Study suggest: Alcohol boosts recall of earlier learning

A new study suggests that after learning something, alcohol may help you retain the knowledge.

mediaMicro / Fotolia

Drinking alcohol improves memory for information learned before the drinking episode began, new research suggests.

In the University of Exeter study, 88 social drinkers were given a word-learning task. Participants were then split in two groups at random and told either to drink as much as they liked (the average was four units) or not to drink at all.

The next day, they all did the same task again -- and those who had drunk alcohol remembered more of what they had learned.

Our research not only showed that those who drank alcohol did better when repeating the word-learning task, but that this effect was stronger among those who drank more," said Professor Celia Morgan, of the University of Exeter.

www.sciencedaily.com...

It would seem that the more you drink after learning something new the more likely you are to retain that knowledge.
Hmmmm.... not so sure about that myself, if it were true I would be a genius
Quad

Nope never happened in university!

originally posted by: Quadrivium
It would seem that the more you drink after learning something new the more likely you are to retain that knowledge.

They needed a study to prove this? I could have done that for them in one weekend.

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

reply to: Skywatcher2011
Maybe we need to try harder

originally posted by: Quadrivium

Maybe we need to try harder

Sure. PM me around 4-ish tomorrow afternoon.

Oh, I remember all the times I was drinking and made a fool of myself. I kind of wish I could forget those times.

Maybe we should get a group together and verify if this is real. We can call it a party.

a reply to: Quadrivium

... interesting.....

Maybe this is why I did so much better in college.. have a beer or 2 while reading/studying, then exam time it was on lol, Id take shots before exams. Not even kidding.

It helped me calm myself and not second guess every freaking answer like i do everyday.

a reply to: rickymouse

Ha, well, problem is you didn't have enough!
Too much of a good thing and all.

a reply to: rickymouse

There were a lot of times I had to be told how big of a fool I made of myself.
Alcohol must have the opposite effect on me

originally posted by: GraffikPleasure
a reply to: rickymouse

Ha, well, problem is you didn't have enough!
Too much of a good thing and all.

I used to know people that kind of blacked out and did not remember what they did. Or maybe they just said they did not remember so people would not hold what they said against them. I had someone slip me a micky one time, they told me the next day. I would go out and get drunk when I broke up with a girl or she broke up with me. I can't drink anything but seagrams anymore, I had to get married and settle down so I could still drink one mixed drink if I wanted to. If I live longer than my wife, I am going to get drunk on seven sevens to finish off the list.

Hey that explains why I'm good at my job! Work hard all day, focus, concentrate, then go home and have a couple glasses of wine and forget about the day, until the next!

I like this study, reenforces my lifestyle!

What about people who babble like little kids when they get drunk. Are they remembering and regurgitating their first words?

a reply to: carewemust

Are you drinking right now?

a reply to: SunnyDee

Glad i could provide some positive reinforcement. That is always a good thing.

I think it has to do with any drug. If you stay up studying all night and drinking coffee, then you will perform better on your test if you are drinking coffee when you take it. Same with caffeine tablets, or pretty much any substance. Including alcohol. If you are drinking while studying, a little hair of the hound will help your performance on the exam.

But it's not a good idea.

Never been a drinker myself, but I sure remember being told how good booze is for you. OF course 99% of that was being told to me by people who love drinking.

I see an obvious reason for that.

a reply to: Quadrivium

I think there may be some truth to this, the more I drink the more I do indeed remember the next day, on my friends cellphones, recording me with a lampshade and socks on playing hide and seek, from myself.

a reply to: ladyinwaiting

Studies have shown the state you are in when learning/ memorizing the knowledge, is the best state to be in to recall it.

that reminds me...

a reply to: Quadrivium

Well. From what I know about alcohol is that it inhibits the brain from retaining information while the body is under it's influence.
It's like if you go to bed drunk pass right out and wake up even more tired than before. The brain goes right into deep sleep and skips rem, it has no chance to "defrag".

It makes sense that what you learned before consuming the substance is basically the last bits of information the brain retained.