Ever walked out of a meeting feeling dumber than when you walked in? It turns out, you are dumber.
Meetings by committee and brainstorming can actually make you feel devoid of brainpower, according to Human Neuroimaging Laboratory and Computational Psychiatry Unit at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine and Research Institute.
It’s not just a feeling either — working in a group setting can actually cause your IQ to drop, according to Msnbc.com.
It might have something to do with listening to other people express their ideas that just makes your thoughts seem, well, dopey.
Brain scans of 70 intelligent college students revealed a change in brain function when they had to answer questions in groups. Feelings of fear and other emotions made it more difficult for the students to speak and act their best.
If you’ve got a boss that’s constantly measuring your work against your colleagues, you’re likely to feel stupid.
Researchers found that the college students’ IQ scores fell when they being told how their responses to certain questions compares to their peers.
“There’s something about being in a group context that interferes with how we express our intelligence,” said lead study author Kenneth T. Kishida.
