We Feel, Therefore We Learn: The Relevance of Affective and Social Neuroscience to Education
Abstract
ABSTRACT— Recent advances in neuroscience are highlighting connections between emotion, social functioning, and decision making that have the potential to revolutionize our understanding of the role of affect in education. In particular, the neurobiological evidence suggests that the aspects of cognition that we recruit most heavily in schools, namely learning, attention, memory, decision making, and social functioning, are both profoundly affected by and subsumed within the processes of emotion; we call these aspects emotional thought . Moreover, the evidence from brain‐damaged patients suggests the hypothesis that emotion‐related processes are required for skills and knowledge to be transferred from the structured school environment to real‐world decision making because they provide an emotional rudder to guide judgment and action. Taken together, the evidence we present sketches an account of the neurobiological underpinnings of morality, creativity, and culture, all topics of critical importance to education. Our hope is that a better understanding of the neurobiological relationships between these constructs will provide a new basis for innovation in the design of learning environments.
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The integration of foundational affective, cognitive, social, and emotional processes into habits, skills, and mindsets that support learning is critical to students' school and life success.
“Collectively, the integration of foundational affective, cognitive, social, and emotional processes into habits, skills, and mindsets that support learning is critical to students' school and life success (e.g., Immordino-Yang & Damasio, 2007).”
From Malleability, plasticity, and individuality: How children learn and develop in context<sup>1</sup> (2019) · cites this paper as Immordino-Yang & Damasio, 2007
Emotions influence engagement and academic performance through their impact on confidence, motivation, persistence, self-control, anxiety, and curiosity.
“Emotions further influence engagement and academic performance (Meyer & Turner, 2006) through their impact on confidence, motivation, persistence, selfcontrol, anxiety, and curiosity (e.g., Immordino-Yang & Damasio, 2007).”
From Malleability, plasticity, and individuality: How children learn and develop in context<sup>1</sup> (2019) · cites this paper as Immordino-Yang & Damasio, 2007
Affective, social, and emotional processes powerfully influence lower- and higher-order cognitive development and skill acquisition.
“These interrelationships underlie research findings demonstrating the powerful influence of affective, social, and emotional processes on lowerand higher-order cognitive development and skill acquisition (e.g., Immordino-Yang & Damasio, 2007;Osher et al., 2016).”
From Malleability, plasticity, and individuality: How children learn and develop in context<sup>1</sup> (2019) · cites this paper as Immordino-Yang & Damasio, 2007
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“…evidence from psychophysiological and other studies of brain-damaged and normal people has allowed us to propose specifi c neural mechanisms underlying the role and operation of emotional signaling in normal and abnormal decision making ( Bechara, 2005; Bechara & Damasio, 1997; Damasio, 1996 ).”
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“What does this mean for our argument about relevance to education? In addition to these patients, further evidence from psychophysiological and other studies of brain-damaged and normal people has allowed us to propose specific neural mechanisms underlying the role and operation of emotional signaling in normal and ab…”
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Implications for educational practice of the science of learning and development
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“While negative emotions like anxiety and distress can block learning, emotion also triggers learning as it affects excitement and attention (Immordino-Yang & Damasio, 2007) and thus should be considered in designing instruction that is mentally engaging.”
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“These interrelationships underlie research findings demonstrating the powerful influence of affective, social, and emotional processes on lowerand higher-order cognitive development and skill acquisition (e.g., Immordino-Yang & Damasio, 2007; Osher et al., 2016).”
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“Immordino-Yang and Damasio (2007) discussed research into decision-making of patients who have lost the use of the emotional centers of the brain, which revealed that while these people were able to make logical and ethical decisions in a laboratory setting, they were unable to do so in realworld…”
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“AI systems may contribute sophisticated linguistic analysis and pattern recognition whilst students provide embodied, affective, and contextual understanding (Immordino-yang & Damasio, 2007), fostering more holistic educational outcomes.”
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- Authors
- Immordino‐Yang, M. H., & Damasio, A.
- Affiliations
- University of Southern California (US)
- Corresponding author
- Immordino‐Yang, Mary Helen
- Venue
- Mind, Brain, and Education
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2007-03
- Volume
- 1
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 3-10
- ISSN
- 1751-2271 (ISSN-L)
- 1751-228X
- OpenAlex
- W2117500413
- Cited by
- 1,463
- References
- 3
- Citations by year
- 2026: 187 · 2025: 158 · 2024: 87 · 2023: 101 · 2022: 88 · 2021: 107 · 2020: 118 · 2019: 97 · 2018: 74 · 2017: 61 · 2016: 58 · 2015: 60 · 2014: 56 · 2013: 48 · 2012: 34
- FWCI
- 11.69
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Mind Brain and Education (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neuroscience, Education and Cognitive Function
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Creativity in Education and Neuroscience
- Keywords
- affective neuroscience, social neuroscience, affective learning, decision-making, social functioning, attention, memory, brain damage, moral reasoning, creativity, culture, learning environment design
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