With a full bladder we make better decisions , as suggested by a study conducted by researchers at the University of Twente (Netherlands) and published in the journal Psychological Science . According to Mirjam Tuk, co-author of the study, while we control the urgent need to go to the bathroom, it improves the brain's self-control mechanism globally, helping us to better choose between several options.
Tuk and his colleagues Debra Trampe, from the University of Groningen, and Luk Warlop, from the Catholic University of Leuven, designed an experiment in which several subjects either drank five cups of water or took small sips from five separate cups. After 40 minutes – the approximate amount of time it takes for the water to reach the bladder – the researchers evaluated the self-control of the participants, who were offered eight options, each of which gave a choice between a small reward immediate and another major but long term. The researchers showed that people with a full bladder tended to opt for the long-term, more beneficial rewards.
"We choose better with a full bladder," concludes Tuk, who recommends drinking a bottle of water before making the decisions that we consider important .
