helps with convergent thinking but not divergent thinking

March 27, 2020 8:52 AM

A strong cup of coffee boosts focus and problem-solving — but not creativity (CNBC): "Researchers from the University of Arkansas looked at how caffeine affects our ability to do two cognitive tasks: problem-solving and brainstorming. The researchers found that while consuming caffeine “significantly enhanced” problem-solving abilities, meaning they solved problems faster and more accurately, it has no effect on people’s ability to think up new ideas."

Caffeine boosts problem-solving ability but not creativity, study indicates (Science Daily):

In the paper, Zabelina differentiates "convergent" from "divergent" thinking. The former is defined as seeking a specific solution to a problem, for example, the "correct" answer. The latter is characterized by idea generation where a large set of apt, novel or interesting responses would be suitable. Caffeine was shown to improve convergent thinking in the study, while consuming it had no significant impact on divergent thinking.

For the study, 80 volunteers were randomly given either a 200mg caffeine pill, equivalent to one strong cup of coffee, or a placebo. They were then tested on standard measures of convergent and divergent thinking, working memory and mood. In addition to the results on creativity, caffeine did not significantly affect working memory, but test subjects who took it did report feeling less sad.

"The 200mg enhanced problem solving significantly, but had no effect on creative thinking," said Zabelina. "It also didn't make it worse, so keep drinking your coffee; it won't interfere with these abilities."

Percolating ideas: The effects of caffeine on creative thinking and problem solving (Science Daily full text)

posted by not_the_water (30 comments total)

Balzac was right.

On this subject Brillat-Savarin is far from complete. I can add something to what he has said because coffee is a great power in my life; I have observed its effects on an epic scale. Coffee roasts your insides. Many people claim coffee inspires them; but as everybody likewise knows, coffee only makes boring people even more boring.

posted by zamboni at 9:12 AM on March 27, 2020 [8 favorites]

... the hands aquire shakes, the shakes become a warning; it is by the seeds of coffea that I set my mind in motion.
posted by seanmpuckett at 9:30 AM on March 27, 2020 [15 favorites]

Some other coffee benefits
posted by Brian B. at 9:31 AM on March 27, 2020

yes yes *feverish gleam in eye * it's time for the percolator
posted by roger ackroyd at 9:34 AM on March 27, 2020 [5 favorites]

I have long lamented that while more coffee can help with a task, it is not a substitute for enthusiasm.
posted by bendybendy at 10:14 AM on March 27, 2020 [13 favorites]

If "convergent thinking" is defined as thinking that requires answers to be "correct", i.e. measurable, and "creativity" is defined as thinking that doesn't need to be "correct", then by definition performance in the first category can be measured in a way that's not possible with the second category. It's like saying that amphetamine measurably improves 100m sprint times but doesn't measurably improve dancing. I salute the researchers for their creative contribution to the collection of dinner party trivia.
posted by dmh at 10:18 AM on March 27, 2020 [7 favorites]

If you rate dancing by time and also longer is better than amphetamine improves dancing dramatically.
posted by nebulawindphone at 10:21 AM on March 27, 2020 [5 favorites]

Yes, but that's not what they did. The two categories have different (and I think incommensurable) ways of measurement.
posted by dmh at 10:23 AM on March 27, 2020 [1 favorite]

I know, I know, I'm just being a smartass. :) You've got a good point
posted by nebulawindphone at 10:24 AM on March 27, 2020 [3 favorites]

When the coffee supply chains break down is when shit is going to get real.
posted by thatwhichfalls at 10:28 AM on March 27, 2020 [5 favorites]

I know, I know, I'm just being a smartass. :) You've got a good point

I know, right?!??!!? Mmmsuuusttt beee alll thhee ccoofofeeeee
posted by dmh at 10:30 AM on March 27, 2020 [1 favorite]

the hands aquire shakes, the shakes become a warning

Uh...
posted by bonehead at 10:30 AM on March 27, 2020

shit is going to get real

indeed
posted by DreamerFi at 10:59 AM on March 27, 2020 [2 favorites]

A strong cup of coffee boosts focus and problem-solving — but not creativity

which is where the marijuana comes in.
posted by philip-random at 11:06 AM on March 27, 2020 [8 favorites]

When the coffee supply chains break down is when shit is going to get real.

very glad that i buy my tea like am 18th century royal navy quartermaster and have 5lbs sitting in the pantry right now
posted by poffin boffin at 11:31 AM on March 27, 2020 [13 favorites]

To think up new ideas, drink tea.
posted by Termite at 11:53 AM on March 27, 2020 [1 favorite]

"consuming caffeine ... has no effect on people’s ability to think up new ideas."

