Study suggests drunk people are better at creative problem solving

Re:Study suggests drunk people are better at creative proble... by misja111 on Saturday April 21, 2018 @04:25AM (#16890506)

So the benefit of being slightly drunk is that it removes your focus, so that you might find creative solutions which until then where outside of your radar.

I guess that's true, but don't you get the same effect by having a long walk or a good night's sleep?

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Re:Study suggests drunk people are better at creative proble... by droidist2 on Saturday April 21, 2018 @08:55AM (#16891255)

Hmm, actually this reminds me of the 4am creativity boost I've experienced and then heard mentioned again on Studio 60 ("4 A.M. Miracle") where they say it "erodes your internal sensors."

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Re:Study suggests drunk people are better at creative proble... by socrates666 on Sunday April 22, 2018 @09:14PM (#16899793)

... that sounds like a bad thing.

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Re:Study suggests drunk people are better at creative proble... by manicdee on Monday April 23, 2018 @01:02AM (#16900636)

Only on about day three when you are trying to straighten up the computer screen which is wonky in directions that don’t exist.

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Re:Study suggests drunk people are better at creative proble... by foota on Saturday April 21, 2018 @04:32AM (#16890529)

I'm confused, how would getting a night's sleep decrease focus?

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Re:Study suggests drunk people are better at creative proble... by hobofan on Saturday April 21, 2018 @04:40AM (#16890560)

During your waking day, when you think about a problem you start tackling it with a specific strategy and accumulate thoughts (assumptions) regarding those strategies. Even if you discard them over the course of your day, you are still biased/focused towards that train of thought.

A good night's sleep which takes your mind out of conscious thought then resets/defocuses your mind again and you are more receptible to new ways of tackling the problem.

(All of the above is just vague anecdotal evidence, and I have no idea if there is any scientific basis for any of it.)

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Re:Study suggests drunk people are better at creative proble... by keithpeter on Saturday April 21, 2018 @05:24AM (#16890678)

The Psychology of Invention in the Mathematical Field by Jacques Hadamard, himself a mathematician is not scientific but a good source of anecdotes and systematic attempts at introspection.

I find that 'stepping away' from the details after immersion for a few days and allowing the pieces to re-align themselves does seem to pay benefits, even with the mundane and practical problems I need to solve. I agree with the grandparent post that alcohol is not the only de-focusing agent around.

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Re:Study suggests drunk people are better at creative proble... by pbhjpbhj on Saturday April 21, 2018 @06:02AM (#16890776)

Related: I was reading somewhere yesterday (reddit?) about hypnogogia and how creative types used the gap between sleep and wakefullness to tap the minds creative/artistic thought.

Basically a light version of using drugs for creative stimulation: instead of creating the altered state, tapping the altered states that are already present at certain times.

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Re:Study suggests drunk people are better at creative proble... by tachyonbeam on Saturday April 21, 2018 @06:49AM (#16890891)

Not necessarily the sleep itself, but I've had many good ideas while trying to fall asleep, when I wasn't actively focusing on anything.

The default mode network is thought to be involved in creative thinking, and it's most active when you're not actively focused on a task: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Default_mode_network

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Re:Study suggests drunk people are better at creative proble... by droidist2 on Saturday April 21, 2018 @08:59AM (#16891269)

What about showering? What's that about? Is it the water, or just standing naked in a small room?

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