Have you ever felt that your mind gets hemmed in by your congested office? Do you crave some wide-open space in which to let your mind wander? If you’ve ever felt that small spaces cramp your style and your thought processes, there’s evidence you may be right.

Researchers at the University of Minnesota say that ceiling height has an influence on how we act and think and even on what we buy.

Their research shows that consumers are likely to buy more in a retail space that has high ceilings. They contend that high-ceilings and the space they lend lead people to think more freely and abstractly. A high ceiling vs. a low ceiling gives a feeling of freedom rather than confinement. People are able to make more abstract connections. Conversely, in a room with lower ceilings, people are more likely to be detail-oriented and focus on specifics.

Of course, this means you may need to choose your environment to suit the task at hand, decide if you need to concentrate on specifics or need room to allow your mind to explore new possibilities. Finding the right space in which to think may be the key to decision-making and problem-solving.

U of M researchers find ceiling height can affect how a person thinks, feels and acts

Is burning the midnight oil while pondering a big problem or studying for an important exam an effective way to sear knowledge into your brain? Despite the stereotype we often see of the dedicated scientist working long into the night to solve a particular equation, it is more likely that a good night’s sleep and a fresh start would be a more effective strategy.

Research indicates that the brain’s ability to refuse and fend off distracting influences decreases when we are tired. Normally, when we are involved in a task, our brains select to allow or disallow incoming information. Distracting information is disallowed. However as tiredness increases, this ability decreases and distraction can disrupt concentration.

Dutch researcher Harm Veling conducted experiments using words and memory tests. Subjects studied words that were strongly associated with each other, some similar words that served as distracting words and some neutral words that were not associated with the others at all. Suppressing the distractions was key to performing well on the test and performing the task quickly.

The brain’s ability to suppress distraction is adversely affected by tiredness. Subjects who were suffering mental fatigue did the least well on the tests as they were no longer able to suppress the distractions.

So the next time you are facing a difficult task requiring concentration, the best way to prepare is to rest up for it.

Brain Fends Off Distractions - Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research

Research has shown that playing video games sharpens vision. New studies done in Tel Aviv now indicate that playing specific types of computer games can sharpen your mind.

MindFit computer software was specifically designed to take advantage of the plasticity of the brain and using cognitive training, improve mental abilities such as short-term memory, auditory short term memory, location memory, spatial orientation, planning, speed of reaction and hand-eye coordination.

The studies conducted at the Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center of Tel- Aviv University in Israel, involved two groups of subjects age 50 and older who were assigned to spend 30 minutes, three times a week, playing either the MindFit software or sophisticated computer games.

All the participants benefited from playing the computer games but those using the MindFit software made greater gains in cognitive performance.

The research proves that seniors and boomers can significantly boost cognitive ability and preserve mental function through the use of cognitive training. Because those with lower baseline cognitive performance made greater gains than those with normal cognition, it could also prove to be a defense against age-related decline.

Teach students how to think for themselves and they will learn more and perform better. That’s the startling conclusion of Steve Rissing,a professor of evolution, ecology and organismal biology at Ohio State University, who presented his findings during a talk at the American Association for the Advancement of Science in San Francisco.

First year biology students were previously being taught using what Rissing called the “cookbook method” which gave them step-by-step instructions on how to carry out an experiment and display their results. They were also provided with a standard, prepared enzyme solution.

Rissing conducted his own experiment, by dividing 300 students into two groups, one that used the cookbook method and a second group that was given less instruction and more room and freedom to use critical thinking and hands-on discovery. They also had to prepare their own enzyme solution from a piece of raw turnip.

Following the experiment, students were all asked one simple question “Where are enzymes found?” The answer is: from living tissue. Of the students in the cookbook group, only 23 percent got the right answer. But 83 percent of the students who had less instruction and therefore developed their own method, answered the question correctly.

The real discovery is that when allowed to discover and think, students increase knowledge and perform better than when given step-by-step instructions.

Rissing’s overarching goal is to teach students to be independent and objective thinkers, to create a group of scientifically literate citizens who can intelligently discuss multi-faceted issues such as stem cell biology, evolution, genetically modified organisms and the like. This applies to science majors and non-majors alike.

Scientific Literacy Happens…When Students Think for Themselves - Ohio State University Research News