Researchers Find Motivation to Learn New Words Lasts Into Adulthood

In a recent study published in the journal Current Biology, researchers from the University of Barcelona, the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL) and the Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg (Germany) found that human adult word learning is exhibited not only in the cortical language regions of the brain, but also in the ventral striatum — a core region of word processing. Results of the study confirm that the motivation to learn is preserved throughout the lifespan, helping adults to acquire a second language. During the study, researchers determined that the reward region that is activated is the same that responds to a wide range of stimuli, including food, sex, drugs or game playing. “The main objective of the study was to know to what extent language learning activates subcortical reward and motivational systems,” said the lead author of the study. The experiment revealed that when participants inferred and memorized the meaning of a new word, brain activity in the ventral striatum was increased. Additionally, the same ventral striatum activity was observed when earning money from gambling. To read more about this study, click here.