The Dark Side of Willpower

Poland’s oldest high-school graduate candidate does not give up

An examination hall: a crowd of young people sits at desks, writing their school-leaving exam. Among them is 87-year-old Józef Peruga from Kalisz, currently regarded as the oldest person in Poland taking the matura exam. Together with the other students, he wants to fulfil his dream. He hopes to pass the school-leaving exam despite problems with his eyesight and difficulties in preparing for it.

I don’t want to jinx it, and I’d rather talk about the matura once I manage to pass it. I had tutoring in mathematics and Polish. My teachers taught me for free, and I am very grateful to them,

Mr Józef told Fakt.pl.

Motivation to learn has a hidden source

He is not the only one. Many adults still have the motivation to learn and return to education, even though they finished school long ago and no one requires it of them anymore. What makes some people able and willing to keep learning, while others quickly give up?

Scientists at the City University of New York searched for an answer to that question. At the centre of their study was the Smoothened receptor, part of a signalling pathway known mainly for its role in brain development before birth. The researchers examined the role it may play in learning, decision-making, working for reward and consolidating behaviour.

The scientists conducted an experiment on animals in which this receptor had been removed. As it turned out, this made the animals learn faster, but also become more persistent in pursuing a reward. In that sense, it became a kind of motivation to learn.

What conclusions can be drawn from the study? The most important point concerns how the brain remembers that something paid off. When we do something that brings the expected result, the brain briefly strengthens the signal: “This worked; it is worth repeating.” Smoothened influences how long that signal remains active. When its activity weakens, the brain records successful behaviour more strongly. This may help us learn faster and keep trying for longer.

Persistence has a dark side too

But this comes at a price. As we read in the scientific journal iScience, the animals tested showed problems adjusting to new conditions and changing habits.

In the animal experiment, switching off the Smoothened receptor accelerated learning and increased persistence, but made it harder to change strategy when conditions were no longer the same. In other words, the brain may become excellent at learning how to keep going, but worse at recognising the moment when further effort no longer makes sense.

This discovery goes beyond school

The conclusions from the experiment are intriguing. Depending on how the Smoothened receptor works, the brain may absorb new information better or worse. The same applies to persistence. The results of the American researchers’ work show, however, that learning, reward and perseverance are not merely matters of strong will. If the findings are confirmed by further studies, they may prove important for two additional reasons.

The first concerns Parkinson’s disease. This is not about a new treatment for the disease, but about the relationship between dopamine and acetylcholine, neurotransmitters important for movement, learning and behavioural flexibility. The authors of the study suggest that disturbances in this coordination may appear early, before the disease fully reveals itself through classic motor symptoms. The second reason concerns addiction.

When reward turns into compulsion

Addiction involves a reward mechanism that can turn behaviour into compulsion. Addictive substances reinforce cycles of reward and habit. If Smoothened helps limit the excessive consolidation of such behaviours, it may in the future point researchers toward new directions in addiction therapy. Thanks to this, there may be a chance to create effective treatments for addiction in the future.

The most interesting thing in this story is not that an 87-year-old wants to pass the matura. What is truly fascinating is that, despite two failures, he still sees meaning in the attempt. He keeps fighting. That is why, when we see someone persistently pursuing their goals, we should pause and ask what really stands behind that motivation to learn.

Read this article in Polish: Ciemna strona silnej woli. Dlaczego mózg czasem nie pozwala odpuścić