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Source (http://www.nu.nl/wetenschap/2459535/...issingen-.html)
Translation:
'Full bladder leads to better decisions'
AMSTERDAM - People take more informed decisions when they need to go to the bathroom, Dutch scientists have found.
When people have a full bladder, they have more consideration for the long-term than when they don't feel the urge to pee. That's what researchers from the Twente University have written in the scientific magazine Psychological Science.
According to head researcher Mirjam Tuk the control that the brain has to exercise over the bladder improves the control over other tasks and thoughts. People act less impulsively because of this.
self control
"The area of the brain that sends this signal, does not only activate to control the bladder, but also for other forms of selfcontrol' she explains in the British newspaper The Daily Telegraph"
"The act of restraining our impulsive desire for immeadiate rewards in favor of a reward in a long-term timeframe is one of the mechanisms that arises in this part of the brain."
The researchers came to their findings by letting test subjects either drink 750 mililiter water, or only a few sips. After 40 minutes - the time it approximately takes for it to reach the bladder - they tested the subjects' degree of self control.
Rewards
To all participants of the experiment 8 situations were presented, where they had to choose between a smaller reward in a short term and a larger reward in the long term.
The people who had a full bladder seemed to act less impulsively than the people who drank little water. They chose the large reward in the long term and ignored the temptation of quick money.
Bottle of water
"It seems like that you take better decisions when you have a full bladder" according to Tuk. "Maybe people should drink a bottle of water before they decide to buy shares, for example".
ŠNU.nl/Dennis Rijnvis
Translation:
'Full bladder leads to better decisions'
AMSTERDAM - People take more informed decisions when they need to go to the bathroom, Dutch scientists have found.
When people have a full bladder, they have more consideration for the long-term than when they don't feel the urge to pee. That's what researchers from the Twente University have written in the scientific magazine Psychological Science.
According to head researcher Mirjam Tuk the control that the brain has to exercise over the bladder improves the control over other tasks and thoughts. People act less impulsively because of this.
self control
"The area of the brain that sends this signal, does not only activate to control the bladder, but also for other forms of selfcontrol' she explains in the British newspaper The Daily Telegraph"
"The act of restraining our impulsive desire for immeadiate rewards in favor of a reward in a long-term timeframe is one of the mechanisms that arises in this part of the brain."
The researchers came to their findings by letting test subjects either drink 750 mililiter water, or only a few sips. After 40 minutes - the time it approximately takes for it to reach the bladder - they tested the subjects' degree of self control.
Rewards
To all participants of the experiment 8 situations were presented, where they had to choose between a smaller reward in a short term and a larger reward in the long term.
The people who had a full bladder seemed to act less impulsively than the people who drank little water. They chose the large reward in the long term and ignored the temptation of quick money.
Bottle of water
"It seems like that you take better decisions when you have a full bladder" according to Tuk. "Maybe people should drink a bottle of water before they decide to buy shares, for example".
ŠNU.nl/Dennis Rijnvis