Meetings suck your intelligence

Post date: Feb 29, 2012 8:52:54 AM

Fascinating article in today's Herald of a study that shows that meetings tend to interfere with individuals' cognitive abilities. For this study, people with relatively high IQs were tested individually and then again in small groups of similar intelligence. Collectively they had much more trouble with problem solving tests.

While the overall performance and intelligence of all group members fell, women's IQs were more significantly affected than men's. So meetings affect Maria and me more than the three men in our family!

The study authors say that the same brain slowing effects could likely be felt by people in numerous situations such as dinner parties, social gatherings, committee meetings and even jury duty.

Author noted that social dynamics could be affecting the brain power not just of people at work, but of the decision making committees of government and even the United Nations. Situations where you really want people to be using their full brain potential.

Tony has just been reading over my shoulder and said "that explains why national office people seem so stupid". I cannot quite agree being a national office person . . .

Also in today's news - being Feb 29th was the great grandmother who was having her 21st birthday (as she only gets a real birthday every 4 years) and the rather interesting note that for people who get paid monthly Feb 29th is an additional day's work with no additional pay (so work for nothing). For Tony, Adrian and me this is not the case as we get paid fortnightly and each 10 working days the fortnight ends regardless of the date. However Maria and I think Mark are paid monthly and the 15th March (Maria's pay days) is one day later than it was in 2011.