Passive Exposure Primes Brain for Faster Skill Learning, Mouse Study Finds
• Mice exposed to sounds passively in addition to active training learned to associate sounds with rewards more quickly
• Modeling suggests passive exposure creates a foundational representation of stimuli in the brain that primes it for faster learning
• Findings align with human research showing passive exposure supplements active training in complex skill learning
• Interleaving passive exposure with active training can be as effective as longer passive exposure before active training
• Combining low-effort passive exposure and active training may enable quicker mastery of skills like languages or instruments