Creativity on tap? Effects of alcohol intoxication on creative cognition

Conscious Cogn. 2017 Nov:56:128-134. doi: 10.1016/j.concog.2017.06.020. Epub 2017 Jul 10.

Abstract

Anecdotal reports link alcohol intoxication to creativity, while cognitive research highlights the crucial role of cognitive control for creative thought. This study examined the effects of mild alcohol intoxication on creative cognition in a placebo-controlled design. Participants completed executive and creative cognition tasks before and after consuming either alcoholic beer (BAC of 0.03) or non-alcoholic beer (placebo). Alcohol impaired executive control, but improved performance in the Remote Associates Test, and did not affect divergent thinking ability. The findings indicate that certain aspects of creative cognition benefit from mild attenuations of cognitive control, and contribute to the growing evidence that higher cognitive control is not always associated with better cognitive performance.

Keywords: Alcohol; Creativity; Disinhibition; Executive function.

Publication types

  • Randomized Controlled Trial

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Alcoholic Intoxication / physiopathology
  • Beer
  • Central Nervous System Depressants / administration & dosage
  • Central Nervous System Depressants / pharmacology*
  • Creativity*
  • Ethanol / administration & dosage
  • Ethanol / pharmacology*
  • Executive Function / drug effects*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Inhibition, Psychological*
  • Male
  • Problem Solving / drug effects
  • Thinking / drug effects*
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Central Nervous System Depressants
  • Ethanol