JUST looking at a cup of coffee in the morning is enough to perk us up, a study suggests. It sparks our brains into life without us even having to down a drop. The effect, which can even be sparked by just thinking of anything that reminds us of a latte or espresso, is more […]
JUST looking at a cup of coffee in the morning is enough to perk us up, a study suggests.
It sparks our brains into life without us even having to down a drop.
The effect, which can even be sparked by just thinking of anything that reminds us of a latte or espresso, is more pronounced than with tea.
It is thought to spring from our ingrained belief, especially in the West, that coffee gets us up and running.
Researcher Prof Sam Maglio said: “We have this image of a prototypical executive rushing off to an important meeting with a triple espresso in their hand.
“There’s this connection between drinking caffeine and arousal that may not exist in other cultures.”
The findings come from four studies involving hundreds of people across Western and Eastern cultures.
Participants were given tasks after being shown coffee-or tea-related cues.
Those exposed to thoughts of coffee perceived time as shorter and thought in more concrete, precise terms, researchers from the University of Toronto said.
But for those who grew up in Eastern cultures, where coffee was less important than tea, the effect was less marked.
Prof Maglio believes the study reveals how subtle cues affect our decision-making and how that might be used in marketing food and drink.
