Summary: A new study sheds light on how the brain helps us to learn and make decisions in the real world.

Source: Princeton University.

The Wizard of Oz told Dorothy to “pay no attention to that man behind the curtain” in an effort to distract her, but a new Princeton University study sheds light on how people learn and make decisions in real-world situations.

The findings could eventually contribute to improved teaching and learning and the treatment of mental and addiction disorders in which people’s perspectives are dysfunctional or fractured.

The study appears in the journal Neuron.

The researchers studied how we learn what to pay attention to in order to learn more effectively — that is, to make the most of life experiences — assuming that in real-life situations most of what is going on is irrelevant and shouldn’t be learn about. For example, when you order something…