in subjects such as Spanish, computers, music composition, drawing, and photography boosted their working memory, episodic memory and other thinking skills much more than their peers who focused on learning one new subject.
And what was especially encouraging was that tests of memory and cognition showed improvements after just six weeks.
“I thought the findings were fascinating,” says neuropsychologist Ellen Braaten, PhD, director of the Learning and Emotional Assessment program at Massachusetts General Hospital. “The brain is wired to learn lots of things at the same time.”
Variety Is the Key
Previous studies have shown that older adults experience cognitive gains from learning new information, but those studies focused on learning one thing at a time or multiple subjects that were taught in sequential;order.
In this study, a group of adults between the ages of 58 and 86 took three to five classes for three months, spending about 15 hours a week on their new subjects. The volunteers took cognitive assessments before, during and after the study to gauge working memory (remembering an address or phone number for a few minutes); cognitive control (the ability to switch between tasks); and episodic memory (remembering where you left your keys or parked your car).
After a month and half of classes, tests revealed that, on average, the study participants had improved their cognitive abilities to levels similar to those of people 30 years younger.
“Being an active learner is a way of enhancing different areas of cognition,” says Dr. Braaten, who was not part of the study. “The brain is making connections without you realizing it.”
The researchers suggest that learning a variety of subjects is more helpful for memory and thinking skills than focusing on a single subject, even if you put in more time on that one thing than on any of the other topics. Dr. Braaten adds that too often people are self-limiting, thinking they should focus on a single skill or task when the real benefit comes from giving your brain a smorgasbord of skills to learn.
Overcoming Misconceptions
Despite a lifetime of learning new information and adapting to personal, social and technological changes, many older adults believe that after a certain age, it’s unrealistic to think they could learn a foreign language or master computer skills. But this belief is undercut by research and anecdotal evidence of older adults mastering new and challenging skills.
“Do we stop learning because we specialize?” Dr. Braaten asks, adding that as a person gets older, he or she tends to get better at certain things like jobs or household responsibilities. “You may lose some problem-solving skills, because you don’t use them. We don’t always practice and try different things.”
She also acknowledges that older adults have a lot to remember and that it can be difficult to retrieve information sometimes. But Dr. Braaten also says it’s important to remember that learning a skill like a new language or how to paint doesn’t require an unreasonable commitment of time and energy. She notes that unlike ambitious goals such as learning to become a concert pianist or a world-class ice skater, taking a weekly dance class and learning basic Italian shouldn’t be viewed as overwhelming challenges.
“For older adults who may be retired or have fewer family responsibilities, it’s an ideal time for this kind of learning,” Dr Braaten says. “Embrace the fact that there are no grades and no pressure. This is learning you can enjoy.”
Take a Risk
One of the key findings in the study was that the volunteers appreciated and acknowledged the positive changes associated with trying something new. Researchers heard from several participants that getting out of their comfort zone turned out to be a positive experience rather than one to be dreaded.
Dr. Braaten points out that the topics in the study, such as Spanish, music composition, and computer skills, were varied and covered areas that weren’t likely to be ones already mastered by the study participants. “It wasn’t just about learning new things, but learning things that weren’t that familiar to them,” she adds.
And the benefits of taking classes don’t stop with a sharpened memory and heightened thinking and decision-making skills. The mental and emotional benefits of social interaction, like that of a class, can be life changing. Your physical health can improve, too, the more time you spend up and around, focused on new tasks and engaging with people outside of your family.
“People with stronger social networks have better health and a greater life expectancy,” Dr. Braaten says. “You’re increasing other health benefits, too, by being in a class. You may think, ‘I don’t know if I’d be good at this. It’s something I never thought of doing.’ I say take some risk. You might fail, but that’s okay. It builds resiliency, and that’s something else that will help you later in life.”
The post Learning Multiple Things Simultaneously May Boost Memory and Thinking Skills appeared first on University Health News.
