In the reality TV show Fear Factor, people were tasked to face their greatest fears and if they were successful, they get $50,000 cash as price money. Those who participated faced their fears all in the name of money and, of course, their five seconds to fame. However, it looked like the show had been right all along in using money as a motivation for people to face their greatest fear.
A recent research conducted by a team of neuroscientists from the Cambridge University and the Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute, Kyoto discovered that financial rewards can cure phobias.
The financial reward, coupled with an algorithm and a brain imaging equipment, subconsciously helped people overcome their fear without the participants noticing that their fears are gone.
The study included 17 healthy participants who underwent neurofeedback, a process where they had to confront the objects of their fear. The researchers showed the participants different images as they administer electrical shocks to them. Along with this, an artificial intelligence software recognizes the fear memory of the participants using various patterns in the brain activity.
After the AI understood the pattern, the researchers removed the electric shocks but continued to flash images that are associated with the fear memory. Every time that brain activity associated with fear is detected, scientists give the participants money. On one hand, the participants were not aware what they are rewarded for. As the process continues, it was remarkable to note that the fear dissipated until no longer detected.
One of the researchers, Dr. Ai Koizumi, said that their next step is to create a library filled with the brain information codes regarding the things people have a pathological fear of, such as clowns, spiders, snakes, etc.
Aside from this, the scientists believe that if the neurofeedback is decoded, doctors can also unlock how to treat post traumatic stress disorder.
The research is published in the journal Nature Human Behavior.
