Research Says It’s Better to Gamble While Hungry

While it may considered a poor idea to go food shopping while hungry, new research claims that it may be wise to gamble in this state.

According to research from Utrecht University in the Netherlands, people who are hungry make better instant decisions and may earn more pay out than those who are full.

People who are hungry enter a “hot state,” defined by psychologists as a high level of emotion where people make quick decisions — which can be irrational or rational, depending on the context.

The scientists’ study revealed that their subjects in a hunger-induced “hot state” made better decisions in regards to gambling.

“These studies for the first time provide evidence that hot states improve decision making under uncertain conditions, challenging the conventional conception of the detrimental role of impulsivity in decision making,” wrote the researchers.

All participants in the study were asked to go without food the night before. When they arrived at the laboratory, some were given food and some were not.

The students then underwent one of three different studies that tested their ability to make quick decisions. The first two studies had subjects engage in an “Iowan Gambling Task,” a psychological test involving a virtual game of cards. The last study asked subjects questions such as whether they’d choose earning a small amount of money immediately and a larger sum in the future.

Those who had not eaten fared better in all three studies.

It turns out that decisions made under the pressure of a “hot state” are not necessarily irrational.

“It may be that hot states in general, and hunger and appetite in particular, do not necessarily make people more impulsive but rather make them rely more on their gut feeling, which benefits complex decisions with uncertain outcomes,” explained the researchers.

“Alternatively, it may be that hot states do increase impulsivity but that impulsivity is not necessarily bad,” they added.

Hunger does not, however, necessarily improve all forms of decision-making.