Unless you're completely mind controlled ... or without a mind, I can't imagine there is anyone who wouldn't agree that they like to have choices in life... was a study really needed to verify this?
Recent research at the State University of New Jersey has concluded humans enjoy the freedom of choice. In fact, if we choose it, we tend to like it more, so much so that it impacts our brains.
"I've been studying how the brain processes reward information for awhile now," says a professor involved in the study. "Throughout these experiments we always noticed that people get excited when they perceive that the rewards were contingent on their behaviours. As you can imagine, if your think you can do something to improve your situation, you're going to get more motivated."
Naturally.
To prove their assumptions correct, researchers lined up a group of willing participants. Some were permitted to freely choose a key, which could lead to money... the others were forced to accept a computer selected key. Brain waves were monitored and guess what?... The people who were allowed to freely choose their keys had increased brain activity.... thus leading to increased productivity among other benefits.
The research concludes that "the need for control - and choice - is biologically motivated. If individuals did not believe they could exercise control over their environment, there would be little motivation to thrive."
Imagine how life would be if everything was dictated to us... what we ate, what we wore, what we did for a living, how we spent our free time... We would be miserable. At least I know I would be. From the age of toddlers and smaller we all want to have choices. Anyone who's spent some time with a two year old can attest to that.
The freedom of choice is something I guess most of us take for granted in this province and in this country and until I read about a study on the topic I really didn't give it much thought. We're human, we have the power of thought and we desire to exercise it.
Choices aren't always easy, nor do we always make the right ones, but I for one, can't imagine a life without that option.
