Livescience has published an article about a research made by scientists about the brain and willpower.
Brain’s Willpower Spot Found
By Robert Goodier
Source:
www.livescience.com/health/090506-willpower-brain.html
When healthy eaters choose broccoli over a Butterfinger, they use a small region in their brains that indulgers don’t use.
That bundle of cells is a clue to the biology of willpower, a new study finds. Like a wagging finger in our heads, the region admonishes us to consider long-term benefits over instant rewards when we make decisions.
“This is the first time people have looked at the mechanism of self-control in people who are making real-life decisions,” said Todd Hare, a Caltech neuroscientist who led the study.
To zero in on the nodule that imposes willpower, Hare and his colleagues scanned the brains of 37 people who called themselves dieters. During the scans, the subjects pored over 50 photos of foods. They rated the foods according to taste and healthiness.
Some foods, such as Wheat Thins and granola, earned strong “neutral” marks in both categories. For the final test, scientists showed each volunteer a food that they had labeled “neutral” and asked them to choose between it and each of 49 other foods.
It’s interesting to note that willpower has a biological component. Perhaps each time we exercise will power, that part of the brain develops a few more connections.