Presentation for a BBC SIG Call March 20, 2012

1. The Default Mode Network
What is it and What Does it Mean for
Coaches?

2. Evelyn McKelvie & Coach
“Harold”
Evelyn McKelvie, CEC, ACC
Internal Coach, University of British
Columbia
Founder, The Equine Coach
www.equinecoach.ca

3. A map of the brain‟s Default Mode Network
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/access/id/45263/title/Wandering_and_wonderin
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4. DMN - A Definition
 Areas of the brain that form a network and are
active when we are not task-focused. Also
referred to as the “task negative network”.
 During task-positive activity, the DMN is less
active.
 Everyone has one of these.
 May play a specific role in illnesses such as
depression, autism, schizophrenia.

5. DMN – Very Complicated!
 All manner of research is being done to
understand brain networks.
 Neurologists, psychologists, social scientists
all interested in the DMN
 What is the DMN doing
 How does it relate to our behaviour, beliefs,
conscious thought, etc?

6. DMN – Very Complicated!
 DMN is associated with states of daydreaming
 The brain appears to be engaged in
„predictive‟ activity.
 DMN also associated with actions that
reference memory.
 Based on past experience and current
environment, DMN is predicting outcomes,
evaluating threats and identifying rewards.

7. DMN and Learning
 What role does the DMN play in the ability to
learn?
 What role does it play in our self-talk?
 What actions can coaches take to identify the
DMN at work?
 How can we leverage the DMN to achieve
coaching goals?
 What feelings, thoughts, fears, assessments
are made in the DMN?
 What patterns of thinking may be getting in
the way of coaching goals?

8. Strategies to defeat Negative
DMN.
 Paying attention
 Using humour
 Noticing and employng “free won‟t”
 Meditation
 Journalling

9. Your Thoughts?

10. Bibliography
 Morcom, Alexa M., and Paul C. Fletcher. "Does the brain have a
baseline? Why we should be resisting a rest." Neuroimage 2007:
1037-1082. Web. 10 Mar. 2012.
 Raichlea, Marcus E., and Abraham Z. Snyder. "A default mode of
brain function: A brief history of an evolving idea." Neuroimage
2007: 1083-1090. Web. 9 Mar. 2012.
 Raichlea, Marcus E. "The default mode network and self-
referential processes in depression." PNAS 12 Dec. 2008: 1083-
1090. Web. 1 Mar. 2012.
 Bar, Moshe. "Th e proactive brain: using analogies and
associations to generate predictions." Trends in Cognitive
Sciences Web. 7 Mar. 2012.
 Rock, David, and Linda J. Page. Coaching with the Brain in
Mind: Foundations for Practice. Wiley, 2009. Print.
 Posner, Michael I., and Mary K. Rothbart. "Toward a physical