Thinking on your back: Solving anagrams faster when supine than when standing
Abstract
There is potentially less locus coeruleus-noradrenergic system activity when lying down than when standing, an effect expected to develop via a difference in baroreceptor load. Furthermore, there is evidence implying that locus coeruleus-noradrenergic system activity impairs attempts to solve anagrams. Consistent with these ideas, we found that subjects solved anagrams significantly faster when supine than when standing. With anagrams characterized as insight problems, our finding suggests that insight may be influenced by body posture.
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Convergent thinking involves narrowing down possibilities to find a single correct solution.
“convergent thinking involves narrowing down these possibilities to find a single correct solution [11, 12, 13, 60].”
From Decoupling of Usefulness and Novelty: Evaluating the Impact of Generative AI on Design Outputs and Novice Designers' Creative Thinking (2026) · cites this paper as [60]
Cites
Wagner, U., Gais, S., Haider, H., Verleger, R., & Born, J. (2004) · Nature · doi:10.1038/nature02223 · Cited by 1,012 · see citing works
Postural baroreflex stimuli may affect EEG arousal and sleep in humans
Cole, R. J. (1989) · Journal of Applied Physiology · doi:10.1152/jappl.1989.67.6.2369 · Cited by 67 · see citing works
Mazzarello, P. (2000) · Nature · doi:10.1038/35046170 · Cited by 66 · see citing works
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Fu, Y., Zhou, T., Han, B., Wang, M., Chen, Y., Gomes Da Costa Lai, Z., Pang, R. Y., Reinecke, K., Wobbrock, J. O., & Hiniker, A. (2026) · Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems · doi:10.1145/3772318.3791329 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
“Clients also evaluated brand alignment with their organization. solution [11–13 , 60].”
- Authors
- Lipnicki, D. M., & Byrne, D. G.
- Affiliations
- Australian National University (AU)
- Corresponding author
- Byrne, Don G.
- ORCID
- Lipnicki, Darren M.
- Venue
- Cognitive Brain Research
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2005-08
- Volume
- 24
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 719-722
- ISSN
- 0926-6410 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2061041614
- Cited by
- 54
- References
- 3
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 3 · 2014: 5 · 2012: 2
- FWCI
- 3.46
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Cognitive Brain Research (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- ANU Open Research (Australian National University) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Creativity in Education and Neuroscience
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Sleep and Wakefulness Research
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Cognitive Science and Education Research
- Keywords
- anagram solving, posture, supine position, standing, locus coeruleus, noradrenergic system, insight problems, problem-solving speed
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Electroencephalography, Female, Humans, Language, Locus Coeruleus, Male, Mental Processes, Norepinephrine, Posture, Psychomotor Performance, Reaction Time, Supine Position
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