HowtoGetPastNegativityBiasinOrdertoHardwirePositive

Experiences
ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2016/04/14/howtogetpastnegativitybiasandhardwirepositiveexperiences/

KatrinaSchwartz
Itshelpfultoknowthatthebrainisplasticandcanadapttochallenges.Andwhenitcomestolearningnewthings,
wecanbuildupmentalresourcesthroughintentionaleffort.Peoplecangetbetteratrealizingselfregulation,executive
functions,asenseofperspectiveormeaning,positiveemotionslikegratitude,asenseofstrengthandthefeelingof
beingcaredabout.
Anykindofmentalactivity,includingexperiences,entailsunderlyingneuralactivity,saidRickHanson,apsychologist
andseniorfellowattheGreaterGoodScienceCenteratUCBerkeley,ataLearning&theBrainconference.Hehas
developedpracticestohelppeoplebuilduptheirmentalcapacityforhappinessbycreatingpatternsofneuralactivity
thatwithtimeandrepetitionbecomeneuralpathways.
Weevolvedabrainthatroutinelyscansforbadnewsbothinternallyandexternally,andwhenwefindthebadnews
wetendtofocusdownuponit.
Hansoncallsthisprocessselfdirectedneuroplasticity.Togrowinnerstrength,peoplehavetoturnexperiences
(shorttermmemories)intoactivatedstatesthatareinstalledtraits(longtermandimplicitmemories).Theideaisto
turnfleetingmomentsofhappinessintoimplicitknowledgeofwellbeingandstrength.
Helpingchildrendevelopselfdirectedneuroplasticitycouldbeextremelyhelpfulforstudentswithtroublesittingstillor
whohavelearningchallenges,butitcouldalsobeexplicitlytiedtoacademicoutcomes.Hansonsstrategiescouldhelp
studentsdevelopmotivationandasenseofthemselvesasactivelearners.Itsawayofhelpingstudentstoseelifeas
anopportunityandfornotingthepositiveinthemselvesandothers.And,atafundamentallevel,itsawayoftakingthe
timetohardwireandregistercurricularlearning.
Thisworkisespeciallyimportantbecausethebrainhasevolvedtoprioritizenegativeinputoverpositivefeedback
psychologistscallitthenegativitybias,anditsstrong.Simplyput,intheStoneAgeahumanwaslikelytodiefrom
ignoringanegativeinput,butoftengotanotherchanceatthepositiveones.Intodaysworld,humansmightexperience
momentsofsuccessorcompassionorgratitude,butarentgoodatinstallingthoseexperiencesandmakingthem
traits.Meanwhile,allthenegative,painful,harmfulmemoriesarequicklybecomingpartoftheneuralstructureofour
brains.

Weevolvedabrainthatroutinelyscansforbadnews,bothinternallyandexternally,Hansonsaid.Andwhenwefind
thebadnews,wetendtofocusdownuponit.Thatswhywhenninegoodthingshappenedintheclassroomandone
badthing,inevitablyonherwayhomethatteacheristhinkingabouttheonebadthing.
Weoverreacttounpleasantstimulus,Hansonsaid.And,unfortunately,ifapersonisfeelingstressed,anxious,
irritatedorwounded,heismoresensitivetothenegative.Thestresssystemsactivateandreleasecortisol,hesaid.
Itsoneofthemajorwaysinwhichwebecomeincreasinglysensitizedtothenegative.
Manyeducatorshaveheardaboutcortisoloftenintrainingsaboutstudenttrauma.Itsthehormonethatfloodsthe
brainwhenastudentisafraidorangry,firinguptheamygdalaandshrinkingthehippocampus.Thatsaproblem
becausethehippocampusiswhatregulatestheamygdalaandinhibitscortisolproduction.Theseprocessesmakethe
brainmoresusceptibletothenextnegativeinput.

