Bird Lessons

Loved this story about warbling baby finches and how they sing for no other reward that to sing better:

In the study, the scientists found that the more mature the bird’s rendition of the song relative to their age, the more dopamine was released in the basal ganglia, a cluster of nuclei in the neocortex involved in control of movement as well as reward and cognition. When the birds performed less well relative to their age, dopamine levels dropped. And when the scientists blocked dopamine release, the birds’ performance relative to their age also declined. Dopamine was always elevated above baseline levels when the birds sang, regardless of song quality, the scientists found, which suggests it may help to reward spontaneous warbling.

Parents of young children could learn some lessons from the fathers of baby zebra finches who drive this self-directed learning. Encouraging children to explore and practice skills on their own, without relying solely on external rewards, can help them grow intrinsic motivation and long-term mastery. While we know this to be true, it is not always easy. The answer seems to be that they could lead by example and show kids that repeated practice is essential, even when there is no immediate payoff, much like the finches who rehearse their song thousands of times. This active engagement model (similar to the father finch singing to his hatchlings), seems to be worth emulating for humans too.