Caffeine is the most widely consumed psychotropic drug in the world, with numerous studies documenting the effects of caffeine on people’s alertness, vigilance, mood, concentration, and attentional focus. However, the effects of caffeine on creative thinking are unknown. Caffeine improves focus and problem-solving, but according to a new study conducted by a University of Arkansas researcher, it does not stimulate creativity.
“In Western cultures, caffeine is stereotypically associated with creative occupations and lifestyles, from writers and their coffee to programmers and their energy drinks, and there’s more than a kernel of truth to these stereotypes,” wrote Darya Zabelina, assistant professor of psychology and the study’s first author.
While the cognitive benefits of caffeine are well established – increased alertness, vigilance, focus, and motor performance – the stimulant’s effect on creativity is less well understood, she claims.
In Western cultures, caffeine is stereotypically associated with creative occupations and lifestyles, from writers and their coffee to programmers and their energy drinks, and there’s more than a kernel of truth to these stereotypes.
Darya Zabelina
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 significantly improved problem-solving but had no effect on creative thinking,” Zabelina explained. “It also did not make it worse, so keep drinking your coffee; it will not impair these abilities.”
Caffeine has been shown to increase resting brain entropy. Brain entropy is essential for brain function, and high levels indicate superior processing abilities. An increase in resting brain entropy indicates a greater capacity for information processing. Caffeine also stimulates the CNS by increasing the release of neurotransmitters such as noradrenaline, dopamine, and serotonin.
Coffee and caffeine may also have an effect on your memory, but the research is mixed and more research is needed. Caffeine may have a significant positive effect on both short-term and long-term memory, according to some studies. Other studies have found that caffeine has no effect on memory or even worsens performance on memory tasks.
In one study, participants ability to recognize images 24 hours later was improved when they took a caffeine tablet after studying a series of images. Caffeine also appeared to make these memories less likely to be forgotten when compared to the placebo group.