WevegotabrainthatslikeVelcroforthebadandTeflonforthegood,Hansonsaid.Learningfromgood
experiencesthroughinstallation,registeringthem,allowingthemtobepresentlongenoughtogetencoded,isthe
primarywaytogrowresourcesinourmind.
HehasdevelopedatechniquehecallsHEAL,anacronymforthefourstepsoftheprocess:haveagoodexperience,
enrichit,absorbit,and(counterintuitively)linkittosomethingslightlynegative.
HAVE
Eithercreateagoodexperienceorcalloneupfrommemory.Thiscouldbeanythingfromatimewhenthebodyfelt
strongandcapabletoapositivememoryofaninteractionwithalovedone.Theimportantthingistocallupthe
experience,rememberhowitfeltorimaginehowitwouldfeelagain,andtaketimetoletthatexperienceinbyholdingit
intheforegroundofconsciousness.
Ifaneducatorortherapistishelpingachildtocreateagoodexperience,shecoulddirectthechildtolookforgood
factsinhisimmediatesituation,incurrentevents,inthepast,inthefuture,inhischaracter,eveninhisimagination.
Anotherwaytocreateagoodexperienceistothinkaboutwhatitfeelsliketocareaboutsomeoneelse.
ENRICH
Oncethechildhasconjuredthatpositiveexperience,hecanenrichitbyextendingthetimehethinksaboutthat
experienceorbytryingtothinkaboutthatpositivemomentwithallofhissenses.Hemightthinkabouthowimportant
thatfeelingisbecauseitisrareorabouthowsalientitistohislife.Thinkingaboutduration,multimodality,salienceand
noveltyhelpsincreasetheintensityofthefeeling,whichgoesalongwaytoenrichit.
ABSORB
Absorbingthepositiveexperiencehasalottodowithimagininghowthatexperienceaffectsoneself.Ifachildis
thinkingaboutamomentwhenshefeltverycompetent,shemightlingeronhowitmadeherfeel,lettingtheemotion
sinkintoherbody.Shemightletherselfimaginehowshesgoingtocontinuecreatingthatfeelingforherself.
Encouragehertothinkspecificallyaboutwhyshefeelssogoodabouttheexperience,whatmakesitdifferentfrom
othertimes.Absorbingtheexperienceisaboutlettingthegoodwarmaperson.
LINKPOSITIVEANDNEGATIVEMATERIAL
Theoptionalfinalstepistolinkthatbolsteredpositiveexperiencetoanegativeone,makingsuretokeepthepositive
experienceintheforeground,sothatthenegativeexperiencecanbelessenedovertime.Thisstepcanbedangerous
forstudentsorpeoplewithlowexecutivefunctioningorwhoarehighlyselfcritical.Ifthepersonislikelytofallintoa
patternofnegativethinking,Idontdeservetofeelgood,orhasahardtimekeepingthepositiveintheforeground,be
carefulwiththisstep.
Forexample,ifthepositiveexperienceisaboutagreatmeal,keeptheimagesofwarmth,comfortanddeliciousflavor
intheforeground,withthedimrecognitionthateatingtoomuchcouldmakeoneoverweightinthebackground.Hanson
saidthatholdingthepositiveandnegativeinonesconsciousnessatthesametimehelpsthepositiveexperience
overridethenegativeone.
Itsnaturaltoreplacethenegativewiththepositive,Hansonsaid,butitcanbechallenging,especiallyforpeoplewho
haveexperiencedrealtrauma.ThefourthstepinHEALmaynotbeappropriateforpeopleuntiltheyvedonealotof
absorbingpositiveexperiencesfirst.
Healsopointsoutthatthemosttraumaticexperiencesarestoredintheleastplasticareasofthebrain.Ittakesalotof
positiveexperiencestoreachthoseareasofthebrain.Asthebrainevolved,sodiditscapacityforsafety,satisfaction
andconnection,Hansonsaid.Headvocatesusingthosenewcapacitiestoovercomethenegativitybias.

Aswerepeatedlydothis,webuildupatraitthatcanhelpusmeetchallengesinlife,Hansonsaid.Hispsychology
practiceandresearchsupporttheeducationalresearchshowingthatakeyfactorinstudentsuccessisrelationships
withcaringadults.HealsopointsoutthatpracticingHEALisaneffectivewayofincreasingthebenefitsofmindfulness,
whichsomeschoolsarealreadyintegratingintoschoolculture.
Explore:BigIdeas,mentalhealth,mindfulness
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