Friday, April 13, 2012

Alcohol makes people more creative

When people think of alcohol, most people would associate it with going out and having fun to relax. Today, scientific research suggests that people with a blood alcohol level of 0.75, which is two pints of beer, were more creative during tests than those who were "sober." It is apparent that when you drink, you are more open to new ideas and would probably do things you normally wouldn't. The fact that it is actually proven to make humans more creative is amazing. This also explains why musicians and other talented people face drug and alcohol problems. The test, resembling Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune, consisted of 40 men given brain teasers by psychologists at the University of Illinois. The men who had alcohol in their system solved their problems faster than that of the sober group. The drinkers answered 40% more questions, and answered them on average of 12 seconds as opposed to 15.5 seconds for the sober men. The researchers paid close attention to "attentional control" which is an individuals ability to pick and choose what they use and what they ignore, While alcohol shows to make you more creative because you are relaxed and view the "bigger picture" easier, physically you react slower when drinking. After reading this article, you can understand from a scientists point of view why drunk people act a certain way, and why singers commonly battle alcoholism. Each individual will be affected differently however, and genes also play a roll in alcoholism. Although being creative is a great talent, alcohol is still unhealthy to your body and can lead to major problems.

3 comments:

  1. This article completely shocked me. THe last thing i would think would that some one would be MORE creative when they are drinking. And i thought it was really interesting that this could be the cause for very artistic and musically talented individuals battle with alcohol and substance abuse.

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  2. If drinking alcohol can give you a creative talent then it is pretty amazing but i really do believe that people that drink alcohol somehow become a complete different person...its like they are wearing a mask and would do anything knowing that they wouldnt get cause since their face and identity is being covered...but yes if drinking alcohol gives you creativity thats great but if you become an alcoholic its not worth it

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  3. The first though that came to mind was that it was only men who were tested. Due do the different genetic makeup of men and women, I wonder if the results would also occur in women under the same conditions. It does begin to explain why musicians struggle with alcoholism and many end up in rehab. I wonder if this sort of result will be further tested with other substances.

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