Mind: Brain Fit
Becoming a Smart Talker
Socializing can sharpen your mind and memory.
You can read more articles at:
As a child, remember when you were put on time-out for talking too much? Now you have an excuse to chat it up.
A recent study of 3,610 people ages 24 to 96 found that talking to someone for 10 minutes a day improves test scores and memory. Oscar Ybarra, psychologist at the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research and lead author of the study, points out that socializing is just as effective as traditional types of mental exercises, such as crossword puzzles.
Talking story can seem effortless, but it does require a lot of mental energy. Trying to decipher, comprehend and respond to another’s motives and beliefs can be compared to mental gymnastics. And the benefits from socializing apply to everyone, regardless of age.
In another experiment, a test was conducted on 76 college students ages 18 to 21. The students were divided into three groups before taking a test. One group had to discuss a social issue for 10 minutes. The second group was tasked with intellectual activities, such as a reading comprehension exercise and a crossword puzzle. The third group watched a 10-minute clip of the television show, Seinfeld. The results showed that 10 minutes of talking before the test improved participants’ intellectual performance as much as engaging in the intellectual activities. The Seinfeld group didn’t have as much luck.
So the next time you are looking to exercise your brain, start a conversation. Being a little more sociable can help make you sharper and smarter.
A recent study of 3,610 people ages 24 to 96 found that talking to someone for 10 minutes a day improves test scores and memory. Oscar Ybarra, psychologist at the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research and lead author of the study, points out that socializing is just as effective as traditional types of mental exercises, such as crossword puzzles.
Talking story can seem effortless, but it does require a lot of mental energy. Trying to decipher, comprehend and respond to another’s motives and beliefs can be compared to mental gymnastics. And the benefits from socializing apply to everyone, regardless of age.
In another experiment, a test was conducted on 76 college students ages 18 to 21. The students were divided into three groups before taking a test. One group had to discuss a social issue for 10 minutes. The second group was tasked with intellectual activities, such as a reading comprehension exercise and a crossword puzzle. The third group watched a 10-minute clip of the television show, Seinfeld. The results showed that 10 minutes of talking before the test improved participants’ intellectual performance as much as engaging in the intellectual activities. The Seinfeld group didn’t have as much luck.
So the next time you are looking to exercise your brain, start a conversation. Being a little more sociable can help make you sharper and smarter.