If you’ve ever wondered how some people managed to stay focused on financial goals, look no further than the currency in your wallet. The flash of a dollar sign activates a segment of the brain that coordinates cognitive control and motivation, binding the activities of these two areas together to keep the mind on a perceived reward.
According to a study published August 4 in the Journal of Neuroscience, researchers Adam Savine and Todd Braver of Washington University in St. Louis have found that a certain spot in the brain, the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), which is found about two inches above the left eyebrow, responds strongly to the display of a dollar sign and kicks into action a network of eight other regions in the brain that work together on multitasking, as well as the previously mentioned two areas in the brain that handle challenge and the motivational cue (that dollar sign).
Savine, a doctoral candidate in psychology, and Braver, a Ph.D. and professor of psychology in arts and sciences, found that the promise of monetary reward activated the DLPFC region and in effect gave the brain a head start on preparing to perform well on an anticipated task.