That's what marijuana is for.

Dang, philip-random beat me to it.
posted by olopua at 12:12 PM on March 27, 2020 [1 favorite]

like am 18th century royal navy quartermaster

Not a bad way to organise things. Except for the weevils.
posted by thatwhichfalls at 12:31 PM on March 27, 2020

To think up new ideas, drink tea.

That brings up an interesting point - is it coffee specifically that confers the above-mentioned benefits, or does any form of caffeine work? Do tea drinkers get the same effects? I'd like to see that study.
posted by Greg_Ace at 12:32 PM on March 27, 2020

Anyone in a creative field knows this to be true. Coffee helps with volume of ideas they just usually turn out to be variations of the same idea.

"That's what marijuana is for."

I find weed just makes me get granular. Which CAN be helpful. Or can just end up with me organizing my music for the seventieth time. My wife is a designer and painter and when she smokes for inspiration we just end up having sex (I'm not complaining).

Driving and long walks. Booze and riffing with friends. That's where good ideas come from for me. Or very, very bad ideas.
posted by Everyone Expects The Spanish Influenza at 12:35 PM on March 27, 2020 [3 favorites]

Clearly, there's a need for a certain segment of society to be high, wasted and jittery at the same time.
posted by bonehead at 12:49 PM on March 27, 2020

a need for a certain segment of society to be high, wasted and jittery

Or at least an album title.
posted by Greg_Ace at 1:00 PM on March 27, 2020 [3 favorites]

Metafilter: I know, I know, I'm just being a smartass. :)
posted by briank at 1:00 PM on March 27, 2020 [6 favorites]

Or if it's an album of swing music, it could be titled High-waisted and Jittery.
posted by Greg_Ace at 1:09 PM on March 27, 2020 [12 favorites]

Ctrl-F "weed"... I see that's well covered. Weed is for the spacy scatterbrained creative brain to free associate. Caffeine is to focus sit down and dedicate. Though I find there's a limit. Like the Ballmer Peak, there's a point where too much caffeine induces a ridiculous amount of inability to focus for me. By then though I'm usually just anxious and angry.
posted by symbioid at 1:44 PM on March 27, 2020

I don't think any drug enhances creativity. Cannabis certain makes you feel like you are being especially creative, but that's pretty small beer.
posted by kozad at 1:49 PM on March 27, 2020 [1 favorite]

I tend to think that cannabis doesn't make you "more" creative, but (by making all ideas seem more interesting) helps you stop second-guessing what you're doing, which is helpful if you have trouble with that. This is hearsay; it mostly just makes me horny.
posted by solarion at 4:18 PM on March 27, 2020 [3 favorites]

whatever gets the ideas from [wherever ideas come from] to paper, or wherever those ideas get expressed. Marijuana may not help everybody but it's certainly been a loose part of my process for over forty years. Of course I can create without it, but I'd be a liar to say it isn't pretty much always in my toolkit.

One thing I like about it is that, for me anyway, it's self-regulating. If I lean on it too much, it stops delivering, I just get fuzzy, end up listening to Can or whatever. I do find marijuana's at its most creatively useful after I've taken a break for a while. I've kept working through my "straight" phase. I've got a bunch of ideas sort of mucking around on the page, but not really playing together yet. I smoke a little weed and divisions dissolve, stuff coalesces, formerly separated notions synergize.

On the coffee tip, one thing that's definitely worked for me is the following:

- wake up, cup of coffee, get immediately to writing, picking up from the loose ends of yesterday's work

- pull these loose ends together, and continue onward-upward-inward-forward for a couple or three hours

- then smoke a little marijuana and expand from there

- as things get fuzzy (which they will), second cup of coffee and erupt from there until I've done enough damage, left enough loose ends to make tomorrow interesting.

Don't do this every day.
posted by philip-random at 8:34 AM on March 28, 2020 [2 favorites]

It amuses me that people keep trying to find ways in which coffee is bad for you, but they never do.
There's this perpetual idea that coffee is somehow bad for your health, but no one can ever find any proof.
posted by Just this guy, y'know at 12:10 PM on March 28, 2020 [4 favorites]

the proof is what it does to my personal individual insides whenever i drink it but i would prefer not to officially share that with science
posted by poffin boffin at 7:36 PM on March 30, 2020 [1 favorite]