{"id":276,"date":"2025-09-05T22:21:00","date_gmt":"2025-09-05T22:21:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/good-worldwide.go-vip.net\/upworthy\/2025\/09\/05\/how-to-learn-things-fast-ex1\/"},"modified":"2025-09-05T22:21:00","modified_gmt":"2025-09-05T22:21:00","slug":"how-to-learn-things-fast-ex1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/goodinc.com\/qa-upworthy\/2025\/09\/05\/how-to-learn-things-fast-ex1\/","title":{"rendered":"The simple trick neuroscientists say will help you learn any new skill a lot faster"},"content":{"rendered":"

Learning a new skill, such as playing an instrument, gardening<\/u><\/a> or picking up a new language, takes a lot of time and practice, whether that means scale training, learning about native plants or using flashcards to memorize new words. To improve through practice<\/u><\/a>, you have to perform the task repeatedly while also receiving feedback so you know whether you\u2019re doing it correctly or not. Is my pitch correct? Did my geraniums bloom? Is my pronunciation understandable?<\/p>

However, a new study by researchers at the Institute of Neuroscience<\/a> at the University of Oregon<\/a> shows that you can speed up the processes by adding a third element to practice and feedback: passive exposure. The good news is that passive exposure requires minimal effort and is enjoyable.<\/p>

“Active learning of a… task requires both expending effort to perform the task and having access to feedback about task performance,” the study authors explained<\/u><\/a>. “Passive exposure to sensory stimuli, on the other hand, is relatively effortless and does not require feedback about performance.”<\/p>

\"gardening,
A woman reading a book about house plants. via cottonbro studio\/Pexels<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure> <\/p>

How to pick up new skills faster?<\/h2>

So, if you\u2019re learning to play the blues on guitar, listen to plenty of Howlin\u2019 Wolf or Robert Johnson throughout the day. If you\u2019re learning to cook, keep the Food Network on TV all day to absorb some great culinary advice. Learning to garden? Take the time to notice the flora and fauna in your neighborhood or make frequent trips to your local botanical garden.<\/p>

If you\u2019re learning a new language, watch plenty of TV and films in the language you are learning.<\/p>

The scientists add that auditory learning is especially helpful, so listen to plenty of audiobooks or podcasts on the subject you\u2019re learning about.<\/p>

What is passive exposure?<\/h2>

Researchers learned the tremendous benefits of passive exposure after conducting a study with a group of mice. They trained them to find water, using various sounds to give either positive or negative feedback, like playing a game of \u201chot or cold.\u201d Some mice were passively exposed to these sounds when they weren’t looking for water. Those who experienced this additional passive exposure and their active training learned to find the water reward faster.<\/p>

\"exposure,
A woman listening to music in bed via Andrea Piacquadio\/Pexels<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure> <\/p>

\u201cOur results suggest that, in mice and in humans, a given performance threshold can be achieved with relatively less effort by combining low-effort passive exposure with active training,\u201d James Murray, a neuroscientist who led the study, told University of Oregon News<\/u><\/a>. \u201cThis insight could be helpful for humans learning an instrument or a second language, though more work will be needed to better understand how this applies to more complex tasks and how to optimize training schedules that combine passive exposure with active training.\u201d<\/p>

The one drawback to this study was that it was conducted on mice, not humans. However, recent studies on humans have found similar results, such as in sports. If you visualize yourself excelling<\/a> at the sport or mentally rehearse a practice routine, it can positively affect your actual performance. Showing, once again, that when it comes to picking up a new skill, exposure is key. <\/p>

The great news about the story is that, in addition to giving people a new way to approach learning, it\u2019s an excuse for us to enjoy the things we love even more. If you enjoy listening to blues music so much that you decided to learn for yourself, it\u2019s another reason to make it an even more significant part of your life.<\/p>

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