Scientists explain why the best ideas come in the bathroom
Exploring the admittedly strange phenomenon
For years, scientists have argued about the so-called “douche effect” and why it occurs. It’s about the admittedly rather strange phenomenon that more or less everyone has experienced at one point or another: The best things come in the bathroom.
Now, two new experiments are trying to clear things up a bit. These were led by Zac Irving, who studies and teaches philosophy of cognitive science at the University of Virginia, and suggest that undivided concentration on a task can act as the enemy of creativity. What does this mean;
Instead of thinking about a problem over and over until you solve it, the findings suggest it’s better to take a break and engage in something different but mildly exciting, such as taking a shower. This environment can allow your mind to “wander” more freely, without purpose or direction, albeit with some limitations. So as your mind wanders, researchers believe you’re more likely to think of something clever!
On the other hand, if you were taking a break from a completely boring task, it wouldn’t limit your thoughts enough to generate creative ideas. More likely, you would get distracted or just keep thinking about the original problem.
Irving, therefore, emphasizes:
Let’s say you’re stuck on a problem. How are you? Probably not something boring, like watching paint dry. Instead, you do something to occupy yourself, like going for a walk or taking a shower. These activities are exciting but in moderation.
Historically, experiments on the douche effect have produced conflicting results. Irving believes that this is due to errors in the design of experiments, since the birth of unusual ideas can require a delicate balance between free thinking and concentrated thinking.
They didn’t really measure mind wandering. They measured how abstract the participants were.
Irving and his colleagues therefore designed these two new experiments to compensate for any limitations.
The first experiment was based on 222 participants. First, these participants were given 90 seconds to think of as many alternative uses for a “brick” or “clip” as possible.
The participants were then randomly divided into two groups. The first group was instructed to watch a riveting, three-minute scene from the comedy ‘When Harry Met Sally’. The second group, meanwhile, watched a three-minute video of men folding clothes.
After the video break, both groups were unexpectedly given an extra 45 seconds to add more usage ideas for the “brick” or “clip”.
The researchers took into account both the total number of ideas and how innovative they were, and at the end, participants were asked to reveal how much their mind wandered during the video viewings.
Thus, the researchers found that after viewing the compelling video, “mind wandering” resulted in more responses.
On the other hand, the benefits of boredom do not appear to be linked to mind wandering. Specifically, after watching the washing machine video, the participants suggested fewer unusual ideas than the other group.
The second experiment was similar, but this time, half the group knew from the start that they would be able to add ideas after watching the video. The other half were given only a “vague” indication that this might happen.
The results of the second experiment support the central findings of the first. That is, they suggest that mind wandering facilitates the generation of new ideas. Interestingly enough, when participants knew they had to go back to the original task, they ultimately delivered more ideas after the boring video, but with a lower creativity score.
In conclusion, the researchers conclude:
Together, these results suggest that different kinds of thinking lead to creativity during exciting and boring tasks. A more interesting task can lead to productive mind wandering, while a boring task can also be beneficial.
According to these new experiments, a shower as a break while solving a problem is as interesting as it is needed to come back with creative solutions.
The research is officially titled ‘The shower effect: Mind wandering facilitates creative incubation during moderately engaging activities’ and was published in the scientific journal Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts.
You can find it by clicking here.
