Western Undergraduate Psychology Journal
Article Title
The Default Network, Task-Positive Network and Goal-Directed Problem-Solving
Abstract
When examining brain activation, many researchers question what areas are activated during a specific task or a given stimulus. However, this approach may lead one to believe that when there is no task or stimulus, that no brain regions should be activated. The default mode network is a state of brain activation, where the individual is not attending to any external cues in the environment, but certain regions are still activated. It has been found that the default mode network regions of the brain are negatively correlated with regions that are activated during tasks and stimuli presentation, known as task-positive regions. Thus, it was found that the default mode network and task-positive region could not be co-active because they appeared oppositely activated. However, previous studies show that there is a shared region between both networks: the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). This article discusses the implications of DLPFC being a part of both networks, how the model of the two networks could be revised, and how it is adaptive and beneficial for the two networks to work in tandem.
Recommended Citation
Hill, S. (2014). The Default Network, Task-Positive Network and Goal-Directed Problem-Solving. Western Undergraduate Psychology Journal, 2 (1). Retrieved from https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/wupj/vol2/iss1/9