Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
A dynamic activation system can also be recognized in the effect
of feedback and self-talk. Feedback from others can either raise or
decrease the level of arousal. Relaxing feedback like
“
don
'
t worry
”
or
“
just take your time
”
reduces the arousal level, and
“
take care
”
or
“
raises it. Self-talk, the critical voice inside
our brain, has a comparable effect. Doubting thoughts make us more
anxious and raise the general activity level whereas confident, self-
assuring thoughts have an opposite effect (Hatzigeorgiadis et al., 2011).
we need to be very precise
”
Case 1
The mechanics were probably too self-confident. They knew the task
almost by heart. With less confidence, they would have insisted that
the papers were on the spot before they did the LMRA.
Case 2
The feedback of the driving instructor, especially just before the exam,
is of great importance for the confidence with which a student will
drive during an exam. Positive feedback in the last lesson helps stu-
dents to perform well during an exam.
The deactivating systems start their work when we want to relax
and take a break. If external pressure decreases, the brain can take a
break too. In general, only the presence of others already has a relax-
ing effect. This is still a residue from the period in the African savan-
nas. Hunting together is much safer. In general, a single person is
more easily alerted than an accompanied one. Shared fear is half fear.
There are also active ways to deactivate the brain like mindfulness,
meditation, and breathing exercises. Within the theory of the High
Reliability Organization (HRO), we can see that mindfulness has
become more dominant in the last 10 years (Weick, Sutcliffe, &
Obstfeld, 1999). It suggests that people become much more sensitive to
safety issues if they can have an open mind and can focus on the here
and now situation. These are very useful instruments when the stress
level is too high. Mini-breaks of 15 seconds every 15 minutes during
