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Study finds drinking beer improves test scores
By Brandon Schlager
On April 21, 2012
Just when you thought alcohol couldn't get any better, it appears to be doing just
that.
After all, nothing beats a cold beer right before a scorching May afternoon exam or a
glass of wine prior to that big presentation, right?
A new report by the Federation of Associations in Behavioral and Brain Sciences
says the consumption of alcohol before a test could actually enhance your
performance.
The study is based on alcohol's effect on people's working memory capacity, which
controls one's attention.
It says drinking alcoholic beverages in moderation allows for better control over
your attention, which leads to better problem-solving skills when it comes to
creative analytical thinking.
"Working memory capacity is considered the ability to control one's attention,"
University of Illinois at Chicago cognitive psychologist Jennifer Wiley said in
the report. "It's the ability to remember one thing while you're thinking about
something else."
The problem for most people is that they often become too focused while taking
tests, causing them to over-think basic concepts.
Consuming alcohol helps to broaden the state of attention, which in turn has proven
to be helpful for creating solutions to problems.
As a result, a moderate amount of alcohol before a test would essentially improve
one's creativity, thus boosting performance.
It sounds too good be true, I know. But it makes sense.
Ever had a beer or two and everything suddenly becomes clearer? Before beers 3-10
enter your system, you're thinking on a higher level in many regards than when you
were sober.
Keep in mind, this study only applies when drinks are consumed in moderation.
Obviously thinking becomes impaired after excessive amount of alcohol.
For instance, most states consider a person intoxicated at a blood alcohol level
of .08. This study shows that most people who consume alcohol but remain under
the limit are able to think clearer than those who are sober.
Of course, the effectiveness of alcohol changes with each individual person, but you
get the picture.
The alcohol helped participants of the study access remote ideas that develop
through association rather than through conventional, linear analysis.
"We have this assumption, that being able to focus on one part of a problem or
having a lot of expertise is better for problem solving," Wiley said. "But that's
not necessarily true. Innovation may happen when people are not so focused.
Sometimes it's good to be distracted."
This isn't the first time a study like this has been conducted. Others have said this
theory has a greater effect on men over women.
Of course, this theory has other benefits as well. Pick-up lines suddenly come to
mind quicker. Find yourself in an argument with your significant other? Have a
drink and they won't stand a chance.
So, the next time you have a big exam coming up, remember to throw back a beer or
two and reap the rewards.
Brandon Schlager can be reached by email at schlager.record@live.com.
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