著名作家和藝術(shù)家拍照時旁邊經(jīng)常會有一杯咖啡,但這杯咖啡更有可能會給這位美國好經(jīng)理帶來幫助。一項新的研究表明,咖啡因并不能提高創(chuàng)造力,但能顯著提高解決問題的能力。
This is news, given how strongly we associate coffee with creative occupations and lifestyles. The study, published today in Consciousness and Cognition, followed 80 participants after they consumed either a placebo or 200 mg of caffeine—the equivalent of 12 ounces of coffee—and then tracked their problem-solving, creative idea generation, working memory, and mood.
考慮到我們平時以為咖啡和創(chuàng)造性職業(yè)以及生活方式有很大聯(lián)系,所以這是個新發(fā)現(xiàn)。這項研究現(xiàn)在發(fā)表在《Consciousness and Cognition》上,在80名參與者分別喝了無效對照劑和200 mg咖啡因(相當(dāng)于12盎司咖啡)之后,跟蹤觀察他們解決問題的能力、創(chuàng)意的形成、工作記憶力和情緒。
While problem-solving abilities improved significantly, the caffeine had no effect on memory or creativity. Subjects also reported feeling “less sad.”
解決問題的能力顯著提高,但咖啡因?qū)τ洃浟騽?chuàng)造力毫無影響。研究對象也說“憂傷感并未減少”。
Previous studies have shown that caffeine improves alertness, focus, attention, and motor skills, but little research existed on creativity.
此前的研究表明咖啡因能提高機敏度、專注力、注意力和運動能力,但關(guān)于創(chuàng)造力的研究很少。
This means that caffeine helps some kinds of thinking, specifically convergent thinking, such as when you need correct answers, for instance, while taking a GRE or MCAT or recalibrating a budget.
這就意味著咖啡因有助于思考,特別是收斂性思維,比如你需要正確答案的時候,像參加GRE或MCAT考試,或者重新調(diào)整預(yù)算。
It will not help you in the divergent thinking of creativity, such as brainstorming a novel plot or imagining a new design. “It also doesn’t make it worse,” notes lead author Darya Zabelina, assistant psychology professor at the University of Arkansas, “so keep drinking your coffee. It won’t interfere.”
它在創(chuàng)造性發(fā)散思維方面對你沒有幫助,比如腦洞大開地設(shè)計新情節(jié)或者思考新的設(shè)計。研究的第一作者Darya Zabelina是阿肯色大學(xué)的心理學(xué)助理教授,她指出:“咖啡也不會減弱這方面的能力,你可以繼續(xù)喝,沒有任何影響。”