Learning Fear with a Video Game

Scientists from London University College have organized an interesting study on the human response to the factors causing anxiety and fear. For this, a simple video game was developed: something like Pac Man with only one peculiarity - it beats with current.

The goal of the game is to hold a blue square through the maze, without getting caught by a predator (red circle). If you fall under the distribution - get a sensitive (but not fatal, of course) electrical discharge. All this time, the brain of volunteers who volunteered was scanned for an increase in blood flow (the greater the blood flow in a particular part of the brain, the more actively it works).

Based on the research, scientists came to the following conclusions. During relative calm, the front part of the cerebral cortex is most active, which helps to plan strategy and coordinate the direction of movement in order to avoid a collision. But when a computer predator approaches a dangerous distance, the flow of blood is directed to the middle, most primitive part of the cerebral cortex, which is responsible for animal instincts.

It can not but rejoice that the prefrontal (anterior) part of the cerebral cortex in a modern person is much larger than the middle part. And this leads to the conclusion that we are much more adapted for survival now than our distant ancestors. We are still more likely to have time to think about a strategy, and not just to turn to hell.
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via BBC News