So, do you consider yourself a morning person doing your most creative thinking upon rising from a full night’s sleep? Or have you never given up your college night owl habits, insisting this is when you do your best work?
According to a study co-authored by Albion College (Michigan) psychological sciences professor Mareike Wieth, the optimal time to complete creative tasks is NOT when you’re well rested!
Wieth and Rose Zacks of Michigan State University asked 428 students to complete a questionnaire that determined if they considered themselves morning people or night owls. Then they were randomly assigned to an 8:30 a.m. or 4:00 p.m. testing session that included “analytical” problems and “insight” problems.
The researchers believe the results show that it was easier to complete “insight” problems at non-optimal times of day because the process in the brain that suppresses distracting information shifts, allowing for more creative, original thought.
To read more about the study, click here.
