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01-09-2015 | Original Article

Food for creativity: tyrosine promotes deep thinking

Auteurs: Lorenza S. Colzato, Annelies M. de Haan, Bernhard Hommel

Gepubliceerd in: Psychological Research | Uitgave 5/2015

Abstract

Anecdotal evidence suggests that creative people sometimes use food to overcome mental blocks and lack of inspiration, but empirical support for this possibility is still lacking. In this study, we investigated whether creativity in convergent- and divergent-thinking tasks is promoted by the food supplement l-Tyrosine (TYR)—a biochemical precursor of dopamine, which is assumed to drive cognitive control and creativity. We found no evidence for an impact of TYR on divergent thinking (“brainstorming”) but it did promote convergent (“deep”) thinking. As convergent thinking arguably requires more cognitive top-down control, this finding suggests that TYR can facilitate control-hungry creative operations. Hence, the food we eat may affect the way we think.

volgende artikel The relationship of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity to cognitive processing in adolescents: findings from the ALSPAC birth cohort

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Titel: Food for creativity: tyrosine promotes deep thinking
Auteurs: Lorenza S. Colzato
Annelies M. de Haan
Bernhard Hommel
Publicatiedatum: 01-09-2015
Uitgeverij: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Gepubliceerd in: Psychological Research / Uitgave 5/2015
Print ISSN: 0340-0727
Elektronisch ISSN: 1430-2772
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00426-014-0610-4

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